Western Kentucky will face Appalachian State in 2021 Boca Raton Bowl

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and Appalachian State Mountaineers will face off in the 2021 RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl, per Brett McMurphy. The game will take place at the FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, FL. Kickoff is currently scheduled for 11:00 a.m. ET on Saturday, Dec 18, 2021. The game will air on ESPN and will be available via live stream at WatchESPN.

Western Kentucky (8-4, 7-1 C-USA)

While the expansion of the transfer portal continues to change college football, Western Kentucky has perhaps cracked the code. The Hilltoppers essentially imported the passing game from Houston Baptist, adding quarterback Bailey Zappe, several receivers, and assistant coaches from the latter program. Zappe has thrived in his new home, tossing 4,968 yards, 52 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. While Western Kentucky doesn’t have much of a defense, Zappe and the explosive passing game make the Hilltoppers one of the most dangerous teams in the G5.

Appalachian State (10-3, 7-1 Sun Belt)

Unfortunately the Mountaineers couldn’t capture a Sun Belt championship as they lost to Louisiana, 24-16 in the title game. They were down 14-0 early and couldn’t quite get enough going to get back into the game. On the year, the Mountaineers ranked second in the Sun Belt with 428.4 yards per game on offense. Their defense only allowed 19.3 points per game, so whomever they end up drawing in a bowl game is going to have a tough test in the Mountaineers.