Bowling Green
Western Kentucky
RECORD
1-4
CONFERENCE
Conference USA
PF / PA
99/198
Last 15 games
8-7 in the last 15 · 24.4 scored · 28.0 allowed WON 31-16 scored 31 · allowed 16 See game WON 27-22 scored 27 · allowed 22 See game WON 27-24 scored 27 · allowed 24 See game LOST 6-25 scored 6 · allowed 25 See game WON 28-27 scored 28 · allowed 27 See game WON 35-16 scored 35 · allowed 16 See game WON 42-26 scored 42 · allowed 26 See game LOST 10-13 scored 10 · allowed 13 See game LOST 34-37 scored 34 · allowed 37 See game WON 27-16 scored 27 · allowed 16 See game LOST 14-49 scored 14 · allowed 49 See game LOST 20-70 scored 20 · allowed 70 See game LOST 0-38 scored 0 · allowed 38 See game WON 52-7 scored 52 · allowed 7 See game LOST 13-34 scored 13 · allowed 34 See game
Points scored, win Points scored, loss Points allowed
Data highlights
All-time record
171-162
.514 since 1925
Best season
12-2
2015
10-win seasons
3
Latest 2016
Winning seasons
24
of 55 completed
Next games
Missouri State 
vs Western Kentucky
vs Western Kentucky Western Kentucky vs 
Sam Houston
vs Sam Houston Delaware 
vs Western Kentucky
vs Western Kentucky Western Kentucky vs 
Middle Tennessee
vs Middle Tennessee Jacksonville State 
vs Western Kentucky
vs Western Kentucky Western Kentucky vs 
Liberty
vs Liberty Roster
5Rodney Tisdale Jr.QB10Caleb McMickleQB11Brock GlennQB15Cam O'HaraQB3
Ajay AllenRB9Kalib HicksRB Head coach
Head coachTyson Helton Head coach since2019
Record at Western Kentucky58-40
Seasons8
Bowl trips7
Season stats
Points per game19.8 9th
Points allowed39.6 10th
Total yards per game346.2 9th
Yards per play4.9 10th
Rush yards per game113.2 8th
Season
Unit
Offense
48 players
Defense
53 players
Special teams
8 players| No | Player | Pos |
|---|---|---|
| 33 | Michael Smith | PK |
| 43 | Jackson Smith | PK |
| 58 | Michael Buck | PK |
| 99 | Karl Campbell | PK |
| 35 | Daniel Wall | P |
| 40 | Carson Perusse | LS |
| 44 | Bailey Sanders | LS |
| 49 | Nolan Imhoff | LS |
Rosters from CollegeFootballData, by season. Pick a year above.
Recent results
2026-10-01 FINAL L
Western Kentucky 13 : 34
New Mexico State
13 : 34 New Mexico State 2026-09-26 FINAL W
Mercyhurst 
7 : 52 Western Kentucky
7 : 52 Western Kentucky 2026-09-12 FINAL L
Western Kentucky 20 : 70
Georgia
20 : 70 Georgia 2025-12-23 FINAL W
Western Kentucky 27 : 16
Southern Miss
27 : 16 Southern Miss 2025-11-29 FINAL L
Western Kentucky 34 : 37 Jacksonville State
34 : 37 Jacksonville State 2025-11-22 FINAL L
Western Kentucky 10 : 13
LSU
10 : 13 LSU 2025-11-01 FINAL W
New Mexico State 16 : 35 Western Kentucky
16 : 35 Western Kentucky 2025-10-21 FINAL W
Western Kentucky 28 : 27
Louisiana Tech
28 : 27 Louisiana Tech 
25The latest 12 games. Every season: Western Kentucky record by year.
Upcoming
OCT 14 UPCOMING
Western Kentucky vs Sam Houston
Game page vs Sam Houston OCT 27 UPCOMING
Delaware vs Western Kentucky
Game page vs Western Kentucky NOV 14 UPCOMING
Jacksonville State vs Western Kentucky
Game page vs Western Kentucky NOV 21 UPCOMING
Western Kentucky vs Liberty
Game page vs Liberty Points per game
19.8
9th in the Conference USA
Points allowed
39.6
10th in the Conference USA
Total yards per game
346.2
9th in the Conference USA
Yards per play
4.9
10th in the Conference USA
Rush yards per game
113.2
8th in the Conference USA
Pass yards per game
233.0
5th in the Conference USA
First downs per game
18.4
8th in the Conference USA
Third-down rate
38.3%
7th in the Conference USA
Turnover margin
-5
10th in the Conference USA
Takeaways
4
8th in the Conference USA
Sacks
4
8th in the Conference USA
Sacks allowed
13
9th in the Conference USA
Penalty yards per game
39.6
1st in the Conference USA
Time of possession
29:33
4th in the Conference USA
Season by season
Record
1-4
Conference
In progress
Points for / against
19.8 / 39.6
Postseason
In progress
| Season | Record | PPG | PA | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1-4 | 19.8 | 39.6 | In progress |
| 2025 | 9-4 | 29.5 | 22.8 | Won New Orleans Bowl |
| 2024 | 8-6 | 24.9 | 24.6 | Lost Boca Raton Bowl |
| 2023 | 8-5 | 30.5 | 28.7 | Won Famous Toastery Bowl |
| 2022 | 9-5 | 36.4 | 23.4 | Won R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl |
| 2021 | 9-5 | 44.2 | 29.4 | Won RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl |
| 2020 | 5-7 | 19.0 | 25.3 | Lost LendingTree Bowl |
| 2019 | 9-4 | 25.4 | 20.1 | Won SERVPRO FIRST RESPONDER BOWL |
| 2018 | 3-9 | 21.1 | 27.8 | No bowl |
| 2017 | 6-7 | 25.5 | 26.8 | Lost AUTONATION CURE BOWL |
| 2016 | 11-3 | 45.5 | 24.6 | Won BOCA RATON BOWL |
| 2015 | 12-2 | 44.3 | 25.9 | Won MIAMI BEACH BOWL |
| 2014 | 8-5 | 44.4 | 39.9 | Won POPEYES BAHAMAS BOWL |
| 2013 | 8-4 | 30.8 | 24.6 | No bowl |
| 2012 | 7-6 | 28.2 | 25.5 | Lost LITTLE CAESARS BOWL |
| 2011 | 7-5 | 22.9 | 24.8 | No bowl |
| 2010 | 2-10 | 22.8 | 33.2 | No bowl |
| 2009 | 0-12 | 20.4 | 39.6 | No bowl |
Who gets the ball: share of plays, 2026 season
The share of Western Kentucky's offensive plays on which each player threw the ball, ran it or was targeted. College programs do not publish snap counts; this is the closest public measure.
