WKU closed out a week of bowl practices on Thursday in Bowling Green as they prepared to head to sunny south Florida on Friday morning ahead of Tuesday’s 2016 Boca Raton Bowl. 

The game, set for a 6 p.m. CT kickoff tonight, can be seen across the country on ESPN and will be the day’s lone football game, so all eyes will be on the Hilltoppers and Tigers in what should be an entertaining game on the early bowl season docket. ESPN Radio will also air the game nationally.

As interim head coach and defensive coordinator Nick Holt has prepared to lead the Toppers to their third consecutive bowl game, turnover and the hiring of a new head coach could have been a distraction, but Holt credited and leaned on WKU’s seniors to keep the Red and White focused on the task at hand.

“The week has been going good,” Holt said. “The kids have responded really well, and we’ve had four good practices. I think the kids are ready to get down to Florida and play this game on Tuesday. We have really good senior leadership, especially on the offensive and defensive lines. They really care and that permeates through the locker room.”

As an end-of-year award for the team, Holt said it was important for the team to enjoy their time in Boca Raton but was confident that they would lock in and focus at game time.

“We’ve got to have fun. It’s a bowl game. A lot of kids are going back home with the Florida connection, but it’s all about playing the game, playing well, and competing. Our kids are going to have fun, but there comes a time when you have to lock in and play a physical football game.”

The road to the Boca Raton Bowl is presented by WKU's School of Kinesiology, Recreation and Sport, providing quality education while always keeping students first.