Trojans on the Hilltop: Troy’s history with Western Kentucky

Editor’s Note: this article was written before the 2022 matchup. It has been updated to reflect the outcome of that game.

On October 1, 2022, Troy beat Western Kentucky for the tenth time, beginning a third era in the series between the two teams, which went all the way back to 1976.

The first matchup, which we’ve covered before, was a defensive struggle that ended in a 10-10 tie. Troy didn’t meet Western Kentucky again for another 15 years.

In that time, Troy won two national titles. The Tops and the Ohio Valley Conference moved up to I-AA in 1978, winning two more conference titles and making playoff appearances in 1987 and 1988.

Three years later, Troy moved up to I-AA as well, added Western Kentucky to its schedule four of the next five years, and returned to Bowling Green.

In the Trojans’ return trip, they pulled ahead 25-23 with 3:29 left in the ballgame. Two interceptions on the next two WKU drives gave Troy a 14-point cushion, and eventually the ballgame.

Troy went 5-6 in its first I-AA season, while WKU went 3-8. The series skipped a season, but it set up possibly the strongest matchup yet… and the first game in Troy.

The 1993 Western Kentucky team ended up going 8-3, missing the playoffs but ending the season ranked No. 19. Troy went 10-1-1, ended the season ranked No. 1 and lost to Marshall in the semifinal.

The game reflected that strength.

Just seven seconds into the fourth quarter, an 8-yard touchdown gave WKU a 24-7 lead. That’s when the Troy rally began.

The Trojans drove 72 yards in 6 plays and scored, making it 24-14. A three-and-out later, and that same offense drove 49 yards in 1:06.

Suddenly, the Tops’ lead wasn’t so safe.

Another three-and-out gave the Trojans ball yet again. This time the Trojans worked slowly, chewing up 5:20 on the clock and tying the game at 24.

On the next drive, Troy’s defense made a move, intercepting the ball and giving the ball back to the offense with 2:37 left on the clock.

Troy drove down the field a fourth time and took the final lead, 31-24.

The next two seasons weren’t as close, as Troy’s run of regular-season success far exceeded WKU’s results. It showed on the field too, as Troy increased its lead in the series to 4-0-1.

It’s unfortunate the first era of the series ended there. WKU was a year away from turning the corner. Incidentally both teams lost to Appalachian State in the 2000 playoffs.

As Western picked up steam, the Trojans used their success to power a transition to Division I-A. We chronicled the 2001 season, and the year after that Western won its first national title.

Troy joined the Sun Belt in 2004, and two years later kicked off its run of five-straight conference titles. That’s when WKU began its move to I-A.

The 2007 reunited the two teams, Western still an FCS Independent and Troy in the middle of another winning season. This time though, the difference in position didn’t seem to affect the game.

Troy jumped out to a 14-0 lead, but WKU scored to make it 14-7 at the half. Troy added to its score for the last time, making it 21-7, but the defense bent nearly as far as it could.

Western tried its hand at a comeback, scoring on the next drive and picking off Troy after that. A missed field goal ended their momentum though.

The Tops added another field goal, making the final score 21-17. Troy earned bowl eligibility, but the Sun Belt’s youth meant only one team went bowling, and it wasn’t Troy.

The next year bowl eligibility was on the line for Troy yet again. For the Tops, it was another transition year, this time as an I-A independent.

In 2008’s matchup, the scoring all happened early. Troy drew blood on the third play of the game, and added to it in the second quarter.

Western responded with its only touchdown, and Troy responded with a field goal. Then the defenses took over and 17-7 remained the final score.

Troy gained bowl eligibility and went to its third postseason appearance since moving up. Western had won two games that year, against in-state I-AA teams Eastern Kentucky and Murray State.

They didn’t win again until 2010. The Tops only picked up four wins in three years.

Two of those losses came from Troy… 40-20 in 2009 and 28-14 in 2010.

The 2011 season flipped the script for both teams. For once, Troy was obviously the worse team, but the Trojans held an 8-0-1 lead in the series.

That year, Western finally broke through.

The Tops took a 27-18 lead into the fourth quarter, and completely shut Troy down. WKU added two more touchdowns to pull away and win 41-18.

It’s what the game represents though, that means so much to Western. It was the team’s first win over Troy ever.

