1988 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team

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1988 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football
ConferenceIndependent
Record9–4
Head coach
Home stadiumL. T. Smith Stadium
Seasons
← 1987
1989 →
1988 NCAA Division I-AA independents football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   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     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[edit]

DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 10at Morehead StateNo. 17W 34–06,500
September 17at No. 15 Middle TennesseeNo. 17L 10–1310,500
September 24No. 8 Eastern KentuckyW 16–1418,000[3]
October 1Austin PeayNo. 14
  • L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
W 28–37,500
October 8Illinois StateNo. 10
  • L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
W 31–1610,200
October 15at Southwest Missouri StateNo. 8W 21–148,059
October 22at Tennessee TechNo. 5W 20–179,242
October 29ChattanoogadaggerNo. 5
  • L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
W 31–2918,200
November 5at Eastern IllinoisNo. 5L 0–610,021
November 12at LouisvilleNo. 11L 17–3531,636
November 19North Carolina A&TNo. 16
  • L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
W 44–02,500
November 26at No. 3 Western IllinoisNo. 13W 35–326,000[4]
December 3at No. 7 Eastern KentuckyNo. 13
L 24–418,100[5]

References[edit]

  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 icon
  3. ^ "Maher gets his kicks as Western Kentucky trips Eastern 16–14". The Courier-Journal. September 25, 1988. Retrieved March 23, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ "Harris' 4 touchdowns boost Eastern past Western, into I-AA semifinal". The Courier-Journal. December 4, 1988. Retrieved March 23, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.