Western Kentucky blanks Eastern Kentucky 31-0 for its fourth straight series victory

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — TJ Finley threw for 351 yards and a touchdown, Elijah Young rushed for 52 yards and two scores and Western Kentucky blanked Eastern Kentucky 31-0 on Saturday.

Western Kentucky (1-1) has won four straight meetings with Eastern Kentucky (0-2), with the last meeting coming in the 2017 season — a 31-17 victory.

Young had scoring runs of 1 and 9 yards. Finley's touchdown pass went for 12 yards to Dalvin Smith. L.T. Sanders scored his first TD for the Hilltoppers on a 2-yard run in the second quarter.

Kisean Johnson caught six passes for 119 yards for WKU.

Joshua Carter rushed for 100 yards on 19 carries for EKU, which was outgained 467-266.

WKU has won four straight home openers and is 20-10 overall in home games under coach Tyson Helton. The Hilltoppers hold a 201-100-4 record in games at Houchens-Smith Stadium.

Both teams opened the season with losses against a power four program. The Hilltoppers fell 63-0 against No. 5 Alabama and EKU dropped a 56-7 contest to Mississippi State in Starkville.