Check chherald.com for a slideshow from the game.

RICHMOND– Western was victorious in the last “Battle of the Bluegrass” using their back-up field general.

Western starting sophomore quarterback K.J. Black was sidelined with a shoulder injury late in the first quarter. This forced the Toppers to turn to senior quarterback David Wolke, who had narrowly lost the starting job to Black in the offseason.

Wolke had come to Western as a transfer from Notre Dame in 2006.

Wolke would adjust well into his new starting role, finishing with nine completions out of 18 attempts for 84 yards and a touchdown.

“I thought he was solid as a rock,” coach David Elson said. “He came in and executed our offense, and I really didn’t feel like we missed a beat. I was very proud of the way he came in a led us to a victory.”

Black would be diagnosed with a dislocated shoulder, and Elson said he would wait to see when to expect him back.

About 18,500 fans filed into Roy Kidd stadium to see the 37-13 Western win in Richmond.

It equals the most points scored in Roy Kidd stadium by the Toppers since 1934.

The first half saw a lot of offense, with points being scored on nearly every series. Neither team punted until Western was forced to with 1:39 left in the first half.

The rushing problems the Toppers had against Indiana last weekend weren’t present here, as Western more than doubled their total rushing yards from last game in the first half. The Toppers rushed for 132 yards on 33 carries in the first half. They would add 116 more yards in the second half to give them a total of 248 yards, nearly four times as many as against Indiana.

The leading rusher for the Toppers was Tyrell Hayden, who ran for 98 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries. Junior running back Marell Booker and freshman wide receiver Derrius Brooks also ran it into the end zone during the game.

“We were hungry all week,” Hayden said. “The game plan coming in was to run the ball. (Offensive line) coach (Walter) Wells did a great job with the offensive line, and the other running backs behind me did a good job of stepping up and making plays.”

Western scored first when Booker pounded it in from four-yards out to cap a 18-play, seven-minute drive in the first quarter.

Eastern would respond with a 46-yard field goal on the ensuing possession. Western scored again early in the second on another run, this time by Hayden. Junior kicker Zac Minturn missed the ensuing extra point to make it 13-3.

Eastern would again respond, this time with a touchdown run by Colonel senior quarterback Allan Holland to make the score 13-10.

Western couldn’t shake the Colonels for the rest of the half, as both teams exchanged field goals to go into halftime 16-13.

Western’s defense stepped up in the second half, holding the Colonels scoreless and only allowing Eastern to convert two of their 12 third downs, as well as the fumble recovery.

“A lot of it came down to execution,” Eastern coach Dean Hood said. “They executed their offense and we didn’t stop them, and we didn’t execute ours. They played a better football game than we did, and the score is obvious.”

The leader for the Topper defense was senior linebacker Alonzo Higgins, who had 11 tackles.

Eastern would get within scoring range a few times in the third quarter, but momentum turned in Western’s favor permanently at the end of the third quarter after Brooks ran for a 17-yard touchdown late in the third and the Toppers recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff.

They converted on the fumble early in the fourth into a touchdown on a two-yard pass to freshman wideout Tristan Jones to go up 30-13. It was Jones’ first career touchdown catch and his third reception this season.

The Toppers would add another score in the closing minutes of the game on a run by freshman running back Bobby Rainey to get the final score to 37-13.

As the game was ending, several Topper players gave Elson a Gatorade bath to commemorate the rivalry.

The Toppers will have little time to enjoy the victory in this battle, as they face Alabama a week from today.

“You have to beat the people you’re supposed to beat,” Elson said. “And that was a team we were supposed to beat. We’re 1-1 and we have to build on that, get some momentum, and see the good things that we did. And we certainly made some mistakes that we need to learn from and get better.”

The Topper will go on to face Alabama at 6 p.m. Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Check chherald.com for a slideshow from the game.