2001 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team

Last updated

2001 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football
WKU Hilltoppers wordmark.png
Conference Gateway Football Conference
Ranking
Sports NetworkNo. 12
Record8–4 (5–2 Gateway)
Head coach
Co-offensive coordinator Willie Taggart (1st season)
Co-offensive coordinatorKeven Lightner (1st season)
Offensive scheme Multiple
Defensive coordinator David Elson (1st season)
Base defense 3–4
Home stadium L. T. Smith Stadium
Seasons
←  2000
2002  →
2001 Gateway Football Conference standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 4 Northern Iowa $^  6 –1   11 –3  
No. 12 Western Kentucky ^  5 –2   8 –4  
No. 15 Youngstown State  5 –2   8 –3  
Western Illinois  4 –3   5 –5  
Southwest Missouri State  3 –4   6 –5  
Indiana State  2 –5   3 –8  
Illinois State  2 –5   2 –9  
Southern Illinois  1 –6   1 –10  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant
Rankings from The Sports Network poll

The 2001 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team represented Western Kentucky University in the 2001 NCAA Division I-AA football season and were coached by Jack Harbaugh. This was the school's first season as a member of the Gateway Football Conference, having won the Ohio Valley Conference championship the previous year. The Hilltoppers were the preseason favorites to win the conference but finished tied for 2nd. [1] They qualified for the NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs where they were defeated by eventual runner-up, Furman. [2] The team was originally scheduled to play Wisconsin on September 14, however, due to the September 11 attacks, all college football games were suspended the following weekend, and the game was played on the 29th. [3]

This team included future NFL players Joseph Jefferson, Mel Mitchell, Sherrod Coates, and Brian Claybourn. Mitchell, Eric Dandy, and Chris Price were named to the AP All American team and Jefferson was selected to play in the Blue-Gray Football Classic. The All-Conference team included Coates, Dandy, Jefferson, Mitchell, Price, Patrick Reynolds, Buster Ashley, Claybourn, Peter Martinez, Kyle Moffatt, and Daniel Withrow. [4]

Schedule

DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
August 30at No. 13 Western Illinois No. 3
L 13–1711,832 [5]
September 8 Kentucky State *No. 10
W 48–011,000
September 22 Southwest Missouri No. 8
  • L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
W 23–79,500
September 29at Wisconsin *No. 7
L 6–2475,662
October 6 Elon *No. 11
  • L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
W 24–77,700
October 13at Indiana State No. 11
W 22–93,545
October 20No. 11 McNeese State *Dagger-14-plain.pngNo. 10
  • L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
W 21–014,000 [6]
October 27at No. 5 Youngstown State No. 10
W 24–1416,591
November 3at Illinois State No. 7
W 58–146,493 [7]
November 10No. 15 Northern Iowa No. 6
  • L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
L 23–2410,300
November 17 Southern Illinois No. 12
  • L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
W 36–65,800 [8]
December 1at No. 4 Furman *No. 11
L 20–246,143 [9]

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The 2000 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team represented Western Kentucky University in the 2000 NCAA Division I-AA football season and were led by veteran head coach Jack Harbaugh. They won their first conference championship since 1980, going undefeated in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) in just their second year after rejoining as a football-only member; the school was a football independent from 1982 through 1998. The Hilltoppers received the OVC's automatic berth to the NCAA Division I-AA playoff, making it to the quarterfinals. Prior to the start of the season, the OVC gave Western Kentucky an ultimatum, join the conference for all sports or leave. The administration decided to leave and joined the Gateway Football Conference. The Hilltoppers finished the season ranked No. 5 in final national poll by The Sports Network.

The 1978 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team represented Western Kentucky University in the inaugural 1978 NCAA Division I-AA football season and were led by head coach Jimmy Feix. The NCAA had formed NCAA Division I-AA for football and Western Kentucky, along with the rest of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC), moved up from Division II to I-AA. The Hilltoppers won the OVC championship, but just missed the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs. The team finished the season tied for fourth in final national NCAA poll.

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The 1993 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team represented Western Kentucky University as an independent during the 1993 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by fifth-year head Jack Harbaugh, the Hilltoppers compiled a record of 8–3. They missed the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship playoffs but finished the season ranked No. 19 in final NCAA Division I-AA poll.

