The last image the college football world had of 2023 Western Kentucky quarterback Caden Veltkamp was of him kneeling after Lucas Carneiro’s overtime field goal capped the Hilltoppers’ dramatic 38-35 victory over Old Dominion in the Famous Toastery Bowl in Charlotte, North Carolina.
It was the fourth-largest comeback ever in an FBS Bowl Game, and Veltkamp — an untested redshirt freshman who had completed a total of six passes over the previous two seasons — engineered it in near-miraculous fashion.
Physically and emotionally exhausted after pulling the Hilltippers out of a four-touchdown hole, Veltkamp simply sank to the grass once the unlikely victory was secured.
You remember the story, right?
Austin Reed, a two-year star quarterback at WKU, opted to sit out the bowl in preparation for a potential pro career. So instead, Turner Helton – nephew of coach Tyson Helton and son of former USC coach Clay Helton – was the starting QB. Let’s just say things didn’t go well for Helton, and before you knew it, Old Dominion had taken a seemingly insurmountable 28-0 lead.
Enter Veltkamp, a hometown boy who guided South Warren to the 2021 KHSAA Class 5-A state championship during his high school days. Veltkamp, who, ironically enough, had already entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal, put the WKU program on his back and turned in one of the best, most mesmerizing relief performances in college football history.
All he did that December afternoon at Jerry Richardson Stadium was complete 40 of 52 passes for 383 yards and five touchdowns — including a fourth-down laser to KD Hutchinson in the final seconds of regulation to force overtime and set the stage for Western’s defense to block an ODU field goal attempt (for the second time in a row), before Carneiro won it with his three-pointer.
For the record, the 6-foot-2, 235-pound Veltkamp also rushed for 53 yards on 19 attempts, and his 436 yards of total offense were the second-most by a Conference USA player all season.
It took a special young man to achieve this.
“I told these guys, ‘We’re going to win the game.’ ” Veltkamp said afterwards. “As soon as I walked in I said, ‘We’re going to win. It’s not a question. Let’s win the game. “It took the last play to get it done, but it’s because of the guys around me. These guys played unreal. The offensive line was great, the protection. I think I got two bags and they were both my fault.
“I threw some good balls to Dalvin (Smith) and he just flexed with one hand. These guys around me played well. The defense kept stopping, kept giving us opportunities, so all the credit goes to those guys, man. I love these guys.”
His heroics off the bench helped WKU win its third consecutive bowl game for coach Helton, and fourth in five tries, while also improving the Hilltoppers’ bowl record to 7-3 since 2012 – the best among the three community FBS programs during this period.
Also for the record, Veltkamp — whose father, Jason, is the program’s director of strength and conditioning — has decided to return to WKU. Based on his extraordinary postseason performance against ODU, he would have to be considered the quarterback most likely to lead the team. He has already (pardon the pun) passed the test.
It’s still early and nothing is set in stone, of course, but it says here that Veltkamp would have to be considered the prohibitive favorite to become the next great WKU signal-caller, among an impressive roster that includes Kawaun Jakes Brandon Doughty, Mike White, Ty Storey, Bailey Zappe and Reed in the FBS era.
This fall, Western’s receiving corps includes, among others, the dynamic Smith, Hutchinson, Jimmy Holiday and Easton Messer, each of whom starred in the last bowl win – and all the game-winners.
So the next time the college football world will see Veltkamp will likely be Aug. 31, when the Hilltoppers visit perennial national power Alabama in new head coach Kalen DeBoer’s first game as successor to retired Crimson Tjde legend Nick Saban — a primetime game on ESPN, no less.
It’s a fitting way for Veltkamp and the Tops to start the 2024 season.
