TOPS WIN the 2016 @BocaBowl! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/3zzdQaqoCK
— WKU Football (@WKUFootball) December 21, 2016
BOCA RATON, Fla.-- Quarterback Mike White made the most of his homecoming Tuesday night. Meanwhile, running back Anthony Wales stole the show by having a career night.
The Western Kentucky duo accounted for three touchdowns apiece and Wales rushed for 245 yards as the high-scoring Hilltoppers led early and raced away to a 51-31 victory over Memphis in the third annual Boca Raton Bowl at FAU Stadium on the campus of Florida Atlantic University.
"Our players responded and did exactly what I expected they'd do. They believe in each other and love their teammates," said Western Kentucky interim coach Nick Holt.
Holt was coaching in place of Jeff Brohm, who left the Hilltoppers to take the Purdue job.
"Our offense was just unbelievable. Our theme was to attack and not hold back. That's what we've done the last couple of years."
The approach worked.
Western Kentucky (11-3), champions of Conference USA, also received touchdowns from Stevie Donatell, Forrest Lamp, Nicholas Norris and Taywan Taylor.
Wales was dominant throughout, a workhorse as he carried the ball 35 times and earned offensive player of the game honors.
"Coach Holt gave us great energy. We were pumped up in practice, and guys were ready to go," Wales said.
Hilltoppers linebacker Keith Brown, who had an interception, was named defensive player of the game.
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 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.
"It's always nice coming back to Florida. Being at Western (Kentucky) you don't get to come back to Florida too much," said White, who passed for 336 yards and three touchdowns.
"It's cool for this to kind of come full circle, but I was just happy to get the bowl win and overcome the adversity as a team."
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.
Memphis first-year coach Mike Norvell said his team communicated better on defense in the second half, but realized his team faced a tough task.
"There are some real bright spots on (defense). We know in our league we're going to play some explosive offenses," Norvell said.
"That was the sixth nine-plus win ball team we've played this year."
Tigers quarterback Riley Ferguson was 25 of 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 as Western Kentucky averaged 45.5 points this season while the Tigers scored 38.8 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. After Jake Elliott's 33-yard field goal, Hilltoppers offensive lineman Lamp scored on a 9-yard run on a backward pass from White for a 14-10 lead.
"The last time I scored a touchdown was probably in my back yard against my little brother," joked Lamp, a native of Venice on Florida's west coast who was playing in front of 30 family members.
White and Ferguson each threw another touchdown in the second quarter. 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.