The 1930 Western Kentucky State Teachers Hilltoppers football team represented Western Kentucky State Teachers College in the 1930 college football season. They were led by first-year coach James Elam and team captain Paul "Burrhead" Vaughn. One of the highlights for this team was a victorious season ending trip to Miami. Rupert Cummings and Leroy Elrod were named to the All Kentucky Team.

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The 1999 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team represented Western Kentucky University in the 1999 NCAA Division I-AA football season and were led by head coach Jack Harbaugh. The Hilltoppers rejoined the Ohio Valley Conference as a football only member this year; the school left the OVC in 1982 and had been a football independent since. The team's roster included future NFL players Joseph Jefferson, Rod “He Hate Me” Smart, Sherrod Coates, Mel Mitchell, Bobby Sippio, and Ben Wittman, as well as future NFL coach Jason Michael. Patrick Goodman was named to the AP All American team. The All OVC Team included Goodman, Sippio, Smart, Melvin Wisham, Wittman and Mitchell.

The 1946 Western Kentucky State Teachers Hilltoppers football team represented Western Kentucky State Teachers College as a member of the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC) during the 1946 college football season. Led by Jesse Thomas, who returned for his second season as head coach after helming the team in 1933, the Hilltoppers compiled an overall record of 2–6 with a mark of 1–3 in conference play. The team's captains were Dallas Arnold and Rapheal "Boots" Able.

The 1947 Western Kentucky State Teachers Hilltoppers football team represented Western Kentucky State Teachers College as a member of the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC) during the 1947 college football season. Led by Jesse Thomas in his third and final season as head coach, the Hilltoppers compiled an overall record of 3–4–2 with a mark of 1–3 in conference play. The team's captain was Jimmy Haynes.

The 1982 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team was an American football team that represented Western Kentucky University as an independent during the 1982 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by 15th-year head coach Jimmy Feix, the Hilltoppers compiled a record of 5–5. The team's captain was Tom Fox.

The 1994 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team represented Western Kentucky University as an independent during the 1994 NCAA Division I-AA football season Led by sixth-year head coach Jack Harbaugh, the Hilltoppers compiled a record of 5–6. The team's captains were Sheldon Benoit and Lito Mason.

The 2001 Southern Illinois Salukis football team represented Southern Illinois University as a member of the Gateway Football Conference during the 2001 NCAA Division I-AA football season. They were led by first-year head coach Jerry Kill and played their home games at McAndrew Stadium in Carbondale, Illinois. The Salukis finished the season with a 1–10 record overall and a 1–6 record in conference play.

The 2001 Western Illinois Leathernecks football team represented Western Illinois University as a member of the Gateway Football Conference during the 2001 NCAA Division I-AA football season. They were led by third-year head coach Don Patterson and played their home games at Hanson Field in Macomb, Illinois. The Leathernecks finished the season with a 5–5 record overall and a 4–3 record in conference play. Western Illinois played a ten-game schedule instead of the typical eleven-game schedule in Division I-AA, as they were unable to schedule an eleventh opponent before the season began.

The 2001 Illinois State Redbirds football team represented Illinois State University as a member of the Gateway Football Conference during the 2001 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The team was led by second-year head coach Denver Johnson and played their home games at Hancock Stadium in Normal, Illinois. The Redbirds finished the season with an overall record of 2–9 and a record of 2–5 in conference play, tying for sixth place in the Gateway.

References

  1. ↑ WKU tops Gateway, By the Daily News Online, Jul 26, 2001, retrieved 5 April 2020.
  2. ↑ WKU Football Media Guide retrieved 31 March 2020.
  3. ↑ Western hoping to make up game, By Deborah Highland and Mitchell Plumlee, The Daily News, Sept 14, 2001, retrieved 5 April 2020.
  4. ↑ 2019 MVC Football Records, retrieved 30 April 2020
  5. ↑ "Toppers lose opener at Western Illinois". Messenger-Inquirer . August 31, 2001. p. 1B. Retrieved January 30, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "Western silences, taunts McNeese". The Courier-Journal. October 21, 2001. Retrieved March 8, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ Herbst, Rob (November 4, 2001). "WKU explodes against ISU". Park City Daily News . p. 1B. Retrieved December 8, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ Pickens, Jim (November 18, 2001). "Toppers throttle Salukis". Messenger-Inquirer . p. 1B. Retrieved January 13, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Hilltoppers' season ends at Furman, 24–20". The Courier-Journal. December 2, 2001. Retrieved September 24, 2022– via Newspapers.com.


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