American college football season
The 2018 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team (WKU) represented Western Kentucky University in the 2018 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 second-year head coach Mike Sanford Jr. They finished the season 3–9, 2–6 in C-USA play to finish in a tie for sixth place in the East Division.[1]
On November 25, head coach Mike Sanford Jr. was fired after only two seasons.[2] He finished at WKU with a record of 9–16.
Preseason
Award watch lists
Listed in the order that they were released
Conference USA released their preseason media poll on July 17, 2018, with the Hilltoppers predicted to finish in fourth place in the East Division.[5]
East Division
|
Predicted finish
|
Team
|
1 |
Florida Atlantic
|
2 |
Marshall
|
3 |
Middle Tennessee
|
4 |
FIU
|
5 |
Western Kentucky
|
6 |
Old Dominion
|
7 |
Charlotte
|
Schedule
Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
---|
| 8:00 p.m. | at No. 4 Wisconsin* | | ESPN | L 3–34 | 74,145 |
September 8 | 6:30 p.m. | No. 22 (FCS) Maine* | | ESPN+ | L 28–31 | 15,178 |
September 15 | 6:30 p.m. | at Louisville* | | ACCRSN | L 17–20 | 54,923 |
September 22 | 2:00 p.m. | at Ball State* | | ESPN3 | W 28–20 | 15,873 |
September 29 | 6:30 p.m. | Marshall | - Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium
- Bowling Green, KY
| Stadium | L 17–20 | 20,811 |
October 13 | 2:30 p.m. | at Charlotte | | ESPN+ | L 14–40 | 11,610 |
October 20 | 6:30 p.m. | Old Dominion | - Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium
- Bowling Green, KY
| ESPN+ | L 34–37 | 13,269 |
October 27 | 6:30 p.m. | FIU | - Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium
- Bowling Green, KY
| beIN | L 17–38 | 15,138 |
| 7:00 p.m. | at Middle Tennessee | | CBSSN | L 10–29 | 16,617 |
November 10 | 4:00 p.m. | at Florida Atlantic | | Stadium | L 15–34 | 14,400 |
November 17 | 6:30 p.m. | UTEP | - Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium
- Bowling Green, KY
| beIN | W 40–16 | 6,221 |
November 24 | 11:00 a.m. | at Louisiana Tech | | CBSSN | W 30–15 | 11,459 |
- *Non-conference game
- Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
- All times are in Central time
|
- Schedule Source:[6]
Game summaries
At Wisconsin
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
Hilltoppers
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
0 |
3 |
No. 4 Badgers
|
7
|
17
|
3
|
7 |
34 |
Maine
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
No. 22 (FCS) Black Bears
|
0
|
14
|
14
|
3 |
31 |
Hilltoppers
|
21
|
0
|
0
|
7 |
28 |
At Louisville
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
Hilltoppers
|
7
|
7
|
0
|
3 |
17 |
Cardinals
|
0
|
3
|
3
|
14 |
20 |
At Ball State
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
Hilltoppers
|
0
|
7
|
7
|
14 |
28 |
Cardinals
|
7
|
3
|
3
|
7 |
20 |
Marshall
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
Thundering Herd
|
7
|
3
|
0
|
10 |
20 |
Hilltoppers
|
3
|
7
|
0
|
7 |
17 |
At Charlotte
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
Hilltoppers
|
7
|
0
|
0
|
7 |
14 |
49ers
|
6
|
3
|
21
|
10 |
40 |
Old Dominion
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
Monarchs
|
14
|
3
|
2
|
18 |
37 |
Hilltoppers
|
7
|
17
|
3
|
7 |
34 |
FIU
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
Panthers
|
7
|
7
|
14
|
10 |
38 |
Hilltoppers
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
14 |
17 |
At Middle Tennessee
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
Hilltoppers
|
3
|
0
|
7
|
0 |
10 |
Blue Raiders
|
10
|
10
|
3
|
6 |
29 |
At Florida Atlantic
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
Hilltoppers
|
0
|
9
|
0
|
6 |
15 |
Owls
|
10
|
0
|
7
|
17 |
34 |
UTEP
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
Miners
|
0
|
0
|
8
|
8 |
16 |
Hilltoppers
|
27
|
13
|
0
|
0 |
40 |
At Louisiana Tech
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
Hilltoppers
|
14
|
9
|
0
|
7 |
30 |
Bulldogs
|
0
|
12
|
3
|
0 |
15 |
References
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Venues | |
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Bowls & rivalries | |
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Culture & lore | |
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People | |
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Seasons | |
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National championship seasons in bold |