BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) — Rodney Tisdale Jr. threw for 309 yards and four touchdowns, 12 different Hilltoppers had catches, and Western Kentucky defeated Mercyhurst 52-7 on Saturday.
The Hilltoppers (1-3) were the final team in the Bowl Subdivision to play a home game, and it was the latest home opener for the program since Oct. 1, 1983.
Nigel Johnson opened the scoring with a 72-yard catch-and-run on his only target of the game, and Western Kentucky was in control the rest of the game. They scored on five of their six first-half drives, with one of them ending in a field goal and the other ending at the half.
Brock Glenn also saw time at quarterback, subbing in for a 1-yard touchdown in the second before taking over full-time in the third as the game turned into a blowout. He was 4-for-6 passing for 101 yards and two touchdowns.
The Hilltoppers scored three more touchdowns in the second half, and a fumble ended their only non-scoring drive of the half.
Zion Taylor, Cameron Flowers, Ajay Allen and Quincy Burroughs all had receiving touchdowns.
Alex Gevaudan was 22-of-44 passing for 172 yards and one touchdown for the Lakers (1-4), a member of the Football Championship Subdivision. He linked up with Shalik Hampton on a 10-yard pass in the third quarter.
Mercyhurst: at Long Island University next Saturday.
Western Kentucky: at New Mexico State on Oct. 1.
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