2019 First Responder Bowl

{{Infobox NCAA football yearly game

| game_name = First Responder Bowl

| subheader = 10th First Responder Bowl

| title_sponsor = Servpro

| image =

| caption =

| date_game_played = December 30

| year_game_played = 2019

| football_season = 2019

| stadium = Gerald J. Ford Stadium

| city = University Park, Texas

| visitor_school =

| visitor_name_short = Western Kentucky

| visitor_nickname = Hilltoppers

| visitor_record = 8–4

| visitor_conference = C-USA

| visitor_rank_AP =

| visitor_rank_coaches =

| visitor_rank_CFP =

| visitor_coach = Tyson Helton

| visitor_1q = 0

| visitor_2q = 10

| visitor_3q = 0

| visitor_4q = 13

| home_school =

| home_name_short = Western Michigan

| home_nickname = Broncos

| home_record = 7–5

| home_conference = MAC

| home_rank_AP =

| home_rank_coaches =

| home_rank_CFP =

| home_coach = Tim Lester

| home_1q = 3

| home_2q = 7

| home_3q = 7

| home_4q = 3

| MVP = Lucky Jackson (WR, Western Kentucky){{cite tweet |user=FRBowl |number=1211758153819287553 |title=Your @FRBowl MVP is Lucky Jackson. |date=December 30, 2019 |accessdate=December 30, 2019}}

| odds = Western Kentucky by 3{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/game/_/gameId/401135280 |title=Western Kentucky vs. Western Michigan |website=ESPN.com |accessdate=December 30, 2019}}

| anthem =

| halftime =

| referee = Jeremy Parker (Sun Belt){{cite web |url=http://www.footballzebras.com/2019/12/2019-20-bowl-officiating-assignments/ |title=2019-20 bowl officiating assignments |website=footballzebras.com |date=December 9, 2019 |accessdate=December 20, 2019}}

| attendance = 13,164

| payout = 824,545{{cite web |url=http://www.collegefootballpoll.com/bowl-schedule/2019/ |title=2019 Bowl Schedule |website=collegefootballpoll.com |accessdate=December 13, 2019}}

| us_network = ESPN

| us_announcers = Dave Neal (play-by-play), DJ Shockley (analyst) and Dawn Davenport (sideline)

| ratings =

| intl_network =

| intl_announcers =

}}

The 2019 First Responder Bowl was a college football bowl game played December 30, 2019, with kickoff at 12:30 p.m. EST (11:30 a.m. local CDT) on ESPN.{{cite web |title=2019-20 college football bowl schedule, games, dates, times, TV channels |url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/2019-20-college-football-bowl-schedule-games-dates-times-tv-channels/ |website=CBSSports.com |accessdate=June 19, 2019 |language=en}} It was the 10th edition of the First Responder Bowl (although only the ninth to be played, as the 2018 edition of the game was declared a no contest while the game was in the first quarter), and was one of the 2019–20 bowl games concluding the 2019 FBS football season. Sponsored by fire and water cleanup and restoration company Servpro, the game was officially known as the Servpro First Responder Bowl.

The 2019 First Responder Bowl was played in Gerald J. Ford Stadium on the campus of Southern Methodist University in University Park, Texas. The move was necessitated by the National Hockey League's announcement that the league's annual New Year's Day outdoor game would be played in the bowl's normal host stadium, Dallas' Cotton Bowl, which created a scheduling conflict. Ford Stadium previously hosted two editions of the Armed Forces Bowl due to construction at its host stadium, Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas.{{cite web |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/2019/05/23/conflict-with-winter-classic-forces-first-responder-bowl-to-move-from-cotton-bowl-to-smu-s-ford-stadium/ |title=Conflict with Winter Classic forces First Responder Bowl to move from Cotton Bowl to SMU's Ford Stadium |first=Ben |last=Baby |website=dallasnews.com |date=May 23, 2019 |accessdate=October 28, 2019}}

Teams

The game featured the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers of Conference USA (C-USA) and the Western Michigan Broncos of the Mid-American Conference (MAC). This was the 16th meeting between the two programs, and the first since 1947; Western Michigan led the all-time series, 11–3–1.{{cite web |title=Winsipedia - Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs. Western Michigan Broncos football series history |url=http://www.winsipedia.com/games/western-michigan/vs/western-kentucky |accessdate=December 8, 2019 |language=en}}

=Western Kentucky Hilltoppers=

Western Kentucky entered the game with an 8–4 record (6–2 in conference). The Hilltoppers finished tied for second place with Marshall in the East Division of C-USA.

