1993 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team

The 1993 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team represented Western Kentucky University as an independent during the 1993 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by fifth-year head Jack Harbaugh, the Hilltoppers compiled a record of 8–3. They missed the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship playoffs but finished the season ranked No. 19 in final NCAA Division I-AA poll.[1]

1993 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football
ConferenceIndependent
Ranking
Sports NetworkNo. 19
Record8–3
Head coach
CaptainBen Mooney, Eddie Thompson
Home stadiumL. T. Smith Stadium
Seasons
← 1992
1994 →
1993 NCAA Division I-AA independents football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 1 Troy State ^     11 0 1
Youngstown State ^     10 2 0
UAB     9 2 0
Wagner     9 2 0
No. 12 UCF ^     9 3 0
No. 24 Towson     8 2 0
No. 19 Western Kentucky     8 3 0
Hofstra     6 3 1
Saint Mary's     6 3 1
Davidson     6 4 0
Central Connecticut     5 5 0
Liberty     5 5 0
Marist     5 5 0
Samford     5 6 0
Duquesne     4 6 0
Saint Francis     3 7 0
Charleston Southern     3 8 0
Monmouth     2 5 0
Buffalo     1 10 0
  • ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant
Rankings from The Sports Network poll

Western Kentucky primarily ran an option offense and led NCAA Division I-AA team in rushing. The team's captains were Ben Mooney and Eddie Thompson.[2] The roster included future National Football League (NFL) player Robert Jackson.

Schedule edit

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 2at No. 10 Eastern KentuckyW 15–1017,200
September 111:10 p.m.at Kansas StateL 13–3829,356
September 18at Austin PeayW 28–276,089
September 25UABW 40–137,000[3]
October 2Jacksonville State No. 25
  • L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
W 12–78,800
October 16at Southern IllinoisNo. 21W 51–247,200[4]
October 23at Indiana StateNo. 18L 14–4110,191
October 30Western Illinois
  • L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
W 41–94,511
November 6at No. 4 Troy StateNo. 24L 24–315,100
November 13Eastern IllinoisNo. 25
  • L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
W 24–213,527
November 20Murray StateNo. 20
W 44–144,552

References edit

  1. ^ "NCAA I-AA". The Orlando Sentinel. Orlando, Florida. December 1, 1993. p. B-4. Retrieved April 29, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  2. ^ "WKU Football 2021 Media Guide" (PDF). Bowling Green, Kentucky: Western Kentucky University. p. 180. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
  3. ^ "Toppers roll to 3–1 start, coach's best". The Park City Daily News. September 26, 1993. Retrieved December 13, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Western runs over Southern Illinois". The Courier-Journal. Associated Press. October 17, 1993. p. C10. Retrieved January 19, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.