1951 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team

1951 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football
Conference	Ohio Valley Conference
Record	4–5 (2–4 OVC)
Head coach	Jack Clayton (4th season)
Captain	Lawrence "Butch" Gilbert
Seasons ←  1950 1952  →

1951 Ohio Valley Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Murray State $	5	–	1	–	0			8	–	1	–	0
Eastern Kentucky	4	–	2	–	0			7	–	3	–	0
Marshall	4	–	2	–	0			5	–	5	–	1
Evansville	3	–	3	–	0			5	–	5	–	0
Tennessee Tech	3	–	3	–	0			5	–	5	–	1
Western Kentucky	2	–	4	–	0			4	–	5	–	0
Morehead State	0	–	6	–	0			1	–	7	–	0
$ – Conference champion

The 1951 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team represented Western Kentucky State College (now known as Western Kentucky University) as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) during the 1951 college football season. Led by fourth-year head coach Jack Clayton, the Hilltoppers compiled an overall record of 4–5 with a mark of 2–4 in conference play, placing sixth in the OVC. ^[1] The team's captain was Lawrence "Butch" Gilbert. ^[2]

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 22		Bethel (TN) *	Bowling Green, KY	W 56–0
September 29	7:30 p.m.	Evansville	Bowling Green, KY	W 41–7	3,500	[3] [4] [5]
October 6		at Marshall	Huntington, WV	L 21–35
October 13	7:30 p.m.	Morehead State	Bowling Green, KY	W 20–7		[6] [7] [8]
October 20	2:00 p.m.	Tennessee Tech	Bowling Green, KY	L 7–14	4,500	[9] [10] [11] [12]
October 27		at Memphis State *	Crump Stadium Memphis, TN	L 0–38		[13]
November 3		Delta State *	Bowling Green, KY	W 46–6		[14]
November 10		at Eastern Kentucky	Richmond, KY (rivalry)	L 7–31		[15]
November 17		at Murray State	Cutchin Stadium Murray, KY (rivalry)	L 6–23	4,000	[16]
*Non-conference game Homecoming All times are in Central time

^[17]

References

1. "2022 OVC Football Media Guide". Ohio Valley Conference. August 19, 2022. p. 68. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
2. "WKU Football 2021 Media Guide" (PDF). Bowling Green, Kentucky: Western Kentucky University. p. 175. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
3. Borrone, Bert (September 28, 1951). "Saturday Meeting With Aces Is "Big" Game For Tops". The Park City Daily News . Bowling Green, Kentucky. p. 11. Retrieved March 1, 2024– via Newspapers.com .
4. Borrone, Bert (September 28, 1951). "Survivor To (continued)". The Park City Daily News . Bowling Green, Kentucky. p. 14. Retrieved March 1, 2024– via Newspapers.com .
5. Robertson, Bill (September 30, 1951). "Western Scores In Every Quarter To Rout Aces, 41 To 7". The Sunday Courier and Press . Evansville, Indiana. p. 1C. Retrieved March 1, 2024– via Newspapers.com .
6. "Toppers Host Revenge-Minded Morehead Tomorrow". The Park City Daily News . Bowling Green, Kentucky. October 12, 1951. p. 11. Retrieved February 29, 2024– via Newspapers.com .
7. "Western Comes From Behind To Take Morehead 20-7". The Park City Daily News . Bowling Green, Kentucky. October 14, 1951. p. 8. Retrieved February 29, 2024– via Newspapers.com .
8. "Feix Passes (continued)". The Park City Daily News . Bowling Green, Kentucky. October 14, 1951. p. 12. Retrieved February 29, 2024– via Newspapers.com .
9. "Western Opposes Tech In Homecoming Saturday". The Park City Daily News . Bowling Green, Kentucky. October 19, 1951. p. 11. Retrieved March 1, 2024– via Newspapers.com .
10. "Toppers Rate (continued)". The Park City Daily News . Bowling Green, Kentucky. October 19, 1951. p. 14. Retrieved March 1, 2024– via Newspapers.com .
11. "Tennessee Tech Wrecks Topper Title Hopes By 14-7". The Park City Daily News . Bowling Green, Kentucky. October 21, 1951. p. 8. Retrieved March 1, 2024– via Newspapers.com .
12. "Eagles Passes (continued)". The Park City Daily News . Bowling Green, Kentucky. October 21, 1951. p. 12. Retrieved March 1, 2024– via Newspapers.com .
13. "Western falls to Memphis". The Paducah Sun. October 28, 1951. Retrieved September 21, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
14. "Toppers roll over Delta State 46–6 in home finale". The Park City Daily News. November 4, 1951. Retrieved August 21, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
15. "Second-Half Eastern Surge Buries Western By 31-7". The Park City Daily News . Bowling Green, Kentucky. November 11, 1951. p. 10. Retrieved February 20, 2024– via Newspapers.com .
16. "Murray Conquers Western Kentucky By Score of 23-6". The Owensboro Messenger . Owensboro, Kentucky. Associated Press. November 18, 1951. p. 10. Retrieved December 31, 2021– via Newspapers.com .
17. "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics (1951 Western Kentucky)". National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved December 17, 2022.