2019 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team

The 2019 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team (WKU) represented Western Kentucky University in the 2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Hilltoppers played their home games at the Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium in Bowling Green, Kentucky, as members of the East Division of Conference USA (C–USA). They were led by first-year head coach Tyson Helton.[1]

2019 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football
First Responder Bowl champion
ConferenceConference USA
DivisionEast Division
2019 record9–4 (6–2 C-USA)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorBryan Ellis (1st season)
Defensive coordinatorClayton White (3rd season)
Home stadiumHouchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium
(Capacity: 22,113)
2019 Conference USA football standings
Conf  Overall
Team W L    W L 
East Division
Florida Atlantic xy$  7 –1     11 –3  
Marshall  6 –2     8 –5  
Western Kentucky  6 –2     9 –4  
Charlotte  5 –3     7 –6  
Middle Tennessee  3 –5     4 –8  
FIU  3 –5     6 –7  
Old Dominion  0 –8     1 –11  
West Division
UAB xy  6 –2     9 –5  
Louisiana Tech x  6 –2     10 –3  
Southern Miss  5 –3     7 –6  
North Texas  3 –5     4 –8  
UTSA  3 –5     4 –8  
Rice  3 –5     3 –9  
UTEP  0 –8     1 –11  
Championship: Florida Atlantic 49, UAB 6
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant

Previous season

The Hilltoppers finished the 2018 season 3–9, 2–6 in C–USA play to finish in a tie for sixth place in the East Division.

Preseason

Award watch lists

Listed in the order that they were released

Award Player Position Year
Rimington Trophy[2] Seth Joest C JR
John Mackey Award[3] Kyle Fourtenbary TE JR
Outland Trophy[4] Miles Pate T SR
Wuerffel Trophy[5] Tyler Witt OL JR

Preseason media poll

The preseason poll was released prior to the Conference USA media days on July 17–18, 2019. The Hilltoppers were predicted to finish in fifth place in the C–USA East Division.[6]

Predicted finish Team (1st Place Votes)
1Marshall (14)
2FIU (9)
3Florida Atlantic (3)
4Middle Tennessee
5Western Kentucky
6Old Dominion
7Charlotte

Preseason All–Conference USA teams

2019 Preseason All-Conference USA[7]

All-CUSA Offense[7]
Position Player Class
OL Miles Pate Sr.
All-CUSA Defense[7]
Position Player Class
No players were selected
All-CUSA Special Teams[7]
Position Player Class
No players were selected

Schedule
DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
August 296:30 p.m.No. 25 (FCS) Central Arkansas*
ESPN+L 28–3517,120
September 76:00 p.m.at FIU
ESPN+W 20–1413,311
September 143:00 p.m.vs. Louisville*
StadiumL 21–3822,665
September 286:00 p.m.UAB
  • Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
ESPN+W 20–1320,304
October 55:00 p.m.at Old Dominion
ESPN+W 20–318,405
October 126:00 p.m.Army*
  • Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
StadiumW 17–816,107
October 193:00 p.m.Charlotte
  • Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
ESPN+W 30–1415,816
October 261:30 p.m.at Marshall
Stadium FacebookL 23–2622,099
November 23:00 p.m.Florida Atlantic
  • Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
ESPN+L 24–3514,212
November 911:00 a.m.at Arkansas*
SECNW 45–1942,985
November 232:30 p.m.at Southern Miss
ESPN+W 28–1020,369
November 301:00 p.m.Middle Tennessee
ESPN+W 31–267,589
December 3011:30 a.m.vs. Western Michigan
ESPNW 23–2013,164

[8]

Game summaries

Central Arkansas
1 2 3 4 Total
Bears 0 14 0 21 35
Hilltoppers 14 7 7 0 28
See also: 2019 Central Arkansas Bears football team

at FIU
1 2 3 4 Total
Hilltoppers 7 7 3 3 20
Panthers 7 0 7 0 14
See also: 2019 FIU Panthers football team

vs. Louisville
1 2 3 4 Total
Hilltoppers 0 7 7 7 21
Cardinals 7 24 7 0 38
See also: 2019 Louisville Cardinals football team

UAB
1 2 3 4 Total
Blazers 3 7 3 0 13
Hilltoppers 3 10 0 7 20
See also: 2019 UAB Blazers football team

at Old Dominion
1 2 3 4 Total
Hilltoppers 0 10 3 7 20
Monarchs 0 3 0 0 3
See also: 2019 Old Dominion Monarchs football team

Army
1 2 3 4 Total
Black Knights 0 0 0 8 8
Hilltoppers 7 0 3 7 17
See also: 2019 Army Black Knights football team

Charlotte
1 2 3 4 Total
49ers 7 7 0 0 14
Hilltoppers 7 10 13 0 30
See also: 2019 Charlotte 49ers football team

at Marshall
1 2 3 4 Total
Hilltoppers 0 7 6 10 23
Thundering Herd 14 6 3 3 26
See also: 2019 Marshall Thundering Herd football team

Florida Atlantic
1 2 3 4 Total
Owls 0 21 7 7 35
Hilltoppers 14 0 7 3 24
See also: 2019 Florida Atlantic Owls football team

at Arkansas
1 2 3 4 Total
Hilltoppers 14 21 3 7 45
Razorbacks 7 0 0 12 19
See also: 2019 Arkansas Razorbacks football team

at Southern Miss
1 2 3 4 Total
Hilltoppers 7 14 0 7 28
Golden Eagles 7 0 0 3 10
See also: 2019 Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team

Middle Tennessee
1 2 3 4 Total
Blue Raiders 3 10 0 13 26
Hilltoppers 3 7 7 14 31
See also: 2019 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team

vs. Western Michigan (First Responder Bowl)
1 2 3 4 Total
Broncos 3 7 7 3 20
Hilltoppers 0 10 0 13 23
See also: 2019 Western Michigan Broncos football team and 2019 First Responder Bowl

References
  1. WKU Football Media Guide retrieved 31 March 2020.
  2. "2019 Rimington Trophy Watch List". July 19, 2019. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  3. "2019 John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List Released" (PDF). July 19, 2019. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  4. "2019 Outland Trophy Watch List Unveiled". July 23, 2019. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  5. "2019 Wuerffel Trophy Watch List". July 25, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  6. "C–USA 2019 Preseason Media Poll". ConferenceUSA.com. July 16, 2019. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  7. "FB: 2019 Coaches Preseason Awards". www.conferenceusa.com. Conference USA. July 15, 2019. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  8. "2019 WKU Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
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