Rodney Tisdale Jr. threw for 309 yards and four touchdowns, 12 different Hilltoppers had catches, and Western Kentucky defeated Mercyhurst 52-7 on Saturday. The Hilltoppers (1-3) were the final team in the Bowl Subdivision to play a home game, and it was the latest home opener for the program since Oct. 1, 1983. Nigel Johnson opened the scoring with a 72-yard catch-and-run on his only target of the game, and Western Kentucky was in control the rest of the game.