BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Western Kentucky Football is headed to the Conference USA Championship Game for the fourth time since joining the conference and seeking its third title. 

The Hilltoppers (8-4, 6-2 CUSA) will face Jacksonville State (8-4, 7-1 CUSA) Friday, Dec. 6 at AmFirst Stadium in Jacksonville, Alabama. Kickoff is 7 p.m. eastern/6 p.m. central.

"Very excited to go to the Conference USA Championship and play an excellent football team in Jacksonville State," said Tyson Helton, WKU Football head coach. "It's been a long road to get there. I'm proud of our football team and what they've been able to accomplish to get to this part. Now we need to go win it. It will be a challenge for us, but we're excited and ready for that opportunity."

The game will be a rematch of the Hilltoppers' Nov. 30 regular season finale, a 19-17 defeat of the Gamecocks, thanks to kicker Lucas Carneiro's 50-yard field goal with three seconds remaining. The win saw the Hilltoppers snap Jacksonville State's eight-game winning streak. Quarterback Caden Veltkamp threw 28 of 47 with 301 passing yards. 

Western Kentucky University QB Caden Veltkamp scans the field for an open receiver in the season opener against Alabama on Aug. 31, 2024. (WKU Athletics/Savannah Philpot)

Veltkamp has completed 70.8% of his passes in CUSA road games, averaging 296.8 yards with 12 touchdowns and five interceptions. He's 17th nationally in completion percentage (67.2) and 19th in passing efficiency (153.6). 

WKU's four CUSA Championship Game appearances are tied for most in conference history. The Hilltoppers claimed back-to-back CUSA titles in 2015 and 2016, defeating Southern Mississippi and Louisiana Tech, respectively; however, they fell 49-41 to the University of Texas San Antonio in the 2021 game.

WKU became bowl eligible for the sixth time in six seasons under Helton after their 31-14 win Oct. 30 over Kennesaw State. The program is one of just 16 that has played in a bowl game for five straight seasons from 2019 to 2023 and one of only seven to win a bowl game each year from 2021 to 2023. 

The Gamecocks are looking to capture their first CUSA title in just their second year in the league and at the Football Bowl Subdivision level. They're led by former Michigan and West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.