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 FIUESPN+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 DominionESPN+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 MarshallStadium 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 MissESPN+W 28–1020,369
November 301:00 p.m.Middle Tennessee
ESPN+W 31–267,589
December 3011:30 a.m.vs. Western MichiganESPNW 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

at FIU

1 2 3 4 Total
Hilltoppers 7 7 3 3 20
Panthers 7 0 7 0 14

vs. Louisville

1 2 3 4 Total
Hilltoppers 0 7 7 7 21
Cardinals 7 24 7 0 38

UAB

1 2 3 4 Total
Blazers 3 7 3 0 13
Hilltoppers 3 10 0 7 20

at Old Dominion

1 2 3 4 Total
Hilltoppers 0 10 3 7 20
Monarchs 0 3 0 0 3

Army

1 2 3 4 Total
Black Knights 0 0 0 8 8
Hilltoppers 7 0 3 7 17

Charlotte

1 2 3 4 Total
49ers 7 7 0 0 14
Hilltoppers 7 10 13 0 30

at Marshall

1 2 3 4 Total
Hilltoppers 0 7 6 10 23
Thundering Herd 14 6 3 3 26

Florida Atlantic

1 2 3 4 Total
Owls 0 21 7 7 35
Hilltoppers 14 0 7 3 24

at Arkansas

1 2 3 4 Total
Hilltoppers 14 21 3 7 45
Razorbacks 7 0 0 12 19

at Southern Miss

1 2 3 4 Total
Hilltoppers 7 14 0 7 28
Golden Eagles 7 0 0 3 10

Middle Tennessee

1 2 3 4 Total
Blue Raiders 3 10 0 13 26
Hilltoppers 3 7 7 14 31

vs. Western Michigan (First Responder Bowl)

1 2 3 4 Total
Broncos 3 7 7 3 20
Hilltoppers 0 10 0 13 23

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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