Austin Reed, Western Kentucky Football News: Draft Scout Player News

12/22/22 - QB Austin Reed, rSr/2024, Western Kentucky

Austin Reed passed for four touchdowns and a New Orleans Bowl-record 497 yards, leading Western Kentucky to a 44-23 win over South Alabama. on Wednesday night. It was yet another memorable season-ending performance for Reed, who set Division II title-game records in 2019 by passing for 523 yards and six TDs in West Florida's 48-40 victory over Minnesota State. Reed's bowl total gave him 4,744 yards and 40 touchdowns passing this season, which leads the nation in both categories - for now. Reed entered the the game ranked second nationally in yards passing behind Washington's Michael Penix Jr., who has 4,354 yards passing. Penix plays against Texas in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 29. Reed's touchdown total puts him three ahead of Ohio State's C.J. Stroud, USC's Caleb Williams and Houston's Clayton Tune, each with 37. Tune and Williams await bowl games, and Stroud could play twice more if Ohio State wins its semifinal match-up with Georgia in the College Football Playoff.

The Hilltoppers also set a New Orleans Bowl record with 522 team yards passing. Receiver Dalvin Smith threw a 25-yard TD pass to Jaylen Hall on a play that started with Reed's backward pass to Smith. South Alabama's Carter Bradley passed for 360 yards and three touchdowns, and was intercepted twice. Much of his production came in the second half with his team down by three or more TDs. Both teams combined for 74 completions, tying an NCAA record for overall completed passes in a bowl game. Two of Reed's scoring strikes went to Malachi Corley, who increased his TD's receiving total to 11 this season. Reed also threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to Smith on the game's opening possession and hit tight end Joey Beljan for a 27-yard score on his second series. - Western Kentucky/AP College Football

rSr/2024