Western Kentucky's Lucky Jackson named SERVPRO First Responder Bowl MVP

Photo by
Darla S Tamulitis
La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved

DALLAS, TEXAS (December 30, 2019) Western Kentucky wide receiver Lucky Jackson (shown right) caught 17 passes for 148 yards and one touchdown as the Hilltoppers downed the Western Michigan Broncos 23-20 at the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas.

The red-shirt senior, who hails from Lexington, Kentucky, caught a five-yard pass from quarterback Ty Storey for the last touchdown of the game. As a result of his play, Jackson was named the game's Most Valuable Player. 

The First Responder Bowl was the first bowl game the Hilltoppers had played in Texas. They are now 4-2 in bowl games since joining the FBS ranks in 2009.  Western Kentucky and Western Michigan had played 15 times previously, with the Broncos coming out on top 11 times. All previous games were contested between 1923 and 1947.

The Hilltoppers finish the 2019 season with a 9-5 record

Western Michigan makes retrun to Dallas-area for SERVPRO First Responder Bowl

By Chris Price
Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved

DALLAS, TEXAS (December 30, 2019) Western Michigan will face the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in the 2019 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl on Monday, December 30, 2019. The game is scheduled for an 11:30 a.m. CT kickoff at SMU's Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas. 

They are playing in their third consecutive bowl game and 10th in program history. They are 1-8 all-time in bowl season, the lone win coming over Middle Tennessee State in 2015; a 45-31 win. Bronco junior linebacker Treshaun Hayward was named to the Sportine News All-American team,  in addition to receiving the Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Year with 132 tackles, fifth most in the nation. 

The Broncos (7-5, 5-3 MAC) is playing in the Dallas area for the second time since the 2016 season. They played Wisconsin in the 2017 Goodyear Cotton Bowl, played in Arlington’s AT&T Stadium, falling by the score of 24-16. 

The offense is paced by 2019 MAC Offensive Player of the Year running back LeVante Bellamy. A Doak Walker Award semifinalist, the senior leads the nation with 23 rushing touchdowns and is tenth in the country with 1,412 yards rushing. 

Senior quarterback Jon Wassink was the recipient of the Wuerffel Trophy, presented by the Chickfil-A Foundation. The award is the premier award for community service is presented annually to the FBS player best combining exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement.

Western Kentucky makes first bowl trip to Texas for SERVPRO First Responder Bowl

By Chris Price
Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved

DALLAS, TEXAS (December 30, 2019) The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers are headed to Dallas, Texas to face the Western Michigan Broncos in the 2019 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl on December 30, 2019 at SMU's Gerald J Ford Stadium.

The Hilltoppers are making their sixth bowl appearance since 2012 after it’s 2012 Little Caesars Bowl appearance ended a drought dating back to 1975, which they lost in the NCAA Division II National Championship Game. WKU is 7-4 all-time in bowl games and 3-2 in the FBS era. 

Tyson Helton, in his first season as a head coach, was named the C-USA Coach of the Year. With a win, Helton would help the program earn its ninth win of the year to equal the total of 2017 and 2018 wins combined. Helton joins his father, Kim Helton, as the only father-son duo to be named Coach of the Year in the C-USA’s 25-year history in any sport. 

Junior defensive end DeAngelo Malone was named the 2019 C-USA Defensive Player of the Year. Malone racked up 21.0 tackles for loss (11th in the nation) with 11.5 sacks. Malone averages 7.5 total tackles per game. 

Senior quarterback Ty Storey earned the 2019 C-USA Newcomer of the Year honor after tossing 12 touchdowns, 2,209 yards and just five interceptions. Topping his former squad Arkansas in November, he was 22-of-32 on the way to being named the Manning Award National Quarterback of the Week, a first in program history.

Rice Routs Western Michigan 38-14 in Texas Bowl

(Rice quarterback Chase Clement threw 307 yards and rushed for 72 more in Rice's rout of Western Michigan. Photo by Darla Tamulitis-Copyright 2008 La Vita Loca Photography)

By Robert H. Kelly
Copyright 2008 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (December 30, 2008) During the lead up to the 2008 Presidential election, candidate Ron Paul’s supporters were considered the most vocal and highly spirited around.

The Western Michigan Broncos could have used the support of fans of that caliber in their 38-14 thrashing by the Rice Owls in the 2008 edition of the Texas Bowl.

Rice quarterback Chase Clement threw three touchdown passes, ran for another and caught a TD pass from Jarett Dillard to lead the Owls to their first bowl win since 1949.

Clement’s performance earned him the Most Valuable Player award and showed the talent that should make him a high round draft pick for the NFL.

He threw for 307 yards, completing 33-of-44 passes, and ran for and additional 72 yards, leading the Owls to their first recorded double-digit wins since the 1949 season.

The game was Western Michigan second straight bowl game, but just the fourth in the school's history.

Unfortunately for WMU, all four of the Broncos' postseason appearances ended in defeat, including 2007 in the International Bowl, as WMU was beaten by Cincinnati by the score of 27-24.

Bronco’s quarterback Tim Hiller completed 19-og 42 passes for 198 yards and two Brandon West led the way on the ground with 56 yards on 15 touches. Jamarko Simmons had 92 yards on six catches, while Schneider Julien and Kirk Elsworth recorded touchdown catches.

Clement has praise for everyone around and stated he felt this season would inspire the younger players to achieve higher goals.

