1987 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team

{{Infobox college sports team season

| year = 1987

| team = Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

| sport = football

| image =

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| conference = Independent

| record = 7–4

| head_coach = Dave Roberts

| hc_year = 4th

| off_coach =

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| off_scheme =

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| captain =

| stadium = L. T. Smith Stadium

| bowl = NCAA Division I-AA First Round

| bowl_result = L 17–40 at Eastern Kentucky

}}

The 1987 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team represented Western Kentucky University as an independent during the 1987 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by fourth-year head coach Dave Roberts, the Hilltoppers compiled a 7–4. The team earned the school's first NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship playoff berth; their previous playoff appearances had been at the NCAA Division II level. Western Kentucky played their home games at L. T. Smith Stadium in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Lights were installed prior to the season, and Western Kentucky hosted their first night game on September 19, a victory over rival Murray State. The Hilltoppers finished the season ranked No. 11 in final NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll.{{cite news|title=Final Division I-AA poll|newspaper=Clarion-Ledger|location=Jackson, Mississippi|date=November 24, 1987|page=D1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11021220/poll_1987_1124_i_aa_final/|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=May 15, 2017}}{{Open access}}

Western Kentucky's roster included future National Football League (NFL) players Tony Brown, Malcolm Darden, James Edwards, Glenn Holt, David Smith, Steve Walsh, Harold Wright, Xavier Jordan, and Dean Tiebout. Edwards, Walsh, and Dewayne Penn were named to the AP All American team.{{cite web |author= |title=WKU Football 2021 Media Guide |url=https://wkusports.com/documents/2021/8/2/2021_Media_Guide.pdf |publisher=Western Kentucky University |location=Bowling Green, Kentucky |page=179 |access-date=December 20, 2021}}

Schedule

{{CFB schedule

| rankyear = 1987

| rankdivision = NCAA Division I-AA

| poll = NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 5

| w/l = l

| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1987|team=Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs|title=Gardner–Webb}}

| site_stadium = L. T. Smith Stadium

| site_cityst = Bowling Green, KY

| score = 24–28

| attend = 5,500

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-salisbury-post-gardnerwebb-takes-op/160529615/|work=The Salisbury Post|title=Gardner–Webb takes opener|date=September 6, 1987|accessdate=December 8, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 19

| w/l = w

| opponent = Murray State

| opprank = 3

| site_stadium = L. T. Smith Stadium

| site_cityst = Bowling Green, KY

| gamename = Battle for the Red Belt

| score = 21–17

| attend = 19,250

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lexington-herald-leader-western-gets-21/160529709/|work=Lexington Herald-Leader|title=Western gets 21–17 win over Murray|date=September 20, 1987|accessdate=December 8, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 26

| w/l = w

| opponent = Middle Tennessee

| opprank = 12

| site_stadium = L. T. Smith Stadium

| site_cityst = Bowling Green, KY

| score = 28–16

| attend = 16,500

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-news-journal-raiders-blow-firs/160529781/|work=The Daily News-Journal|title=Raiders blow first-half lead|date=September 27, 1987|accessdate=December 8, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 3

| w/l = l

| away = y

| opponent = Eastern Kentucky

| opprank = 12

| site_stadium = Hanger Field

| site_cityst = Richmond, KY

| gamename = Battle of the Bluegrass

| score = 10–20

| attend = 20,200

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-leaf-chronicle-eastern-downs-western/143971027/|work=The Leaf-Chronicle|title=Eastern downs Western|date=October 4, 1987|accessdate=March 23, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 10

| w/l = w

| away = y

| opponent = Chattanooga

| opprank = 12

| site_stadium = Chamberlain Field

| site_cityst = Chattanooga, TN

| score = 20–17

| attend = 8,377

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-courier-journal-westerns-big-second/160464300/|work=The Courier-Journal|title=Western's big second half topples UT–Chattanooga|date=October 11, 1987|accessdate=December 8, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 17

| w/l = w

| rank = 14

| homecoming = y

| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1987|team=Livingston Tigers|title=Livingston}}

| site_stadium = L. T. Smith Stadium

| site_cityst = Bowling Green, KY

| score = 21–14

| attend = 14,000

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-montgomery-advertiser-14th-ranked-we/160529853/|work=The Montgomery Advertiser|title=14th-ranked Western Kentucky whips Tigers|date=October 18, 1987|accessdate=December 8, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 24

| w/l = w

| away = y

| rank = 11

| opponent = Austin Peay

| site_stadium = Municipal Stadium

| site_cityst = Clarksville, TN

| score = 27–0

| attend = 5,833

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-courier-journal-western-kentucky-no/160529938/|work=The Courier-Journal|title=Western Kentucky, no longer a doormat, clobbers Austin Peay 27–0|date=October 25, 1987|accessdate=December 8, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 31

| w/l = l

| away = y

| rank = 8

| opponent = Georgia Southern

| opprank = 14

| site_stadium = Paulson Stadium

| site_cityst = Statesboro, GA

| score = 20–23

| attend = 13,066

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-park-city-daily-news-western-falls-2/160530020/|work=The Park City Daily News|title=Western falls 23–20|date=November 1, 1987|accessdate=December 8, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 14

| w/l = w

| rank = 14

| opponent = Eastern Illinois

| site_stadium = L. T. Smith Stadium

| site_cityst = Bowling Green, KY

| score = 30–15

| attend = 8,000

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/messenger-inquirer-wku-warms-up-to-winni/160530112/|work=Messenger-Inquirer|title=WKU warms up to winning season|date=November 15, 1987|accessdate=December 8, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 21

| w/l = w

| away = y

| rank = 12

| opponent = North Carolina A&T

| site_stadium = Aggie Stadium

| site_cityst = Greensboro, NC

| score = 45–27

| attend = 2,500

| source = {{cite news|last1=Green|first1=Tony|title=W. Kentucky tops Aggies in Hooker's finale|work=Greensboro News & Record|date=22 November 1987|access-date=31 May 2024|pages=C3|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/news-and-record-w-kentucky-tops-aggies/148472840/|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 28

| w/l = l

| away = y

| rank = 11

| opponent = Eastern Kentucky

| opprank = 7

| site_stadium = Hanger Field

| site_cityst = Richmond, KY

| gamename = NCAA Division I-AA First Round

| score = 17–40

| attend = 4,050

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-paducah-sun-eastern-thrashes-western/143973426/|work=The Paducah Sun|title=Eastern thrashes Western, 40–17|date=November 29, 1987|accessdate=March 23, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

References

Western Kentucky

Category:Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football seasons

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football