HILLTOPPERS QB AUSTIN REED IS UNANIMOUS CHOICE FOR MVP
NEW ORLEANS — They came, they saw, they threw it all over the place.
Record-setting quarterback Austin Reed turned in another spectacular effort, guiding Western Kentucky to a 44-23 victory over South Alabama on Wednesday night in the R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.
The Hilltoppers could savor their ninth victory in 14 games, which Reed believes will go a long way for Western next season.
Reed entered the NCAA transfer portal earlier this month before deciding to return to the Hilltoppers for his final year of eligibility. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound quarterback was nothing short of brilliant against South Alabama, which lost for just the third time in 13 games.
AUSTIN REED, COACH TYSON HELTON
AND MALACHI CORLEY.
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Reed completed 36 of 55 passes for 497 yards and four touchdowns and an interception. He was the media’s unanimous choice as the game’s MVP.
“It was a great night for our football team,” fifth-year WKU coach Tyson Helton said in the postgame press conference. “Austin played his most complete game of the season tonight … This was a special night for our football team.
“We talked a lot about a championship mentality, and our guys really had their jaw set. They made play after play.”
The biggest play, perhaps, came when Western Kentucky was looking to extend its 14-0 lead in the early moments of the second quarter.
Helton went for a little razzle dazzle as Dalvin Smith, a sophomore receiver from Glasgow, took a lateral that LOOKED like a swing pass to the right flat. Smith then stopped a few yards from the sideline and lofted a 25-yard touchdown pass to teammate Jaylen Hall.
It was 21-0 and the Jaguars were fading fast.
“It was a complete breakdown, for us, defensively,” South Alabama coach Kane Wommack said.
AGAINST SOUTH ALABAMA.
Reed said the Hilltoppers’ performance should serve as a launching point for the 2023 season. Helton has now gone 3-1 in bowl games with WKU.
“Tonight was a perfect example, for why I came back (to WKU),” Reed said. “Those receivers, they all did a good job when their number was called. When we got going with (offensive) ‘tempo,’ we could get some mismatches out there.”
That’s just the start of it.
This game was a total mismatch, too.
I’ll have a comprehensive look at the game later this morning.
