1974 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team

Last updated

1974 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football
Conference Ohio Valley Conference
Record7–3 (5–2 OVC)
Head coach
Home stadium L. T. Smith Stadium
Seasons
  1973
1975  
1974 Ohio Valley Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Eastern Kentucky $ 6 1 08 2 0
Murray State 5 2 09 2 0
Western Kentucky 5 2 07 3 0
Tennessee Tech 4 3 06 5 0
East Tennessee State 3 3 14 6 1
Middle Tennessee 2 5 03 8 0
Austin Peay 1 5 13 7 1
Morehead State 1 6 03 8 0
  • $ Conference champion

The 1974 Western Kentucky football team represented Western Kentucky University during the 1974 NCAA Division II football season. Coming off a 12-1 and NCAA Playoff Runners-up season the previous year, WKU started the season ranked number 1 in both the AP [1] and UPI [2] national polls. They ended up losing their last two games, finished tied for 2nd in the conference, and missed the NCAA Playoffs. [3] The team's roster included future National Football League (NFL) players Virgil Livers, John Bushong, David Carter, Rick Caswell, and Biff Madon. Livers and Bushong were named to the AP All-American team, and Livers was also named OVC Defensive Player of the Year. The All OVC team included Livers, Bushong, Rick Green, David Carter, John Humphrey, and Keith Tandy. [4] The coaching staff included future NFL coach Romeo Crennel.

Schedule

DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendance
September 14 C.W. Post *No. 1W 48–013,300
September 28 Austin Peay No. 2
  • L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
W 35–713,400
October 5 East Tennessee State No. 2
W 24–05,213
October 12 Dayton *Dagger-14-plain.pngNo. 3
  • L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
W 32–1520,000
October 19at Tennessee Tech No. 2L 6–1012,000
October 26No. 15 Eastern Kentucky No. 7
W 34–2418,880
November 2at Morehead State No. 7W 36–08,000
November 9 Middle Tennessee No. 7
W 36–1013,300
November 16No. 11 Western Carolina *No. 8
  • L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
L 2–2011,300
November 23at Murray State No. 13L 7–915,200
  • *Non-conference game
  • Dagger-14-plain.pngHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[5]

References

  1. "AP Small-College Football Poll". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. September 19, 1974. p. 20. Retrieved May 24, 2017 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  2. "Small College Football Poll". Waukesha Daily Freeman. Waukesha, Wisconsin. September 18, 1974. p. 14. Retrieved May 24, 2017 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  3. WKU Football Media Guide retrieved 31 March 2020.
  4. 2017 OVC Football Media Guide, retrieved 30 April 2020
  5. "Final 1974 Cumulative Football Statistics Report". National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved December 17, 2022.