Brock Glenn and Coleson Arends connected for the game’s only touchdown while Karl Campbell hit three field goals as Western Kentucky defeated Sam Houston 16-3 on Wednesday night at Elliott T. Bowers Stadium in Huntsville, Texas, improving their record to 3-4 on the season.
Ground Attack Sets the Pace in Huntsville
The Hilltoppers established control early on their opening possession after forcing a three-and-out in just 50 seconds of game time. Quarterback Brock Glenn found Coleson Arends for a 23-yard touchdown pass to cap an 11-play, 65-yard drive, setting the tone for a visiting squad that leaned heavily on its backfield.
That early strike proved to be the game’s only trip to the end zone. Karl Campbell handled the rest of the scoring damage for Western Kentucky with field goals from 33, 35, and 39 yards. The victory moves the Hilltoppers to 3-4 overall and 2-1 in Conference USA play, maintaining a flawless head-to-head record against the Bearkats since Sam Houston joined the conference in 2023. Western Kentucky is 4-1 in the series against Sam Houston.
Freshman Jonathan Stafford Jr. added five catches for 37 yards in the contest, pushing his season total to 41 receptions, which places him third on WKU’s freshman receiving list. Prior to this midweek showdown, the Hilltoppers had experienced a turbulent schedule that included a tough opening stretch featuring back-to-back games against Georgia and Indiana, alongside a recent 34-13 victory over Missouri State where Ajay Allen rushed for 105 yards and two scores.
Bearkats Grounded by Stout Defensive Front
Sam Houston struggled to find any rhythm against the visiting defense, managing just 177 total yards of offense and converting only 12 first downs all evening. The hosts generated their sole points in the second quarter when Sam Carpenter connected on a 42-yard field goal.
Defensively, the Bearkats simply had no answer for Western Kentucky’s balanced movement, mirroring the defensive struggles that saw them concede 35-3 to Liberty just a week prior. Freshman Westen Ard anchored the defensive effort for the victors with a career-high 10 total tackles and 1 1/2 sacks.
Sam Houston entered the matchup looking to bounce back from a loss at Liberty and a previous 49-14 defeat at Texas Tech. Phil Longo has worked to install an Air Raid offense featuring quarterback Landyn Locke, who came into the week having connected with six different targets for 11 touchdowns on the season. However, the Bearkats have battled offensive protection issues and entered the game surrendering an average of 211.6 rushing yards per game on defense while only gaining 101.0 yards per contest on the ground themselves.
Conference Standings and Next Week Schedule
With the midweek contest concluded, both programs turn their attention rapidly toward their next conference matchups. Sam Houston slips to 1-5 overall and 0-2 in league play, and the team will look to reset when they host New Mexico State on October 21.
Western Kentucky heads back home to host Delaware on October 27, aiming to build momentum from a winning performance.