In a performance for the ages, WKU football overcame a 28-point second quarter deficit to stun Old Dominion 38-35 in overtime at Monday’s Famous Toastery Bowl.
The monumental rally goes down as the fourth largest comeback in bowl game history. And it allowed the 8-5 Hilltoppers to hoist their third straight postseason trophy.
“This is what bowl games are all about,” said coach Tyson Helton after the cardiac finish. “I’ll look back on this one and be very, very proud.”
Backup quarterback Caden Veltkamp sparked the epic surge, entering after five first-half turnovers put WKU in a 28-0 hole. The junior proceeded to shred the Monarchs through the air, setting a program bowl record with 40 completions for 383 yards and five scores.
Three of those touchdowns went to Dalvin Smith, who made several highlight-reel grabs worthy of Sportscenter’s Top 10 plays. His leaping 14-yard snag with just over nine minutes left knotted the score at 35-35.
Anthony Johnson Jr. also came up clutch, picking off a deep ball to set up the game-tying drive. Then in OT, his fourth-down tackle for loss kept ODU out of the end zone and set the stage for Lucas Carneiro’s title-clinching kick.
In all, it was a comeback that embodied WKU’s warrior spirit and brotherhood. And it allowed the senior class to leave the Hill triumphantly with rings on their fingers.