2004 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team

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2004 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football
WKU Hilltoppers wordmark.png
NCAA Division I-AA First Round, L 24–54 at Sam Houston State
ConferenceGateway Football Conference
Ranking
Sports NetworkNo. 11
2004 record9–3 (6–1 Gateway)
Head coach
Home stadiumL. T. Smith Stadium
Seasons
← 2003
2005 →
2004 Gateway Football Conference standings
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 Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 9 Southern Illinois $^   7 – 0     10 – 2  
No. 11 Western Kentucky ^   6 – 1     9 – 3  
No. 25 Northern Iowa   5 – 2     7 – 4  
Southwest Missouri State   3 – 4     6 – 5  
Western Illinois   2 – 5     4 – 7  
Illinois State   2 – 5     4 – 7  
Youngstown State   2 – 5     4 – 7  
Indiana State   1 – 6     4 – 7  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant
Rankings from The Sports Network poll

The 2004 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team represented Western Kentucky University in the 2004 NCAA Division I-AA football season and were led by second-year head coach David Elson. The team contended for Gateway Football Conference championship but finished 2nd.[1] They made the school's fifth straight appearance in the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs; it would end up being WKU's last playoff appearance, as they would initiate transitioning to NCAA Division I-A/FBS in 2006. The Hilltoppers finished the season ranked 11th in final I-AA postseason national poll.[2]

This team included future National Football League (NFL) players , Brian Claybourn, Dan Cline, and Greg Ryan. Claybourn and Buster Ashley were named to the AP All American team. The All-Conference team included Ashley, Claybourn, Deonté Smith, Charles Thompson, Antonio Thomas, Justin Haddix, Erik Losey, Lerron Moore, and Joe Woolridge.[3]

Schedule[]

DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 4at No. 13 (I-A) Kansas State*No. 13
L 13–2746,740
September 11Concord*No. 11
W 58–010,390
September 18at No. 20 Eastern Kentucky*No. 11
W 21–822,700
October 2Youngstown StateNo. 6
  • L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
W 44–1911,619
October 9at No. 22 Northern IowaNo. 6
W 17–1012,184
October 16at No. 1 Southern IllinoisNo. 4
L 10–3810,143[4]
October 23Indiana StatedaggerNo. 10
  • L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
W 31–97,390
October 30Illinois StateNo. 7
  • L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
W 24–217,126
November 6at Southwest MissouriNo. 5
W 28–248,942
November 13Western IllinoisNo. 5
  • L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
W 45–37,318[5]
November 20at FIU*No. 3
W 35–143,108
November 27at No. 9 Sam Houston State*No. 3
L 24–549,554
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from The Sports Network Poll released prior to the game

References[]

  1. ^ 2019 MVC Football Records, retrieved 30 April 2020
  2. ^ "Final Div. I-AA poll". The Burlington Free Press. Burlington, Vermont. December 21, 2004. p. 6B. Retrieved May 20, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.open access
  3. ^ WKU Football Media Guide retrieved 31 March 2020.
  4. ^ "No. 1 SIU rolls over No. 4 Western". Messenger-Inquirer. October 17, 2004. p. 4B. Retrieved December 29, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Grant, Michael (November 14, 2004). "Hilltoppers run, run, run over Western Illinois, 45-3". The Courier-Journal. p. C9. Retrieved January 26, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
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