The formula worked last year and once again Western Kentucky is prospering with a quarterback plucked from a lower level.
Last yearβs starting quarterback was Bailey Zappe, who nowadays can be seen in the NFL as a more than capable fill-in during his rookie season with the New England Patriots when Mac Jones suffered an ankle injury.
This yearβs starter is Austin Reed, a graduate transfer from Division II West Florida.
Zappe made the most of his only season at Western Kentucky after transferring from FCS Houston Baptist, where he had passed for 10,004 yards and 78 touchdowns. All Zappe did last season was throw for 5,967 yards and 62 touchdowns (with 11 interceptions) as the Hilltoppers went 9-5. They lost 49-41 to UTSA in the C-USA title game and rebounded to beat Appalachian State 59-38 in the Boca Raton Bowl.
Zappe (6-1, 220) and the 6-2, 230-pound Reed are of similar builds, considered a tad undersized, but both with quick releases.
Reed began his college career at Southern Illinois in 2018 but didnβt play that season. He then transferred to West Florida, which he led to the Division II national championship in 2019, throwing for 4,089 yards and 40 touchdowns.
Special mention goes to Reed for his performance in West Floridaβs 48-40 Division II championship win over Minnesota State, when he completed 33 of 54 passes for 523 yards and six touchdowns.
After there was no season in 2020 due to COVID, Reed threw for 3,375 yards and 38 touchdowns last year, leading West Florida to a 9-2 record.
During his inaugural season with the Hilltoppers this fall, Reed has completed 244 of 320 passes (70%) for 2,444 yards, 21 touchdowns, and five interceptions. He is fourth in the nation among FBS quarterbacks in both passing yards and tied for fourth in touchdown passes.
Reed also has good mobility and has scored six rushing touchdowns.
His best performance came when Reed completed 30 of 35 for 381 yards and five touchdowns, but there is a major asterisk since it came in a 73-0 rout of FIU.
In a more competitive setting, during a game at P5 Indiana, he completed 33 of 43 for 329 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in a 33-30 overtime loss to the Hoosiers. He also had one rushing touchdown. In that game, Western Kentucky led 24-13 after three quarters. The Hilltoppers missed a 44-yard field goal at the end of regulation to send the game into overtime. Then in the extra period, the Hoosiers blocked a 39-yard field goal attempt.
So Reed fared well against the Hoosiers, who have lost five in a row after a 3-0 start but are still a competitive Big 10 team nevertheless.
Itβs no surprise that teams enter competition looking to stop the Hilltoppers’ passing game. That certainly happened last week when Western Kentucky scored a 20-17 home win over UAB. In that game, Reed completed 14 of 23 for 128 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. UAB did its best to dare the Hilltoppers to run, so that is what they did. Western Kentucky rushed for 224 yards (5.0 avg.) and two scores, both by Reed.
Most of all, Reed has the Hilltoppers in contention in Conference USA. They are currently 5-3 overall and 3-1 in C-USA, tied for second with North Texas.
The one conference loss was 31-28 at UTSA, who leads the conference with a 4-0 mark.
In that loss, Reed completed 35 of 49 for 373 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. He also rushed for 43 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries.
Now comes a critical game on Saturday when Western Kentucky hosts North Texas, which is also 3-1 in C-USA action. Both teams remain in contention to earn a berth in the C-USA title game. The championship is Dec. 2 at the site of the top seed.
The new Western Kentucky quarterback isnβt quite putting up Zappe-like numbers, but he has been effective. One other difference is that while Zappe stayed one year at Western Kentucky, Reed, a graduate transfer, has two seasons of eligibility.
Reedβs performance this week and for the remainder of the season will have a lot to say about the Hilltoppers’ chances to return to the C-USA title game.
