BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Maverick McIvor threw for 401 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score as Western Kentucky opened the college football and Conference USA season with a 41-24 win over Sam Houston on Saturday night.
McIvor, a transfer from Abilene Christian who turned 25 on Friday, had a pair of touchdowns less than five minutes apart in the third quarter for the rebuilt Hilltoppers, who returned only three starters from last year’s bowl team and brought in 47 transfers,
Sam Houston, also a bowl team last year but with a new coach in Phil Longo, got a short touchdown run from Alton McCaskill on the first drive of the second half. Jamair Diaz had a 43-yard scoop and score to stop WKU’s first possession of the third quarter for a 24-20 lead.
McIvor then led a pair of 87-yard touchdown drives, ending the first with a 9-yard pass to K.D. Hutchinson and the second with a 22-yard pass to Marvis Parrish. McIvor’s 4-yard run capped an 81-yard drive for a 41-24 lead with 10:17 to play.
McIvor was 33 of 51 passing and WKU piled up 506 yards. Matthew Henry caught seven passes for 148 yards and a touchdown.
Hunter Watson was 19 of 30 for 209 yards and ran for 91 yards and a touchdown for Sam Houston, which had 382 yards.
Western Kentucky was 11 of 19 on third down while the Bearkats were 2 of 14 and also failed on three fourth-down plays.
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