2017 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team

2017 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football
Cure Bowl, L 17–27 vs. Georgia State
ConferenceConference USA
DivisionEast Division
Record6–7 (4–4 C-USA)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorJunior Adams (1st season)
Offensive schemeMultiple
Defensive coordinatorClayton White (1st season)
Base defense4–2–5
Home stadiumHouchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium
Seasons
← 2016
2018 →
2017 Conference USA football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Division
Florida Atlantic x$   8 – 0     11 – 3  
FIU   5 – 3     8 – 5  
Marshall   4 – 4     8 – 5  
Western Kentucky   4 – 4     6 – 7  
Middle Tennessee   4 – 4     7 – 6  
Old Dominion   3 – 5     5 – 7  
Charlotte   1 – 7     1 – 11  
West Division
North Texas x   7 – 1     9 – 5  
UAB   6 – 2     8 – 5  
Southern Miss   6 – 2     8 – 5  
Louisiana Tech   4 – 4     7 – 6  
UTSA   3 – 5     6 – 5  
Rice   1 – 7     1 – 11  
UTEP   0 – 8     0 – 12  
Championship: Florida Atlantic 41, North Texas 17
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2017 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team (WKU) represented Western Kentucky University in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Hilltoppers played their home games at the Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium in Bowling Green, Kentucky as members of the East Division of Conference USA (C–USA). They were led by first-year head coach Mike Sanford Jr. The Hilltoppers finished the season 6–7, 4–4 in C-USA play to finish in a tie for third place in the East Division. They received an invite to the Cure Bowl where they lost to Georgia State.[1]

Preseason

[edit]

On December 5, head coach Jeff Brohm resigned to become the head coach at Purdue.[2] He finished at WKU with a record of 30–10, two bowl wins, and two C-USA titles. Defensive coordinator Nick Holt led WKU in the Boca Raton Bowl.[3] On December 14, the school hired Mike Sanford Jr. as head coach.[4]

In a preseason media vote, the Hilltoppers were picked to win the East Division again, receiving 20 of 28 first place votes.[5]

Schedule

[edit]

Western Kentucky announced its 2017 football schedule on January 26, 2017. The 2017 schedule consists of 6 home and away games in the regular season. The Hilltoppers will host CUSA foes Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, Louisiana Tech, and Middle Tennessee, and will travel to FIU, Marshall, Old Dominion, and UTEP.[6]

The Hilltoppers will host two of the four non-conference opponents, Ball State from the Mid-American Conference and Eastern Kentucky from the Ohio Valley Conference and travel to Illinois of the Big Ten Conference and Vanderbilt from the Southeastern Conference.

DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
September 26:00 p.m.Eastern Kentucky*
FloSportsW 31–1718,614
September 97:00 p.m.at Illinois*
BTNL 7–2041,923
September 166:00 p.m.Louisiana Tech
  • Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
StadiumL 22–2316,223
September 236:00 p.m.Ball State*
  • Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
StadiumW 33–2117,590
October 77:00 p.m.at UTEP
CUSA.TVW 15–1420,418
October 143:30 p.m.Charlottedagger
  • Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
FloSportsW 45–1416,754
October 205:00 p.m.at Old Dominion
CBSSNW 35–3120,118
October 283:30 p.m.Florida Atlantic
  • Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
StadiumL 28–4212,441
November 411:00 a.m.at Vanderbilt*
ESPNUL 17–3126,350
November 115:30 p.m.at Marshall
StadiumL 23–3019,516
November 177:00 p.m.Middle Tennessee
CBSSNW 41–38 3OT12,612
November 246:00 p.m.at FIU
beINL 17–4116,199
December 162:30 p.m.vs. Georgia State*
CBSSNL 17–2719,585
Schedule Source:[7]

Game summaries

[edit]

Eastern Kentucky

[edit]
1 2 3 4 Total
Colonels 0 0 14 3 17
Hilltoppers 0 17 7 7 31
See also: 2017 Eastern Kentucky Colonels football team and Battle of the Bluegrass

