2001 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team

American college football season August 2023 February 2026 2001 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football WKU Hilltoppers wordmark.png 175 Gateway Football Conference Gateway 12 8–4 5–2 Jack Harbaugh 13th Willie Taggart 1st Keven Lightner 1st Multiple David Elson 1st 3–4 L. T. Smith Stadium NCAA Division I-AA First Round L 20–24 at Furman The 2001 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team represented Western Kentucky University in the 2001 NCAA Division I-AA football season and were coached by Jack Harbaugh. This was the school's first season as a member of the Gateway Football Conference, having won the Ohio Valley Conference championship the previous year. The Hilltoppers were the preseason favorites to win the conference but finished tied for 2nd.WKU tops Gateway, By the Daily News Online, Jul 26, 2001, retrieved 5 April 2020. They qualified for the NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs where they were defeated by eventual runner-up, Furman.WKU Football Media Guide retrieved 31 March 2020. The team was originally scheduled to play Wisconsin on September 14, however, due to the September 11 attacks, all college football games were suspended the following weekend, and the game was played on the 29th.Western hoping to make up game, By Deborah Highland and Mitchell Plumlee, The Daily News, Sept 14, 2001, retrieved 5 April 2020. This team included future NFL players Joseph Jefferson, Mel Mitchell, Sherrod Coates, and Brian Claybourn. Mitchell, Eric Dandy, and Chris Price were named to the AP All American team and Jefferson was selected to play in the Blue-Gray Football Classic. The All-Conference team included Coates, Dandy, Jefferson, Mitchell, Price, Patrick Reynolds, Buster Ashley, Claybourn, Peter Martinez, Kyle Moffatt, and Daniel Withrow.2019 MVC Football Records, retrieved 30 April 2020 Schedule 2001 NCAA Division I-AA The Sports Network August 30 l y 3 Western Illinois 13 Hanson Field Macomb, IL 13–17 11,832 Toppers lose opener at Western Illinois https://www.newspapers.com/clip/93808914/messenger-inquirer/ January 30, 2022 Messenger-Inquirer August 31, 2001 1B Newspapers.com September 8 w y 10 2001 Kentucky State Thorobreds Kentucky State L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY 48–0 11,000 September 22 w 8 Southwest Missouri L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY 23–7 9,500 September 29 l y y 7 Wisconsin Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI 6–24 75,662 October 6 w y 11 2001 Elon Phoenix Elon L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY 24–7 7,700 October 13 w y 11 2001 Indiana State Sycamores Indiana State Memorial Stadium Terre Haute, IN 22–9 3,545 October 20 w y y 10 McNeese State 11 L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY 21–0 14,000 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120460251/western-silences-taunts-mcneese/ The Courier-Journal Western silences, taunts McNeese October 21, 2001 March 8, 2023 Newspapers.com October 27 w y 10 2001 Youngstown State Penguins Youngstown State 5 Stambaugh Stadium Youngstown, OH 24–14 16,591 November 3 w y 7 Illinois State Hancock Stadium Normal, IL 58–14 6,493 Herbst Rob WKU explodes against ISU https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114333257/the-park-city-daily-news/ December 8, 2022 Park City Daily News November 4, 2001 1B Newspapers.com November 10 l 6 Northern Iowa 15 L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY 23–24 10,300 November 17 w 12 Southern Illinois L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY 36–6 5,800 Pickens Jim Toppers throttle Salukis https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92546732/messenger-inquirer/ January 13, 2022 Messenger-Inquirer November 18, 2001 1B Newspapers.com December 1 l y y 11 Furman 4 Paladin Stadium Greenville, SC NCAA Division I-AA First Round 20–24 6,143 Hilltoppers' season ends at Furman, 24–20 The Courier-Journal December 2, 2001 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110106442/hilltoppers-season-ends-at-furman-242/ September 24, 2022 Newspapers.com References Western Kentucky Category:Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football seasons Category:Missouri Valley Football Conference champion seasons Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football Western Kentucky