1988 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team

Last updated

1988 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football
ConferenceIndependent
Record9–4
Head coach
Home stadium L. T. Smith Stadium
Seasons
←  1987
1989  →
1988 NCAA Division I-AA independents football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 2 Georgia Southern ^  – 10 –2 –0
No. 13 Western Kentucky ^  – 9 –4 –0
Liberty  – 8 –3 –0
Nicholls State  – 7 –4 –0
William & Mary  – 6 –4 –1
Towson State  – 5 –5 –0
Arkansas State  – 5 –6 –0
James Madison  – 5 –6 –0
Louisiana Tech  – 4 –7 –0
Northeastern  – 4 –7 –0
Youngstown State  – 4 –7 –0
Lamar  – 3 –8 –0
  • ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant
Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll

The 1988 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team represented Western Kentucky University in the 1988 NCAA Division I-AA football season and were led by head coach Dave Roberts. The team earned their second consecutive NCAA Division I-AA playoff berth, making it to the quarterfinals. [1] The Hilltoppers finished the season ranked 13th in the final national poll. [2]

Western Kentucky's roster included future National Football League (NFL) players Tony Brown, Eddie Godfrey, Anthony Green, Jerome Martin, Xavier Jordan, Dean Tiebout, Jonathan Watts, and Riley Ware. Joe Arnold, Tiebout, and Dewayne Penn were named to the AP All American team.

Schedule

DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 10at Morehead State No. 17
W 34–06,500 [3]
September 17at No. 15 Middle Tennessee No. 17
L 10–1310,500 [4]
September 24No. 8 Eastern Kentucky
W 16–1418,000 [5]
October 1 Austin Peay No. 14
  • L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
W 28–37,500 [6]
October 8 Illinois State No. 10
  • L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
W 31–1610,200 [7]
October 15at Southwest Missouri State No. 8
W 21–148,059 [8]
October 22at Tennessee Tech No. 5
W 20–179,242 [9]
October 29 Chattanooga Dagger-14-plain.pngNo. 5
  • L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
W 31–2918,200 [10]
November 5at Eastern Illinois No. 5
L 0–610,021 [11]
November 12at Louisville No. 11
L 17–3531,636 [12]
November 19 North Carolina A&T No. 16
  • L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
W 44–02,500 [13]
November 26at No. 3 Western Illinois No. 13
W 35–326,000 [14]
December 3at No. 7 Eastern KentuckyNo. 13
L 24–418,100 [15]

References

  1. ↑ "WKU Football 2021 Media Guide" (PDF). Bowling Green, Kentucky: Western Kentucky University. p. 180. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Final NCAA Division I-AA". Daily Press. Newport News, Virginia. November 21, 1988. p. C4. Retrieved May 4, 2017– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  3. ↑ "Western shuts out Morehead in opener". Messenger-Inquirer. September 11, 1988. Retrieved January 3, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "Raiders twirl 'Toppers". The Daily News-Journal. September 18, 1988. Retrieved January 3, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "Maher gets his kicks as Western Kentucky trips Eastern 16–14". The Courier-Journal. September 25, 1988. Retrieved March 23, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "Western Kentucky beats APSU 28–3". The Leaf-Chronicle. October 2, 1988. Retrieved January 3, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Western Kentucky runs to 31–16 win over ISU". The Pantagraph. October 9, 1988. Retrieved January 3, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Bacon sizzles in Western's 21–14 win". The Courier-Journal. October 16, 1988. Retrieved July 2, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Toppers pull out victory". The Park City Daily News. October 23, 1988. Retrieved January 3, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Western survives UTC's comeback to claim victory". The Park City Daily News. October 30, 1988. Retrieved December 8, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "'Toppers slip at E. Illinois". The Paducah Sun. November 6, 1988. Retrieved January 3, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "Louisville thumps the Hilltoppers". The State Journal. November 13, 1988. Retrieved January 3, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ "It's all downhill for Hilltoppers in speedy 44–0 romp over N.C. A&T". The Courier-Journal. November 20, 1988. Retrieved January 3, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ Branch, Bruce W. (November 27, 1988). "6th interception does it as Western survives Western Illinois comeback". The Courier-Journal . p. C5. Retrieved November 11, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ "Harris' 4 touchdowns boost Eastern past Western, into I-AA semifinal". The Courier-Journal. December 4, 1988. Retrieved March 23, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
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