WKU Football Loses 35-21 to Delaware at Home
Western Kentucky University football dropped to 3-5 overall following a 35-21 loss to Delaware on Tuesday at Houchens-Smith Stadium, wkusports.com reported. The Hilltoppers opened the game with an early lead but ultimately fell short against the Fightin’ Blue Hens in front of an announced attendance of 12,147.
Opening Drives and Early Momentum
WKU started the contest by scoring on its opening possession, marching 75 yards in eight plays. Quarterback Brock Glenn connected with CC Ezirim on a 2-yard pass at the 11:37 mark of the first quarter to put the hosts ahead 7-0. Delaware answered immediately on the ensuing drive, tying the game 7-7 with a 17-yard touchdown pass with 6:43 remaining in the period. The Hilltoppers reclaimed the advantage when Zion Taylor ran for a 1-yard touchdown, capping a 75-yard drive set up by a 45-yard completion from Glenn to Moussa Barry. That score pushed WKU ahead 14-7 with 3:41 left in the opening quarter.
Delaware responded in the second quarter with a 21-yard touchdown reception to knot the score at 14-14. WKU then reclaimed the lead once more after a 61-yard rush by Glenn paved the way for a 5-yard scoring run by Ajay Allen, making it 21-14 with 10:52 remaining in the first half. The Blue Hens leveled the score again with a 5-yard rushing touchdown at the 7:25 mark and secured a 28-21 lead just before halftime on an 8-yard scoring reception with 59 seconds left on the clock.
Delaware Extends Lead in Low Scoring Second Half
The second half featured only one scoring play. Delaware found the end zone on a 40-yard reception with 4:20 to play in the third quarter, extending the visitors’ lead to 35-21. Neither team managed to score in the fourth quarter, leaving the final margin unchanged.
WKU finished the night with 477 yards of total offense, splitting that production into 245 passing yards and 232 rushing yards. According to wkusports.com, this marked the second-highest total yardage output for the Hilltoppers this season, trailing only the 596 yards recorded against Mercyhurst on Sept. 26. Brock Glenn completed 25 of 37 passes for 224 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions, while also leading the ground attack with 129 rushing yards on 17 carries. This performance marked the first time a WKU quarterback rushed for over 100 yards in a single game since Kawaun Jakes ran for 121 yards against Troy on Nov. 7, 2009.
Ajay Allen contributed 73 rushing yards on 12 carries and scored his team-leading sixth touchdown of the season. Through the air, nine different WKU players caught passes. Receiver Jonathan Stafford Jr. and running back Jaden McGill each recorded five receptions, while Moussa Barry paced the team with 80 receiving yards. Stafford’s production elevated his season totals to 46 catches for 433 yards, moving him past Easton Messer into second place in program history for receptions by a freshman, behind only Malachi Corley’s 73 catches in 2021. Defensively, linebackers Jaylen Wester and Westen Ard recorded nine tackles apiece to lead the Hilltoppers.
Coach and Player Reactions After the Loss
Guys battled hard.
We’ll go back to the drawing board.
Upcoming Matchup Against Middle Tennessee
The loss drops WKU to 3-5 overall and 2-2 in Conference USA play, while Delaware moves to 4-4 overall and 2-2 in the conference. The Hilltoppers also fall to 1-3 all-time against Delaware and drop to 2-1 at home this season, snapping a stretch that saw them win 13 of their previous 15 games at Houchens-Smith Stadium.
WKU returns to a traditional Saturday schedule for its next outing. The team travels to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, to face Middle Tennessee on Nov. 7, with kickoff scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT at Johnny “Red” Floyd Stadium.