=Western Michigan Broncos=

Western Michigan entered the game with a 7–5 record (5–3 in conference). The Broncos finished in second place of the West Division of the MAC. Each of their five losses during the regular season were away games.

Game summary

{{Americanfootballbox

|titlestyle= background:#FF6600; color:#1F3D7C; border: 2px solid #1F3D7C; text-align:center;

|state=autocollapse

|bg=#fff

|bg2=#eee

|title=2019 Servpro First Responder Bowl

|date=Monday, December 30, 2019

|time=12:30 p.m. EST (11:30 a.m. CST)

|road=Western Kentucky

|R1=0|R2=10|R3=0|R4=13

|home=Western Michigan

|H1=3|H2=7|H3=7|H4=3

|stadium= Gerald J. Ford Stadium • University Park, Texas

|attendance=13,164

|weather=Sunny • Temperature: {{convert|50|F|C}} • Wind: WNW 12 mph

|referee=Jeremy Parker

|TV=ESPN

|TVAnnouncers=Dave Neal (play-by-play), DJ Shockley (analyst) and Dawn Davenport (sideline)

|reference= [https://www.espn.com/college-football/game/_/gameId/401135280 ESPN game summary]

|scoring=

;First Quarter

(4:17) WMU – Thiago Kapps 30 yard field goal (Drive: 13 plays, 57 yards, 6:11; Western Michigan 3–0)

;Second Quarter

(10:54) WKU – Ty Storey 17 yard pass to Jahcour Pearson, Cory Munson kick (Drive: 11 plays, 93 yards, 5:28; Western Kentucky 7–3)
(2:22) WKU – Cory Munson 26 yard field goal (Drive: 12 plays, 68 yards, 5:25; Western Kentucky 10–3)
(0:59) WMU – Kareem Ali 88 yard interception return, Thiago Kapps kick (Tied 10–10)

;Third Quarter

(8:18) WMU – Jon Wassink 6 yard pass to DaShon Bussell, Thiago Kapps kick (Drive: 10 plays, 90 yards, 4:30; Western Michigan 17–10)

;Fourth Quarter

(10:40) WKU – Ty Storey 5 yard pass to Lucky Jackson, Cory Munson kick (Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:32; Tied 17–17)
(4:58) WMU – Thiago Kapps 20 yard field goal (Drive: 12 plays, 62 yards, 5:42; Western Michigan 20–17)
(1:36) WKU – Cory Munson 31 yard field goal (Drive: 9 plays, 55 yards, 3:22; Tied 20–20)
(0:00) WKU – Cory Munson 52 yard field goal (Drive: 5 plays, 36 yards, 0:27; Western Kentucky 23–20)

}}

=Statistics=

{{AmFootballGameStatistics

| Float = left

| Visitor = Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

| VisitorDisplay = WKU

| Home = Western Michigan Broncos

| HomeDisplay = WMU

| VisFirsts = 28

| VisPlaysYds = 80–481

| VisRushing = 28–123

| VisPassYds = 358

| VisPassing = 35–52–2

| VisTOP = 32:01

| HomeFirsts = 19

| HomePlaysYds = 67–307

| HomeRushing = 31–114

| HomePassYds = 193

| HomePassing = 19–36–1

| HomeTOP = 27:59

}}

{{AmFootballGameTopPlayers

| Float = right

| Visitor = Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

| VisitorDisplay = Western Kentucky

| Home = Western Michigan Broncos

| HomeDisplay = Western Michigan

| VisPasser = Ty Storey

| VisPassStats = 35/51, 358 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT

| VisRusher = Gaej Walker

| VisRushStats = 15 carries, 93 yards

| VisReceiver = Lucky Jackson

| VisReceivingStats = 17 receptions, 148 yards, 1 TD

| HomePasser = Jon Wassink

| HomePassStats = 19/36, 193 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

| HomeRusher = LeVante Bellamy

| HomeRushStats = 18 carries, 60 yards

| HomeReceiver = Skyy Moore

| HomeReceivingStats = 4 receptions, 68 yards

}}

References

External links

{{official website|https://www.firstresponderbowl.com/}}
[http://stats.statbroadcast.com/statmonitr/?id=288101 Game statistics] at statbroadcast.com

First Responder Bowl

Category:First Responder Bowl

Category:Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football bowl games

Category:Western Michigan Broncos football bowl games

Category:American football competitions in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex

First Responder Bowl