1997 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football
ConferenceIndependent
Ranking
Sports NetworkNo. 5
Record10–2
Head coach
Home stadiumL. T. Smith Stadium
1997 NCAA Division I-AA independents football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 18 Cal Poly   –   10 –1  
No. 5 Western Kentucky ^   –   10 –2  
No. 17 Hofstra ^   –   9 –2  
No. 25 Liberty   –   9 –2  
Samford   –   7 –4  
Morehead State   –   5 –4  
South Florida   –   5 –6  
Southern Utah   –   5 –6  
Saint Mary's   –   4 –6  
Davidson   –   3 –8  
Buffalo   –   2 –9  
La Salle   –   1 –8  
Charleston Southern   –   1 –9  
Austin Peay   –   0 –10  
  • ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant
Rankings from The Sports Network poll

The 1997 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team represented Western Kentucky University in the 1997 NCAA Division I-AA football season and were led by quarterback Willie Taggart and head coach Jack Harbaugh. The team was an independent and earned their first NCAA Division I-AA Playoff berth since 1988, making it to the quarterfinals. The Hilltoppers primarily ran an option offense and were ranked 1st in Rush Offence for NCAA Division I-AA. They finished the season ranked 5th in final I-AA postseason national poll.[1]

Western Kentucky's roster included future NFL players Rod “He Hate Me” Smart and Ben Wittman. Patrick Goodman and Andy Hape were named to All-America teams,[2] while Harbaugh was Division I-AA Independents and AFCA Region 3 Coach of the Year.[3] The I-AA Independent All-Star Team included Goodman, Bryan Heyward, Joey Stockton, Hape, Ron Kelly, and Taggart.[4]

Schedule

DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
August 28at Tennessee–MartinNo. 10
W 42–07,796
September 6No. 12 Murray StateNo. 11
W 52–50 3OT15,400
September 13at Eastern KentuckyNo. 9
W 37–2118,600
September 20Austin PeayNo. 6
  • L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
W 53–77,000
September 27South FloridaNo. 3
  • L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
W 31–311,200
October 4at UABNo. 3
L 16–2017,385[5]
October 18No. 3 (DII) New HavenNo. 7
  • L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
W 24–219,300
October 25at Southern IllinoisNo. 7
W 52–313,000[6]
November 1Morehead StatedaggerNo. 5
  • L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
W 38–249,700
November 8at Indiana StateNo. 5
W 21–142,265
November 29No. 15 Eastern KentuckyNo. 5
W 41–149,000
December 3at No. 4 Eastern WashingtonNo. 5
L 21–386,829

References

  1. ↑ "Div. I-AA Poll". Longview News-Journal. Longview, Texas. November 18, 1997. p. 2D. Retrieved April 30, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  2. ↑ WKU Football 2021 Media Guide retrieved 16 August 2021.
  3. ↑ Coach Bio: Jack Harbaugh retrieved 6 April 2020.
  4. ↑ WKU Football 2019 Media Guide retrieved 31 March 2020.
  5. ↑ "UAB tops Hilltoppers". The Paducah Sun. October 5, 1997. Retrieved December 13, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ Hardwig, Greg (October 26, 1997). "Slick Willie waxes Salukis". The Southern Illinoisan. p. 1C. Retrieved January 15, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.


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