WKU’s Mike White named C-USA Offensive Player of the Week
Published 3:06 pm Monday, November 20, 2017
- Western Kentucky quarterback Mike White throws a touchdown pass Nov. 17 during WKU’s 41-38 win over Middle Tennessee at Houchens-Smith Stadium. The Hilltoppers close the regular season with a game at Florida International on Friday.
For the second time in his Western Kentucky career, quarterback Mike White has been named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week, the league announced Monday.
White threw for 485 yards on 39-of-54 passing, with five touchdowns and no interceptions in the Hilltoppers’ 41-38, triple-overtime victory Friday over Middle Tennessee.
After being recognized in senior night ceremonies before the contest, White completed 14-of-14 passes in the first quarter for 116 yards and a touchdown. It was the most consecutive completions at any point in a game in program history.
White was 31-of-39 passing for 284 yards and one touchdown through the first three quarters, then went off for an additional 201 yards and four scores on 8-of-15 passing in the fourth quarter and overtime periods combined. One of those scores was a 93-yard touchdown to Lucky Jackson, which was the sixth passing play of 90-plus yards in the FBS this season, and the third-longest passing play in program history.
White reached marks of five touchdowns and zero interceptions for the second time this year.
The Blue Raider defense entered Friday’s game with the No. 32 pass defense in the nation, allowing 194 yards per game through the air, and White surpassed that mark by 291 yards. The Pembroke Pines, Fla., native has eclipsed the 300-yard passing mark in six consecutive weeks after reaching that mark only once in the first five contests.
It is the first C-USA weekly honor of the season for the league’s leader in passing yards per game (315.5). He was previously C-USA Offensive Player of the Week in his Hilltopper debut vs. Rice in 2016, when he was 25-for-31 for 517 yards and three touchdowns in the 45-14 win.
