1978 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team

{{Infobox college sports team season

| year = 1978

| team = Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

| sport = football

| image =

| image_size =

| conference = Ohio Valley Conference

| short_conf = OVC

| APRank = T–4

| record = 8–2

| conf_record = 6–0

| head_coach = Jimmy Feix

| hc_year = 11th

| off_coach =

| oc_year =

| off_scheme =

| def_coach =

| dc_year =

| def_scheme =

| captain =

| stadium = Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium

| champion = OVC champion

}}

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.[http://ovcsports.com/sports/2012/6/13/GEN_0613124325.aspx OVC History, retrieved 30 April 2020] The Hilltoppers won the OVC championship, but just missed the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs.[http://ovcsports.com/documents/2017/8/22//2017_OVC_Football_Media_Guide.pdf?id=6899 2017 OVC Football Media Guide, retrieved 30 April 2020] The team finished the season tied for fourth in final national NCAA poll.{{cite news|title=Division I-AA|newspaper=Tallahassee Democrat|location=Tallahassee, Florida|date=November 21, 1978|page=4B|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11023010/poll_1978_1121_i_aa/|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=May 15, 2017}}{{Open access}}

Western Kentucky's roster included future National Football League (NFL) players Carl Brazley, Darryl Drake, Ray Farmer, Ricky Gwinn, Lamont Meacham, Eddie Preston, Phil Rich, Troy Snardon, Brad Todd, Tony Towns, and Pete Walters. Towns was selected to play in the Blue-Gray Football Classic and Coach Feix was named OVC Coach of the Year for the second time. The All-Conference Team included Brazley, John Hall, Reginald Hayden, Preston, and Towns.[https://wkusports.com/documents/2019/7/17/2019_WKU_Football_Media_Guide.pdf 2019 WKU Football Media Guide retrieved March 31, 2020.]

Schedule

{{CFB schedule

| rankyear = 1978

| rankdivision = NCAA Division I-AA

| poll = Associated Press

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 9

| w/l = l

| nonconf = y

| opponent = Chattanooga

| site_stadium = L. T. Smith Stadium

| site_cityst = Bowling Green, KY

| score = 15–42

| attend = 13,500

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/messenger-inquirer/89895637/|work=Messenger-Inquirer|title=Powerful Mocs scortch Western|date=September 10, 1978|accessdate=January 27, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 16

| w/l = w

| nonconf = y

| away = y

| opponent = Illinois State

| site_stadium = Hancock Stadium

| site_cityst = Normal, IL

| score = 28–6

| attend = 12,000

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-pantagraph-western-kentucky-beats-is/154983803/|work=The Pantagraph|title=Western Kentucky beats ISU, 28–6|date=September 17, 1978|accessdate=September 9, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 23

| w/l = w

| opponent = Austin Peay

| opprank = 10

| site_stadium = L. T. Smith Stadium

| site_cityst = Bowling Green, KY

| score = 17–13

| attend = 15,200

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-post-dispatch-western-kentucky/154983928/|work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|title=Western Kentucky tops Austin Peay|date=September 24, 1978|accessdate=September 9, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 30

| w/l = w

| away = y

| opponent = East Tennessee State

| site_stadium = Memorial Center

| site_cityst = Johnson City, TN

| score = 27–21

| attend = 5,732

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-paducah-sun-western-clips-east-tenne/154984044/|work=The Paducah Sun|title=Western clips East Tennessee|date=October 1, 1978|accessdate=September 9, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 7

| w/l = l

| nonconf = y

| rank = 10

| opponent = Akron

| opprank = 6 (D-II)

| site_stadium = L. T. Smith Stadium

| site_cityst = Bowling Green, KY

| score = 21–26

| attend = 15,600

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-akron-beacon-journal-1978-10-07-akro/11249238/|work=The Akron Beacon Journal|title=Team effort spells victory for Akron|date=October 8, 1978|accessdate=September 9, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 14

| w/l = w

| away = y

| opponent = Tennessee Tech

| site_stadium = Tucker Stadium

| site_cityst = Cookeville, TN

| score = 26–20

| attend = 16,000

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-courier-journal-heroics-by-hall-hay/154984295/|work=The Courier-Journal|title=Heroics by Hall, Hayden help Western tip Tenn. Tech 26–20|date=October 15, 1978|accessdate=September 9, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 21

| w/l = w

| opponent = Eastern Kentucky

| opprank = 7

| site_stadium = L. T. Smith Stadium

| site_cityst = Bowling Green, KY

| gamename = rivalry

| score = 17–16

| attend = 19,100

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/messenger-inquirer-toppers-win-on-late/154984415/|work=Messenger-Inquirer|title='Toppers win on late kick|date=October 22, 1978|accessdate=September 9, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 28

| w/l = w

| away = y

| rank = 8

| opponent = Morehead State

| site_stadium = Jayne Stadium

| site_cityst = Morehead, KY

| score = 35–7

| attend = 9,000

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-park-city-daily-news-halls-arm-doom/154984509/|work=The Park City Daily News|title=Hall's arm dooms Eagles|date=October 29, 1978|accessdate=September 9, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 4

| w/l = w

| rank = 7

| homecoming = y

| opponent = Middle Tennessee

| site_stadium = L. T. Smith Stadium

| site_cityst = Bowling Green, KY

| gamename = rivalry

| score = 54–0

| attend = 19,500

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-courier-journal-flip-flops-but-we/154984655/|work=The Courier-Journal|title='Flip' flops, but Western, Skaggs 'Barry' Middle|date=November 5, 1978|accessdate=September 9, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 18

| w/l = w

| away = y

| rank = 4

| opponent = Murray State

| site_stadium = Roy Stewart Stadium

| site_cityst = Murray, KY

| gamename = rivalry

| score = 14–6

| attend = 9,500

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tennessean-ovc-crown-to-western/154984757/|work=The Tennessean|title=OVC crown to Western|date=November 19, 1978|accessdate=September 9, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

References

Western Kentucky

Category:Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football seasons

Category:Ohio Valley Conference football champion seasons

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football