College football fans will be introduced to a new bowl game -- and a temporary one -- on Monday when Western Kentucky and Old Dominion clash in the Famous Toastery Bowl in Charlotte, North Carolina. The bowl game serves as a replacement for the Bahamas Bowl, which was unable to be contested this December due to ongoing renovations at Thomas Robinson Stadium in Nassau, Bahamas.
The Bahamas Bowl is slated to return as scheduled in 2024. But for the meantime, the Queen City gets to host an additional bowl game this season -- the Duke's Mayo Bowl is also held in Charlotte -- as former Conference USA foes reunite. Western Kentucky holds a 6-1 edge in the series against Old Dominion, most recently posting a 43-20 road win against the Monarchs in 2021. The Hilltoppers are vying for a third bowl win in as many seasons, while Old Dominion is appearing in a bowl game for just the third time in program history.
Storylines, viewing information and more surrounding the Famous Toastery Bowl can be found below.
How to watch Famous Toastery Bowl live
Date: Monday, Dec. 18 | Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
Location: Jerry Richardson Stadium -- Charlotte, North Carolina
TV: ESPN | Live stream: Fubo (Try for free)
For a limited time, new subscribers can save $20 on Fubo's Pro, Elite and Premier plans.
Western Kentucky vs. Old Dominion: Need to know
Familiar faces: Western Kentucky and Old Dominion have only squared off seven times, but they got to know each other well for a brief period of time. The Hilltoppers and Monarchs shared a home in Conference USA from 2014 through 2021 before Old Dominion left the only FBS conference it had been part of for a new beginning in the Sun Belt. The Monarchs finished 32-32 in league play during their Conference USA stint and are since 7-9 within Sun Belt play. We'll see if the familiarity between these programs adds a little extra spice to the matchup on Monday.
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 defenders to record more than 100 total tackles, joined by linebacker Wayne Matthews III (121) and safety Terry Jones (104). Henderson's absence will put an even heavier burden on Matthews to lead the charge at the linebacker position.
WKU QB Reed opts out late: Western Kentucky is set to be without its biggest weapon on offense in this one after it was reported that sixth-year senior quarterback Austin Reed will opt out of the contest. It marks the end of what has been quite the 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 during the 2022 season with 4,744 yards. No other Hilltoppers quarterback has attempted more than eight passes (Turner Helton) in 2023, so it's a steep drop off with Reed sitting out.
Famous Toastery Bowl prediction, picks
Odds via SportsLine consensus
With Reed in the equation, Western Kentucky had to like its chances against Old Dominion, especially considering the Monarchs were already pedestrian at best in stopping the pass before losing their top defender in Henderson. That's not the case anymore as the Hilltoppers prepare to turn to Helton, a redshirt freshman, for his first career start at quarterback. How Helton fares may very well decide this contest; a Western Kentucky defense that finished the regular season outside the top 100 is unlikely to win this one for the Hilltoppers. Old Dominion's track record in this series may not be pretty, but the Monarchs suddenly feel like a much safer pick than they did just 48 hours ago thanks to Western Kentucky's quarterback change. Pick: Old Dominion -2.5
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