“When you sit down and look back and see how everything has unfolded, it’s a special opportunity and just what we’ve been able to accomplish. It really sets this program in the right direction. Hopefully, those guys that are younger than us have seen what it takes to win and what it takes to be successful and hopefully they can get that going,” Clement was quoted in the post-game press conference.

There was a bit of gold in the dark cloud that hovered over the Broncos the entire game. Before the contest, Western Michigan announced that Head Coach Bill Cubit agreed to a new five-year contract.

Rice Take 24-0 Lead at Half in 2008 Texas Bowl

(Rice quarterback Chase Clements rushed for 61 yards in first quarter action at the 2008 Texas Bowl. Photo by Darla Tamulitis-Copyright 2008 La Vita Loca Photography)

By Robert H. Kelly
Copyright 2008 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (December 30, 2008) Rice’s Chase Clement (Alamo Heights/Alamo Heights, Texas) continued to dominate the field, throwing for two touchdowns to extend the Owls lead to 24-0 over the Western Michigan Broncos.

Clement connected with Toren Dixon (Robinson/Robinson, Texas) on a six-yard pass with 6:53 left in the half to extend Rice’s lead to 17-0 with the conversion by Fangmeier.

Clement again found the air to his liking by finding wide receiver James Casey on a 46-yard pass to take the score to 23-0. Fangmeier’s conversion was again good to make the score 24-0 to round out scoring for the half.

Defensively, Rice held the Broncos to 90 total yards offensively on only six first downs. Western Michigan was 1 for 7 on third down conversions and was held to 8 minutes 58 seconds for possessions.

Clemens completed 16 of 24 passes for 169 yards and rushed for 61 yards (250-yards total) on offense.

Texas Bowl 2008: 1st Quarter Recap

(The Rice Owls take the field before the kickoff of the 2008 Texas Bowl. Photo by Darla Tamulits, Copyright 2008 La Vita Loca Photography)

By Robert H. Kelly
Copyright 2008 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (December 30, 2008) After 15 minutes of play in the 2008 Texas Bowl, Rice quarterback Chase Clement (Alamo Heights/Alamo Heights, Texas) showed the form that got Rice to their second owl bowl appearance in three years by giving the Owls a 10-0 lead over Western Michigan University.

Clement scored with 5:21 left in the first quarter on a 26-yard keeper to give the Owls the lead. Clark Fangmeier’s (North Mesquite/Mesquite, Texas) conversion was good to take the score to 7-0.

Fangmeier again found the uprights at the 3:02 mark, kicking a 30-yard field goal to extend Rice’s lead to 10-0 at the quarter.

Clement rushed 50 yards on 4 carries and went 7 for 9 and 69 yards passing.

Western Michigan sputtered on offence, managing a mire 50-yards total offense.

Western Michigan Accepts Invite to Play in 2008 Texas Bowl

HOUSTON, TEXAS (December 7, 2008) Western Michigan University has accepted an invitation to play Rice University in the third annual Texas Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 30, in Reliant Stadium, bowl manager Heather Houston announced Sunday evening.

“The Broncos and Owls are two of the most exciting football teams in the nation,” Houston said in making the announcement. “I think that fans can look forward to another thrill-packed Texas Bowl game.”

The Broncos will bring a 9-3 record into the game, their fourth bowl game ever and the second under head coach Bill Cubit. Western Michigan finished second behind Ball State in the Mid-American Conference's tough Western Division.

WMU is led by quarterback Tim Hiller, who ranks 14th nationally with 294.1 total offense yards per game. Receiver Jamarko Simmons is third nationally with 8.17 receptions per game and Brandon West is sixth nationally with 167.6 all-purpose yards per game. Twelve Broncos earned all-MAC honors this season, three as members of the first team.

“We are proud to be able to represent our University and the MAC in one of the best new bowl games in America,” WMU athletic director Kathy Beauregard said in accepting the bid. “Our student-athletes and fans are looking forward to this experience. It’s a great day to be a Bronco.“

Rice University, which tied for the championship of Conference USA’s Western Division, was announced as a bowl participant last week. The Owls, under coach David Bailiff, will also bring a 9-3 record into the game.

“Our game will be one of only five non-BCS games that will match two nine-win teams,” Houston added. “This will be one of the better match-ups of the bowl season.”

The 2008 Texas Bowl will be televised live nationally on NFL Network. The game will also be broadcast nationally by Westwood One radio and locally on KTRH 740 AM.

TCU defeated the University of Houston 20-13 on in the 2007 Texas Bowl before a crowd of 62,097. The audience was the third-largest crowd ever to see a college bowl game in Houston. The 2007 Texas Bowl attracted the eighth-largest crowd among non-BCS bowls last year. The Texas Bowl outdrew matchups such as Tennessee vs. Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl, Texas Tech vs. Virginia in the Gator Bowl and Alabama vs. Colorado in the PetroSun Independence Bowl.

The inaugural Texas Bowl was played on Thursday, December 28, 2006 at Reliant Stadium. Rutgers defeated Kansas State 37-10 before a crowd of 52,210, the largest crowd to witness a bowl game in Houston not involving a Texas team since 1972.

Tickets went on sale to the general public on Nov. 8 following an exclusive pre-sale window for those who bought tickets to the 2007 Texas Bowl. Tickets, which start at just $15, may be purchased online at TicketMaster.com, on the phone at 832-667-2390 or in person at the Reliant Stadium box office inside Budweiser Plaza. Game tickets will also grant fans admittance to TexFest, a Texas-sized pregame party featuring a number of well-known local and national Texas music artists as well as “team spirit walks” when the teams arrive.