The Bearkats won nine games in the regular season -- more than Western Kentucky -- and finished with an identical 6-2 record in conference play, though the Hilltoppers won the tiebreaker. Sam Houston capped it all with a 31-26 win against Georgia Southern in the New Orleans Bowl, marking its first postseason win since transitioning to the FBS.

Maverick McIvor threw for 401 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score as Western Kentucky opened the college football and Conference USA season with a 41-24 win over Sam Houston

The Phil Longo Era got underway Saturday with a Conference USA matchup, and things quickly turned sour after the halftime break.