The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers will hit the road to start this year's campaign against the Nevada Wolf Pack. Kickoff is scheduled for Saturday at 10:30 p.m. ET at Mackay Stadium.
Looking back to last season, Western Kentucky finished with a solid 9-4 record. On the other hand, Nevada ended the year at 3-9.
Western Kentucky strolled past Nevada in their most recent meeting in Week 4 last season by a score of 31-16. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Hilltoppers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Date:Sept. 5, 2026
Time:10:30 p.m. ET
Venue:Mackay Stadium
TV:CBS Sports Network
Streaming:Stream on Fubo
Buy tickets:Buy Hilltoppers at Wolf Pack tickets on Gametime
Betting lines as of 09/04/2026 at 12:19 PM ET. Odds subject to change. Bet with bet365 .
Moneyline (ML):Hilltoppers -118 | Wolf Pack -105
Against the spread (ATS):Hilltoppers -1.5 (-110) | Wolf Pack +1.5 (-110)
Over/Under (O/U):52.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
WKU: covered 4 straight games outside of the conference
Last season: 10-3 ATS, 6-7 over/under
Last season: 6-6 ATS, 5-7 over/under
Offensive Leaders
QB Maverick McIvor: 257.8 pass YPG, 12 pass TDs, 67% completion percentage
RB La'Vell Wright: 36.2 rush YPG, 10 rush TDs; 5.5 YPC
Led team in rushing touchdowns
Offensive Leaders
WR K.D. Hutchinson: 47.5 rec YPG, 3 rec TDs; 9.4 YPR
Led team in receptions
QB Rodney Tisdale Jr.: 179.0 pass YPG, 9 pass TDs, 65.6% completion rate
WR Moussa Barry: 37.5 rec YPG, 1 rec TD; 14.4 YPR
Defensive Leaders
DB Jaylen Lewis: 1 FF, 8 PD, 74 tackles
DB Dave Herard: 58 tackles
Offensive Leaders
RB Caleb Ramseur: 56.9 rush YPG, 5 rush TDs; 4.9 YPC
Led team in rushing yards
QB Chubba Purdy: 48.1 pass YPG, 3 pass TDs, 51.2% completion rate
Offensive Leaders
RB Herschel Turner: 35.3 rush YPG, 0 rush TDs; 5.1 YPC
QB Carter Jones: 101.9 pass YPG, 6 pass TDs, 64.3% completion rate
RB Ky Woods: 8.6 rush YPG, 0 rush TDs; 5.4 YPC
DL Dylan Labarbera: 6.5 SK, 87 tackles
Led team in tackles
LB EJ Smith: 1 FF, 2 PD, 29 tackles
Hilltoppers 28 – Wolf Pack 21
Lean: Hilltoppers
The Hilltoppers have been covering outside of the conference, and we see no reason that changes here.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Sep 5, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
