McIvor will take WKU back to the future (2025)

Look for the Western Kentucky football team to go back to the future in 2025.

The Hilltoppers, who have appeared in six consecutive FBS bowl games under head coach Tyson Helton, should have more aerial octane in the tank this fall, thanks to the arrival of quarterback Maverick McIvor and offensive coordinator Rick Bowie — both incoming from Abilene Christian University.

In three FCS seasons with the Wildcats, the 6-foot-2 McIvor completed 655 of 1,089 passes for 8,012 yards and 63 touchdowns in an ‘Air Raid” attack formulated by Bowie — a hint that plenty of fireworks may be store for Hilltopper fans this season at venerable Houchens-Smith Stadium.

“It’s been awesome, merging with my new teammates, flying around and playing a lot of fast football, McIvor said. “I’m still learning, still growing every day, and I love what we’re going to be able to put together here.

“It’s been a smooth transition here, pretty seamless, coming in here with my coach and everything. We’ll use a lot of what we had (at Abilene Christian) and blend it with some of coach (Tyson) Helton’s stuff. He’s known for developing quarterbacks for the next level, so I’m very happy to be here.”

Western’s own legacy of exciting, wide-open offense is not lost on McIvor.

“I’ve actually kept up with the Hilltoppers for a long time, because they always played a style of football that was complementary to the way I’ve always played,” McIvor said. “I know about their reputation of being Quarterback U., with guys like Mike White and Bailey Zappe and so many others.

“Honestly, it was hard to leave Abilene, but it’s always been a dream of mine to play (FBS) football and I figured this would be a great fit for me.”

Helton, who lost hometown product Caden Veltkamp to Florida Atlantic via the NCAA transfer portal, is, of course, welcoming a proven talent such as McIvor with open arms — and unlimited possibilities.

“We’re really excited about Maverick,” Helton said. “He’s a veteran player who from Day One has walked into the locker room and really captured the attention and respect of our football team.

Plus, there’s the continuity that he will maintain with Rick (Bowie) that should be very advantageous to the way we develop and grow as an offensive football team. It’s made for a fast transition and we were able to pretty much hit the ground running. Now, we’ve just got to bring the other guys along with Maverick as we go.”

Bowie, too, is glad to be wearing Hilltopper red.

“The offensive success that has been around this place for many years is undeniable,” Bowie said. “This is one of those spots that you have your eye on all the time when you’re in a seat like mine as a coordinator. When you have a chance to even be considered for a place like WKU, you jump at it. I’m really excited to be here.

“This is relationship-based business. Mac and I are close and he’s an exciting piece to bring along. I’m really happy about his opportunity to grow in this program — obviously, I see him as a big part of what we’re going to be trying to accomplish on the offensive side this fall.”

In WKU’s annual Red-White Spring Showcase on April 12, McIvor engineered five drives that led to five scores.

“He was impressive,” Helton said of McIvor’s performance. “He looked very calm out there and looked like he had full command of everything going on around him. His reads were good, his timing was good, and he received good protection — when you have all that, a good player is going to make plays, and that’s exactly what he did.”

Look for the Hilltoppers to take a step back in time and throw the ball early and often in 2025, with a top gun named Maverick at the the controls.

McIvor will take WKU back to the future (2025)

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