2018 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team

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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.

Previous season[edit]

The Hilltoppers finished the 2017 season 6–7, 4–4 in C-USA play to finish in a tie for third place in the East Division. They received an invite to the Cure Bowl where they lost to Georgia State.

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Preseason[edit]

Award watch lists[edit]

Listed in the order that they were released

Preseason media poll[edit]

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]

Predicted finish	Team
East Division
1	Florida Atlantic
2	Marshall
3	Middle Tennessee
4	FIU
5	Western Kentucky
6	Old Dominion
7	Charlotte

Schedule[edit]

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[edit]

At Wisconsin[edit]

	1	2	3	4	Total
Hilltoppers	0	0	3	0	3
No. 4 Badgers	7	17	3	7	34

Maine[edit]

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 22 (FCS) Black Bears	0	14	14	3	31
Hilltoppers	21	0	0	7	28

At Louisville[edit]

	1	2	3	4	Total
Hilltoppers	7	7	0	3	17
Cardinals	0	3	3	14	20

At Ball State[edit]

	1	2	3	4	Total
Hilltoppers	0	7	7	14	28
Cardinals	7	3	3	7	20

Marshall[edit]

	1	2	3	4	Total
Thundering Herd	7	3	0	10	20
Hilltoppers	3	7	0	7	17

At Charlotte[edit]

	1	2	3	4	Total
Hilltoppers	7	0	0	7	14
49ers	6	3	21	10	40

Old Dominion[edit]

	1	2	3	4	Total
Monarchs	14	3	2	18	37
Hilltoppers	7	17	3	7	34

FIU[edit]

	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	7	7	14	10	38
Hilltoppers	0	3	0	14	17

At Middle Tennessee[edit]

	1	2	3	4	Total
Hilltoppers	3	0	7	0	10
Blue Raiders	10	10	3	6	29

At Florida Atlantic[edit]

	1	2	3	4	Total
Hilltoppers	0	9	0	6	15
Owls	10	0	7	17	34

UTEP[edit]

	1	2	3	4	Total
Miners	0	0	8	8	16
Hilltoppers	27	13	0	0	40

At Louisiana Tech[edit]

	1	2	3	4	Total
Hilltoppers	14	9	0	7	30
Bulldogs	0	12	3	0	15