2019 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team

The 2019 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team (WKU) represented Western Kentucky University in the 2019 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 Tyson Helton.[1]

2019 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football
First Responder Bowl champion
First Responder Bowl, W 23–20 vs. Western Michigan
Conference	Conference USA
	East Division
2019 record	9–4 (6–2 C-USA)
Head coach	Tyson Helton (1st season)
Offensive coordinator	Bryan Ellis (1st season)
Defensive coordinator	Clayton White (3rd season)
Home stadium	Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium (Capacity: 22,113)

2019 Conference USA football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
Florida Atlantic xy$		7	–	1					11	–	3
Marshall		6	–	2					8	–	5
Western Kentucky		6	–	2					9	–	4
Charlotte		5	–	3					7	–	6
Middle Tennessee		3	–	5					4	–	8
FIU		3	–	5					6	–	7
Old Dominion		0	–	8					1	–	11
West Division
UAB xy		6	–	2					9	–	5
Louisiana Tech x		6	–	2					10	–	3
Southern Miss		5	–	3					7	–	6
North Texas		3	–	5					4	–	8
UTSA		3	–	5					4	–	8
Rice		3	–	5					3	–	9
UTEP		0	–	8					1	–	11
Championship: Florida Atlantic 49, UAB 6
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant

Previous season

The Hilltoppers finished the 2018 season 3–9, 2–6 in C–USA play to finish in a tie for sixth place in the East Division.

Preseason

Award watch lists

Listed in the order that they were released

Award	Player	Position	Year
Rimington Trophy[2]	Seth Joest	C	JR
John Mackey Award[3]	Kyle Fourtenbary	TE	JR
Outland Trophy[4]	Miles Pate	T	SR
Wuerffel Trophy[5]	Tyler Witt	OL	JR

Preseason media poll

The preseason poll was released prior to the Conference USA media days on July 17–18, 2019. The Hilltoppers were predicted to finish in fifth place in the C–USA East Division.[6]

Predicted finish	Team (1st Place Votes)
1	Marshall (14)
2	FIU (9)
3	Florida Atlantic (3)
4	Middle Tennessee
5	Western Kentucky
6	Old Dominion
7	Charlotte

Preseason All–Conference USA teams

2019 Preseason All-Conference USA[7]

All-CUSA Offense[7]

Position	Player	Class
OL	Miles Pate	Sr.

All-CUSA Defense[7]

Position	Player	Class
No players were selected

All-CUSA Special Teams[7]

Position	Player	Class
No players were selected

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 29	6:30 p.m.	No. 25 (FCS) Central Arkansas*	Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY	ESPN+	L 28–35	17,120
September 7	6:00 p.m.	at FIU	Riccardo Silva Stadium Miami, FL	ESPN+	W 20–14	13,311
September 14	3:00 p.m.	vs. Louisville*	Nissan Stadium Nashville, TN	Stadium	L 21–38	22,665
September 28	6:00 p.m.	UAB	Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY	ESPN+	W 20–13	20,304
October 5	5:00 p.m.	at Old Dominion	S.B. Ballard Stadium Norfolk, VA	ESPN+	W 20–3	18,405
October 12	6:00 p.m.	Army*	Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY	Stadium	W 17–8	16,107
October 19	3:00 p.m.	Charlotte	Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY	ESPN+	W 30–14	15,816
October 26	1:30 p.m.	at Marshall	Joan C. Edwards Stadium Huntington, WV	Stadium Facebook	L 23–26	22,099
November 2	3:00 p.m.	Florida Atlantic	Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY	ESPN+	L 24–35	14,212
November 9	11:00 a.m.	at Arkansas*	Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium Fayetteville, AR	SECN	W 45–19	42,985
November 23	2:30 p.m.	at Southern Miss	M. M. Roberts Stadium Hattiesburg, MS	ESPN+	W 28–10	20,369
November 30	1:00 p.m.	Middle Tennessee	Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY (100 Miles of Hate)	ESPN+	W 31–26	7,589
December 30	11:30 a.m.	vs. Western Michigan	Gerald J. Ford Stadium Dallas, TX (First Responder Bowl)	ESPN	W 23–20	13,164
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll and College Football Playoff Rankings after November 5 released prior to game All times are in Central time

[8]

Game summaries

Central Arkansas

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	0	14	0	21	35
Hilltoppers	14	7	7	0	28

at FIU

	1	2	3	4	Total
Hilltoppers	7	7	3	3	20
Panthers	7	0	7	0	14

vs. Louisville

	1	2	3	4	Total
Hilltoppers	0	7	7	7	21
Cardinals	7	24	7	0	38

UAB

	1	2	3	4	Total
Blazers	3	7	3	0	13
Hilltoppers	3	10	0	7	20

at Old Dominion

	1	2	3	4	Total
Hilltoppers	0	10	3	7	20
Monarchs	0	3	0	0	3

Army

	1	2	3	4	Total
Black Knights	0	0	0	8	8
Hilltoppers	7	0	3	7	17

Charlotte

	1	2	3	4	Total
49ers	7	7	0	0	14
Hilltoppers	7	10	13	0	30

at Marshall

	1	2	3	4	Total
Hilltoppers	0	7	6	10	23
Thundering Herd	14	6	3	3	26

Florida Atlantic

	1	2	3	4	Total
Owls	0	21	7	7	35
Hilltoppers	14	0	7	3	24

at Arkansas

	1	2	3	4	Total
Hilltoppers	14	21	3	7	45
Razorbacks	7	0	0	12	19

at Southern Miss

	1	2	3	4	Total
Hilltoppers	7	14	0	7	28
Golden Eagles	7	0	0	3	10

Middle Tennessee

	1	2	3	4	Total
Blue Raiders	3	10	0	13	26
Hilltoppers	3	7	7	14	31

vs. Western Michigan (First Responder Bowl)

	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	3	7	7	3	20
Hilltoppers	0	10	0	13	23

References

1. WKU Football Media Guide retrieved 31 March 2020.
2. "2019 Rimington Trophy Watch List". July 19, 2019. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
3. "2019 John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List Released" (PDF). July 19, 2019. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
4. "2019 Outland Trophy Watch List Unveiled". July 23, 2019. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
5. "2019 Wuerffel Trophy Watch List". July 25, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
6. "C–USA 2019 Preseason Media Poll". ConferenceUSA.com. July 16, 2019. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
7. "FB: 2019 Coaches Preseason Awards". www.conferenceusa.com. Conference USA. July 15, 2019. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
8. "2019 WKU Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved January 11, 2019.