At Illinois

[edit]
1 2 3 4 Total
Hilltoppers 0 0 0 7 7
Fighting Illini 3 10 7 0 20
See also: 2017 Illinois Fighting Illini football team

Louisiana Tech

[edit]
1 2 3 4 Total
Bulldogs 3 10 0 10 23
Hilltoppers 8 7 7 0 22
See also: 2017 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football team

Ball State

[edit]
1 2 3 4 Total
Cardinals 7 0 7 7 21
Hilltoppers 7 10 0 16 33
See also: 2017 Ball State Cardinals football team

At UTEP

[edit]
1 2 3 4 Total
Hilltoppers 0 8 7 0 15
Miners 0 14 0 0 14
See also: 2017 UTEP Miners football team

Charlotte

[edit]
1 2 3 4 Total
49ers 7 7 0 0 14
Hilltoppers 14 24 0 7 45
See also: 2017 Charlotte 49ers football team

At Old Dominion

[edit]
1 2 3 4 Total
Hilltoppers 7 14 0 14 35
Monarchs 7 7 17 0 31
See also: 2017 Old Dominion Monarchs football team

Florida Atlantic

[edit]
1 2 3 4 Total
Owls 10 10 0 22 42
Hilltoppers 7 14 7 0 28
See also: 2017 Florida Atlantic Owls football team

At Vanderbilt

[edit]
1 2 3 4 Total
Hilltoppers 7 7 3 0 17
Commodores 14 7 7 3 31
See also: 2017 Vanderbilt Commodores football team

At Marshall

[edit]
1 2 3 4 Total
Hilltoppers 7 0 3 13 23
Thundering Herd 0 13 17 0 30
See also: 2017 Marshall Thundering Herd football team

Middle Tennessee

[edit]
1 2 3 4OT2OT3OT Total
Blue Raiders 0 3 0 21770 38
Hilltoppers 7 0 3 14773 41
See also: 2017 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team and 100 Miles of Hate

At FIU

[edit]
1 2 3 4 Total
Hilltoppers 3 7 7 0 17
Panthers 3 10 21 7 41
See also: 2017 FIU Panthers football team

vs Georgia State–Cure Bowl

[edit]
1 2 3 4 Total
Hilltoppers 7 3 0 7 17
Panthers 10 3 7 7 27
See also: 2017 Georgia State Panthers football team and 2017 Cure Bowl

Coaching staff

[edit]
Name Title
Mike Sanford Jr. Head Coach
Clayton White Defensive Coordinator
Junior Adams Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers
Steve Spurrier Jr. Quarterbacks
Mike Sanford Sr. Special Teams Coordinator/Running Backs
Geoff Dartt Offensive Line
Jimmy Lindsey Defensive Line
Jami DeBerry Safeties/Recruiting Coordinator
Ryan Mahaffey Tight Ends
Maurice Crum Jr. Linebackers

Source[8]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ WKU Football Media Guide retrieved 31 March 2020.
  2. ^ "Jeff Brohm to leave WKU for Purdue opening". USA TODAY. Retrieved September 8, 2017.
  3. ^ "With Sanford waiting, WKU focusing on bowl". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved September 8, 2017.
  4. ^ Stephens, Brad. "WKU hires Mike Sanford as head football coach". Bowling Green Daily News. Retrieved September 8, 2017.
  5. ^ "C-USA repeat? WKU, La Tech preseason picks for title rematch". USA TODAY. Retrieved September 8, 2017.
  6. ^ "Hilltopper Football Announces 2017 Schedule" (Press release). Western Kentucky University Department of Athletics. January 26, 2017. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
  7. ^ "2017 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Football Schedule". FB Schedules. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
  8. ^ "Western Kentucky University Athletics". www.wkusports.com. Retrieved September 8, 2017.
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