Indiana University Athletics
Game Notes: Western Kentucky
9/21/2021 12:00:00 PM | Football
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The second road game of the 2021 season takes the Indiana football program to Bowling Green, Kentucky, for a matchup with Western Kentucky. The fourth all-time meeting between the Hoosiers (1-2) and Hilltoppers (1-1) will air on CBS Sports Network at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 25.
INDIANA (1-2, 0-1 Big Ten) at WESTERN KENTUCKY (1-1)
Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium
Saturday, Sept. 25 | 8 p.m. ET
TV: CBS Sports Network | RADIO: Indiana Hoosiers Sports Network
Setting The Scene
• Indiana (1-2, 0-1 B1G East) kicks off a two-game road swing at Western Kentucky (1-1) on Saturday, Sept. 25. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CST/8 p.m. EST at Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium (23,776; FieldTurf) on CBSSN.
• IU leads the all-time series, 3-0, including a 38-21 victory in its lone trip to Bowling Green on Sept. 18, 2010.
• The teams last met on Sept. 19, 2015, a 38-35 Hoosiers win.
• Indiana is 6-3 in its last nine road games and has won five-straight non-conference road contests.
The Coaches
• The 2020 American Football Coaches Association National Coach of the Year, Tom Allen is 25-24 (.510) in his fifth season as Indiana head football coach. His 24 wins over his first four years are the most for an IU head coach during that span. Allen was also named the 2020 Hayes-Schembechler Coach of the Year (Big Ten coaches vote) and the Dave McClain Coach of the Year (Big Ten media vote). (full bio on page 15)
• Tyson Helton is in his third season as Western Kentucky head coach. Helton has guided the Hilltoppers to back-to-back bowl games, with a win in the 2019 First Responder Bowl, and he owns a 15-12 record (.556).
News & Notes
• Indiana is 15-9 overall and 11-6 in Big Ten play since the start of 2019.
• IU's 15 wins share fifth and 11 victories are fourth in the B1G during that span.
• The Hoosiers were ranked in the 2021 preseason for the first time since 1969.
• Indiana appeared in both the Associated Press Top 25 and the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll for the 11th-straight week, a program record.
• The team voted WR Ty Fryfogle, TE Peyton Hendershot, LB Cam Jones, DB Marcelino McCrary-Ball, LB Micah McFadden, and QB Michael Penix Jr. season captains.
• Jones, McCrary-Ball, McFadden, and Penix were also 2020 captains.
• IU has won 11 of its last 15 league games.
• The Hoosiers (6-2, 6-1 Big Ten) finished the 2020 season with a No. 12 final rating from the Associated Press, their highest final ranking since 1967 (No. 4).
• Indiana's 11 B1G wins over 2019-20 tied for the most in school history over a two-year span (1987-88).
• IU has played in consecutive January bowl games (2020 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl and 2021 Outback Bowl) for the first time in school history.
• Tom Allen reached win No. 25 in his 48th career game to become the third-fastest in program history to 25 victories behind James M. Sheldon (40 games) and James H. Horne (46 games).
INDIANA (1-2, 0-1 Big Ten) at WESTERN KENTUCKY (1-1)
Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium
Saturday, Sept. 25 | 8 p.m. ET
TV: CBS Sports Network | RADIO: Indiana Hoosiers Sports Network
Setting The Scene
• Indiana (1-2, 0-1 B1G East) kicks off a two-game road swing at Western Kentucky (1-1) on Saturday, Sept. 25. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CST/8 p.m. EST at Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium (23,776; FieldTurf) on CBSSN.
• IU leads the all-time series, 3-0, including a 38-21 victory in its lone trip to Bowling Green on Sept. 18, 2010.
• The teams last met on Sept. 19, 2015, a 38-35 Hoosiers win.
• Indiana is 6-3 in its last nine road games and has won five-straight non-conference road contests.
The Coaches
• The 2020 American Football Coaches Association National Coach of the Year, Tom Allen is 25-24 (.510) in his fifth season as Indiana head football coach. His 24 wins over his first four years are the most for an IU head coach during that span. Allen was also named the 2020 Hayes-Schembechler Coach of the Year (Big Ten coaches vote) and the Dave McClain Coach of the Year (Big Ten media vote). (full bio on page 15)
• Tyson Helton is in his third season as Western Kentucky head coach. Helton has guided the Hilltoppers to back-to-back bowl games, with a win in the 2019 First Responder Bowl, and he owns a 15-12 record (.556).
News & Notes
• Indiana is 15-9 overall and 11-6 in Big Ten play since the start of 2019.
• IU's 15 wins share fifth and 11 victories are fourth in the B1G during that span.
• The Hoosiers were ranked in the 2021 preseason for the first time since 1969.
• Indiana appeared in both the Associated Press Top 25 and the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll for the 11th-straight week, a program record.
• The team voted WR Ty Fryfogle, TE Peyton Hendershot, LB Cam Jones, DB Marcelino McCrary-Ball, LB Micah McFadden, and QB Michael Penix Jr. season captains.
• Jones, McCrary-Ball, McFadden, and Penix were also 2020 captains.
• IU has won 11 of its last 15 league games.
• The Hoosiers (6-2, 6-1 Big Ten) finished the 2020 season with a No. 12 final rating from the Associated Press, their highest final ranking since 1967 (No. 4).
• Indiana's 11 B1G wins over 2019-20 tied for the most in school history over a two-year span (1987-88).
• IU has played in consecutive January bowl games (2020 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl and 2021 Outback Bowl) for the first time in school history.
• Tom Allen reached win No. 25 in his 48th career game to become the third-fastest in program history to 25 victories behind James M. Sheldon (40 games) and James H. Horne (46 games).
Players Mentioned
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QB
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