Tops, Bears share many ties in Week 5 matchup

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The WKU football team is just a pair of days out from its trip to Springfield, Missouri, where the Tops will take on the first-year Conference USA member Missouri State Bears.

Back in the early 2000’s, the teams shared a league in the Gateway Football Conference but since 2006 have not went head-to-head.

Saturday will be a reunion not just for the matchup, but also for some members on both the WKU and Missouri State staffs.

Two of the many connections tying the programs together include the Bears athletic director Patrick Ransdell, who played baseball on the Hill and is the son of former Hilltopper President Gary Ransdell, and Bears head coach Ryan Beard played for the Tops football team and graduated from WKU himself.

Hilltopper head coach Tyson Helton believes these ties make things even more fun going into the 6 p.m. kickoff.

“ There’s a lot of close relationships and so it makes for a really cool game,” Helton said. “It’ll be neat to compete and, you know, at the end of the day, football’s football, so players have to go out there and they’re the ones competing. I think our guys are more excited about getting back in conference play, playing a really good football team in Missouri State.”

The Bears are sitting at 2-2 on the season, fresh off a 42-10 win over UT Martin last weekend, and this week’s contest will serve as the first CUSA game in school history.

Not only are the Bears determined to put up a strong fight against the Tops, but Coach Beard, despite growing up in Bowling Green, playing football for the Purples and beginning his coaching journey at WKU, will not be taking things lightly with eyes on handing the Hilltoppers their second loss of the season.

“ It’s been fun hearing from old teammates that are going to come to the game, and I’ve got a ton of family coming. I’ll go on and get this out of the way; I have two degrees from Western Kentucky, I’m a Bowling Green native, I love everything about Western Kentucky, but I’m where my feet are at, I’m a Missouri State Bear,” Beard said. “Our players know that and understand that, that we’re going to go try to win the game. All the feel-good stories are great for the media, for the fans. We’re locked in in that locker room. Our players know that they’re going to get the very best from me and my staff and we’re going to go out and try to compete.”