Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Western Kentucky scored a 59-38 victory
over Appalachian State in the 2021 Boca Raton Bowl on Saturday at FAU Stadium in
Florida.
A shootout was expected between the
Hilltoppers and Mountaineers, who combined to average 77.6 points per
game during the regular season, and offenses delivered in a game that
featured 1,246 total yards and 13 touchdowns.
WKU quarterback Bailey Zappe stole the
spotlight with 422 passing yards and six touchdowns en route to setting
the new NCAA FBS single-season records in both categories. He
finishes the 2021 season with 5,967 yards and 62 scores through the
air.
Zappe captured the yards record in the
second quarter:
And the touchdown mark in the third
quarter:
Here’s a look at some of the bowl
game’s other standout performers:
- Chase Brice (ASU QB): 317 passing yards, 4 TD
- Noah Whittington (WKU RB): 150 rushing yards, 1 TD
- Camerun Peoples (ASU RB): 101 rushing yards
- Jerreth Sterns (WKU WR): 184 receiving yards, 3 TD
- Mitchell Tinsley (WKU WR): 103 receiving yards, 2 TD
- Christian Wells (ASU WR): 86 receiving yards, 1 TD
It was a back-and-forth contest throughout
the first half as the sides traded scores at a rapid rate until it
was 24-24 late in the second quarter.
Western Kentucky was able to seize
control with a 21-0 run spanning from late in the second quarter
until midway through the third. An 86-yard touchdown run by
Whittington shortly after halftime really helped turn the tide in
favor of the Hilltoppers.
Appalachian State couldn’t keep pace as
its offense sputtered in the second half.
WKU, which started the season 1-4,
finished the campaign by winning eight of its last nine games to post
a 9-5 record. The Hilltoppers also improved their bowl record to 5-2
since 2014.
Zappe is a name to watch as the 2022
NFL draft moves closer. What he lacks in size (6’1”) he makes up for
with arm talent, specifically his throwing accuracy, and the ability
to command a fast-paced passing attack. He could be a developmental
mid-round pick in April.
Meanwhile, Appalachian State wrapped up
its season at 10-4 following back-to-back losses in the Sun Belt
Championship Game and the bowl game. It’s also the team’s first
bowl loss since moving to the FBS level in 2014 after six straight
wins.
The Mountaineers have still won at
least nine games in seven consecutive years while emerging as one of
the nation’s premier Group of Five programs.
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