Second, the win over Troy gave the Tops a 7-5 record. Unlike the 2007 Trojans though, they weren’t chosen for a bowl game… despite the solid record.

Finally, and more importantly, running back Bobby Rainey picked up 227 yards, enough to become the Tops’ all-time leading rusher.

The 2012 game was part of a similar situation, but with lower stakes and a sweeter result for Western. The Tops went to Troy on a Thursday night, but the Trojans led 17-14 at the half.

WKU outscored Troy 14-9 in the third quarter, pulling ahead 28-20 before Troy added an extra touchdown with four seconds left. The Tops kept Troy off the scoreboard after that, adding an insurance field goal with little over a minute left.

The Tops won 31-26, their fifth notch in the win column. Western added two more, going 7-5 again, and this time the Tops were rewarded… with a December trip to Detroit.

The next season WKU came back even stronger, but the 2013 season was Larry Blakeney’s last hurrah.

WKU took a 20-10 lead into halftime, but the Trojans roared back, outscoring the Tops 22-6 in the second half.

Troy ended a Hilltopper drive just outside the redzone with two minutes left in the game. The Trojans ran out the clock, picking up their ninth win in the series and their fifth of the year.

WKU went on to be 8-4, tied for second in the conference, and Troy was one of four 6-6 teams. Yet again, neither team was chosen for a bowl game.

That was the final straw for the Tops. They left the conference for C-USA and never looked back.

The Tops won two conference titles in 2016 and 2017 before stumbling and eventually hiring Tyson Helton, the brother of Georgia Southern coach Clay Helton.

In the meantime, Troy hired a man named Neal Brown and picked up a sixth conference title, followed by his assistant, another Kentucky alum named Jon Sumrall.

Brown left Troy after three 10-win seasons, taking over at West Virginia. Sumrall eventually returned to take over as Troy’s head coach.

He also added a man named Evan McKissack, seen here in his No. 50 jersey after the 2013 Western Kentucky game.

While at West Virginia, Brown signed a quarterback named Jarret Doege. The Bowling Green (Indiana) transfer redshirted before becoming the starter in 2020 and 2021.

He shot to the top of the stat chart, leading the country in career passing yards and touchdowns. The win column only reflected 6-win seasons, though, and Doege lost the starting job his senior year.

Doege transferred a second time to Western Kentucky after the 2021 season. Austin Reed, a D-II National Champion from West Florida in Pensacola, also became a Hilltopper, battling Doege for the starting gig.

Reed won, beating out Doege, who entered the portal a third time.

Doege ended up at Brown’s former spot, Troy, on August 18. With very little practice time, he was resigned to the backup role behind Quarterback Gunnar Watson.

Reed led WKU to a 3-1 record, the only loss being in overtime to Indiana. Watson and Troy broke even at 2-2, with losses to Ole Miss and a thriller against App State.

Then the Trojans returned to Bowling Green (Kentucky).

The game was tight, each team taking a lead, then the other clawing back. Troy’s Brooks Buce hit a 33-yard field goal as time expired in the first half, cutting WKU’s lead to 17-13.

Watson put Troy back ahead after the first drive, 20-17, but the Tops tied it on a 47-yard field goal with 3:27 left in the third. Watson went in to lead Troy back down the field.

Three plays later, he was taken down with a concussion. Doege stepped up to take his place.

With just two months of practice under his belt, in the stadium he practiced the offseason before, Doege led the Trojans down the field to take the 27-20 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Four minutes of game time later, the Trojan defense stopped Western Kentucky on fourth down and gave the ball back to Doege. He led Troy back down the field for another touchdown, extending the lead to 14.

Reed responded in kind, taking Western back down the field and bringing the Tops within one score. A conservative possession by Troy chewed clock but ended in. a punt.

Reed drove WKU back down to Troy’s 32, but with. a minute remaining, Troy’s Richard Jubinor forced a fumble, Troy’s Antonio Showers fell on it, and Troy’s Jarret Doege took the snap in a victory formation.

Troy went 12-2, winning the Sun Belt title with more Doege heroics that season. WKU went 9-5, beating Troy’s rival in the New Orleans Bowl.

Troy still holds a dominant 10-2-1 lead over the Tops, but as we’ve seen, these matchups are often closer than the final score shows.