The Hilltoppers’ secondary was the obvious crux in allowing 21 unanswered points in a fourth-quarter meltdown to the FCS Bears last Thursday.
WKU (0-1) gave up 19.2 yards per completion and let the game slip away in part to four or five missed assignments in the secondary.
Smith went on to complete 20 passes for 324 yards and three touchdowns. UCA running back Carlos Blackmon’s 80-yard pass to Winningham gave the Bears 404 passing yards. Through Week 1, that passing defense puts WKU 122nd out of 129 FBS teams and the 234.