| Player | Pos | All plays | Pass plays | Run plays | 3rd down |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rodney Tisdale Jr. | QB | 49.2% | 78.3% | 15.7% | 56.5% |
| Brock Glenn | QB | 27.2% | 31.9% | 22.1% | 35.7% |
| Ajay Allen | RB | 20.3% | 7.9% | 35.6% | 16.7% |
| Jonathan Stafford Jr. | WR | 13.3% | 22.0% | 3.7% | 13.1% |
| Jaden McGill | RB | 8.3% | 9.8% | 7.3% | 10.5% |
| Cameron Flowers | WR | 6.7% | 11.0% | 1.8% | 8.3% |
| Le'Kamren Meadows | RB | 6.7% | 1.6% | 12.9% | 0.0% |
| Kalib Hicks | RB | 5.7% | 1.4% | 10.3% | 0.0% |
| Quincy Burroughs | WR | 5.0% | 9.4% | 0.0% | 9.5% |
| CC Ezirim | TE | 4.6% | 9.2% | 0.0% | 6.1% |
| Caleb McMickle | QB | 4.5% | 6.3% | 3.0% | 16.7% |
| Zion Taylor | WR | 4.0% | 6.7% | 0.8% | 3.1% |
| Lofton Howard | TE | 3.9% | 7.3% | 0.0% | 3.6% |
| Moussa Barry | WR | 3.1% | 5.2% | 0.0% | 2.4% |
| Qua'Vez Humphreys | WR | 2.5% | 4.7% | 0.0% | 4.8% |
| Coleson Arends | TE | 2.3% | 4.2% | 0.0% | 2.0% |
| Jeremiah Carroll | WR | 1.5% | 3.1% | 0.0% | 8.3% |
| Nigel Johnson | WR | 1.4% | 2.8% | 0.0% | 3.1% |
| Devin Hamilton | WR | 1.4% | 2.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Sincere Baines | RB | 1.3% | 0.0% | 4.0% | 0.0% |
Pass plays and run plays: the share of those plays that went through the player. Source: CollegeFootballData via our data hub.
Strength of schedule
Opponents by win total, week by week, with remaining-schedule difficulty
Avg opponent wins, 2025
6.4
FBS average
6.4
Played
7.0
Remaining
6.0
2026 weekly schedule
A · 1 A · 2 
A · 3 H · 4 A · 5 H · 6 A · 7 BYEWk 8
H · 9 A · 10 H · 11 A · 12 
H · 13 BYEWk 14
BYEWk 15
Tougher than average Easier than average · number = opponent's win total
Western Kentucky 2026 opponents
| Wk | Opponent | Site | Opp wins | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | @ | 3 | Played |
| 2 | Georgia | @ | 12 | Played |
| 3 | Indiana | @ | 16 | Played |
| 4 | Mercyhurst | vs | 0 | Played |
| 5 | New Mexico State | @ | 4 | Played |
| 6 | Missouri State | vs | 7 | Upcoming |
| 7 | Sam Houston | @ | 2 | Upcoming |
| 9 | Delaware | vs | 7 | Upcoming |
| 10 | Middle Tennessee | @ | 3 | Upcoming |
| 11 | Jacksonville State | vs | 9 | Upcoming |
| 12 | Liberty | @ | 4 | Upcoming |
| 13 | Kennesaw State | vs | 10 | Upcoming |
Opponent strength = each opponent's win total in 2025, its last full season (records-based, no betting win totals are used). Schedule and records from CollegeFootballData. See the full conference strength-of-schedule ranking.
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Frequently asked questions
What conference is Western Kentucky in?
Western Kentucky plays in the Conference USA.
Has Western Kentucky ever won a national championship?
No. Western Kentucky has not claimed a national championship.
Who is the Western Kentucky head coach in 2026?
Tyson Helton is the Western Kentucky head coach for the 2026 season.