Veltkamp named CUSA Offensive Player of the Week

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU Football quarterback Caden Veltkamp has been named the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week, the conference announced Monday.

The award marks the first CUSA weekly award of the 2024 season for WKU. CUSA’s weekly awards are voted on by a panel of the league’s media. Veltkamp was also named to the Davey O’Brien Award’s Great 8 list for Week 3 on Monday, which adds him to the official Davey O’Brien Award Watch List.

Veltkamp came off the bench in WKU’s 49-21 victory over “100 Miles of Hate” rival Middle Tennessee on Saturday at Johnny “Red” Floyd Stadium in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, to replace injured starter TJ Finley. Veltkamp threw for 398 yards and five touchdowns on 27-of-30 passing in the win and added a 1-yard rushing touchdown as well.

Veltkamp’s five touchdown passes were the most in a single game by a Hilltopper since he came off the bench in the 2023 Famous Toastery Bowl and threw five touchdowns in WKU’s 38-35 overtime victory over Old Dominion, in which he led a 28-0 comeback – the fourth-largest ever in a bowl game. Saturday marked the 24th time in program history a WKU player had thrown at least five touchdown passes in a game.

Veltkamp’s 256.4 rating was the third-best ever in single game by a WKU quarterback, and his 17 consecutive completions to end the game was the second-longest stretch in a game by a WKU quarterback. His 90% completion percentage was the best mark ever in a game by a Hilltopper quarterback with at least 10 completions.

The Hilltoppers put up over 600 yards of offense and 49 points – the most WKU has scored against the Blue Raiders in a game in Murfreesboro and third-most in a game against the rivals overall – in the win. WKU has now won six straight games against Middle Tennessee and have claimed victories in nine of the last 10 meetings to take a 38-35-1 lead in the series. The 49-21 win on Saturday marked the sixth time in the last 11 meetings WKU has scored 40-plus points against Middle Tennessee. In the 63 meetings prior to 2014, WKU had only scored 40-plus points in a game in the rivalry four times.

WKU will be back in action at home against Toledo on Saturday, Sept. 21, at Houchens Smith Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.