College football fans will be introduced to a new – and temporary – bowl game on Monday when Western Kentucky and Old Dominion meet in the Famous Toastery Bowl in Charlotte, North Carolina. The bowl game serves as a replacement for the Bahamas Bowl, which could not be played this December due to ongoing renovations at Thomas Robinson Stadium in Nassau, Bahamas.
The Bahamas Bowl is scheduled to take place again in 2024 as planned. But in the meantime, the Queen City can host another bowl game this season – the Duke's Mayo Bowl is also in Charlotte – when former Conference USA foes meet again. Western Kentucky has a 6-1 lead in the series against Old Dominion and most recently recorded a 43-20 road win against the Monarchs in 2021. The Hilltoppers are vying for their third bowl victory in as many seasons, while Old Dominion is in a bowl game for the third time in program history.
Storylines, viewing information and more about the Famous Toastery Bowl can be found below.
Here's how to watch Famous Toastery Bowl live
Date: Monday December 18th | Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
Location: Jerry Richardson Stadium – Charlotte, North Carolina
TV: ESPN | Live broadcast: Fubo (Try for free)
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Western Kentucky vs. Old Dominion: What you need to know
Trusted Faces: Western Kentucky and Old Dominion had only met seven times, but for a short time they got to know each other well. The Hilltoppers and Monarchs shared a home in Conference USA from 2014 to 2021 before Old Dominion left the only FBS conference it had competed in for a fresh start in the Sun Belt. The Monarchs finished 32-32 in league play during their Conference USA stay and have since gone 7-9 in Sun Belt play. We'll see if the familiarity between these programs adds a little more spice to Monday's duel.
ODU loses All-American defender: Old Dominion's defense will be without All-American linebacker Jason Henderson after he suffered a leg injury in the regular-season finale against Georgia State. Henderson led all FBS players with 170 total tackles in the regular season and was one of three Monarch defensive backs to record more than 100 total tackles, along with linebacker Wayne Matthews III (121) and safety Terry Jones (104). With Henderson's absence, it will be even more of a burden for Matthews to take over at the linebacker position.
WKU QB Reed is out late: Western Kentucky will be without its biggest offensive weapon in this game after it was announced that sixth-year quarterback Austin Reed will be opting out of the contest. It marks the end of a long journey for Reed; The 23-year-old has thrown for more than 14,000 yards in his NCAA career between stops at Southern Illinois, West Florida and Western Kentucky. Reed led the FBS in passing with 4,744 yards during the 2022 season. No other Hilltoppers quarterback has attempted more than eight passes in 2023 (Turner Helton), so it's a steep decline with Reed out.
Famous Toastery Bowl Prediction, Tips
SportsLine consensus odds
With Reed in the equation, Western Kentucky had to capitalize on its chances against Old Dominion, especially considering the Monarchs were already pedestrian at best when it came to stopping the pass before losing their top defender in Henderson. That is no longer the case as the Hilltoppers prepare to bring in Helton, a redshirt freshman, for his first career start at quarterback. How Helton performs could very well decide this contest; It's unlikely that a Western Kentucky defense that finished the regular season outside the top 100 will win for the Hilltoppers this season. Old Dominion's track record in this series may not be great, but the Monarchs suddenly feel like a much safer bet than they did 48 hours ago thanks to Western Kentucky's quarterback change. Selection: Old Dominion -2.5
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