Dec 20, 2016; Boca Raton, FL, USA; Western Kentucky Hilltoppers running back Anthony Wales (20) runs the ball against the Memphis Tigers during the first half at FAU Stadium. Photo Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
BOCA RATON, Fla.– Mike White passed for 336 yards and three touchdowns and Anthony Wales rushed for a career-high 245 yards and three scores to lead Western Kentucky to a 51-31 win over Memphis on Tuesday in the third annual Boca Raton Bowl at FAU Stadium on the campus of Florida Atlantic University.
The Hilltoppers (11-3), champions of Conference USA, also received touchdowns from Stevie Donatell, Forrest Lamp, Nicholas Norris and Taywan Taylor.
Taylor’s 41-yard touchdown catch to open the second half was his 17th of the year, matching his school record for scoring receptions he set last season and giving Western Kentucky a 35-17 lead.
The game was a homecoming for White, who transferred to Western Kentucky following his first two seasons at South Florida under former Bulls head coach Willie Taggart.
White, who used his redshirt last season to fulfill transfer requirements, starred at nearby University School in Fort Lauderdale, where he was Florida’s 3A high school player of the year as a senior.
The junior quarterback was 20 of 30 with one interception. He finished his first season with the Hilltoppers with 37 touchdown passes.
Memphis (8-5) held two leads in the first quarter but missed a field goal and was forced to punt in the second quarter as the teams scored often, allowing Western Kentucky to build a 28-17 halftime lead.
Tigers quarterback Riley Ferguson was 25-for-43 for 372 yards and four touchdowns. He was intercepted once.
Anthony Miller had a career-high three touchdown receptions while Tony Pollard had one for Memphis. Jake Elliott kicked a 33-yard field goal.
The game featured two of the most potent scoring offenses in the country. Western Kentucky averaged 45.1 points while the Tigers averaged 39.6 per game. It took two possessions for the game to turn into a shootout.
After both teams went three-and-out on their opening series, Ferguson fired a 45-yard touchdown to wide receiver Tony Pollard for the first score.
The Hilltoppers answered with White’s short scoring toss to tight end Donatell. The TD was White’s 35th of the year. After Jake Elliott’s 33-yard field goal, Hilltoppers offensive lineman Forrest Lamp scored on a 9-yard run on a backward pass from White for a 14-10 lead.
White and Ferguson each threw another touchdown in the second quarter. Anthony Wales’ short scoring run late in the quarter gave the Hilltoppers a 28-17 halftime lead.
NOTES: Memphis and Western Kentucky shared a common theme entering the game. Both previously won the Miami Beach Bowl with the Tigers defeating BYU 55-48 in double-overtime in the inaugural game in 2015 at Marlins Park and the Hilltoppers beat South Florida 45-35 there last year. … Memphis made its third appearance in the Sunshine State, winning the Miami Beach Bowl but losing to South Florida in the 2008 St. Petersburg Bowl at Tropicana Field. … Western Kentucky’s only other appearance in a Florida bowl game was a 27-0 victory over the Coast Guard in the 1963 Tangerine Bowl. … Memphis QB Riley Ferguson’s first-quarter touchdown pass was his 29th this season, eclipsing Paxton Lynch’s mark of 28 last year and setting a season record. … Western Kentucky’s final score of the first half resulted in the team’s longest drive in time this year at 6 minutes, 44 seconds.
