McIvor ties career high with 5 TD passes in Western Kentucky’s 55-6 rout of North Alabama

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) — Maverick McIvor tied his career high with five touchdown passes and Western Kentucky rolled past North Alabama 55-6 on Saturday.

McIvor, a senior, transferred from FCS Abilene Christian, where he had a career-high five touchdowns against Central Arkansas last October. He was 24 for 31 for 305 yards Saturday.

He was relieved late in the third quarter by Rodney Tisdale Jr., who threw his first career touchdown on an 8-yard pass to Rodney Sims. Tisdale was 6 for 8 for 94 yards.

K.D. Hutchinson led the 14 Western Kentucky receivers to catch passes with 113 yards and a pair of touchdowns on five receptions. He made a one-handed catch down the right sideline, rumbling after contact for a 78-yard touchdown.

Western Kentucky (2-0, 1-0 Conference USA) went 7-for-7 on their first seven red zone trips, coming away with 45 points. The Hilltoppers’ last visit to the red zone late in the game stalled on a fourth-and-4 from the North Alabama 14-yard line.

The Hilltoppers had 563 yards to North Alabama’s 252, eclipsing 500 yards in each of their first two games to lead Conference USA in yardage.

This was North Alabama’s season opener.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football