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2004 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team

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2004 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football
Division I-AA Playoffs, Lost First Round
ConferenceGateway Football Conference
Ranking
FCS CoachesNo. 11
Record9–3 (6–1 Gateway)
Head coach
Assistant coachWillie Taggart
Home stadiumHouchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium
Seasons
← 2003
2005 →
2004 Gateway Football Conference standings
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 NFL players Curtis Hamilton, 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

DateOpponentRankSiteResult
September 4at No. 13 (D-1A) Kansas State*No. 13L 13–27
September 11Concord (WV)*No. 11W 58–0
September 18at No. 20 Eastern Kentucky*No. 11W 21–8
October 2Youngstown StateNo. 6
  • L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
W 44–19
October 9at No. 22 Northern IowaNo. 6W 17–10
October 16at No. 1 Southern IllinoisNo. 4L 10–38
October 23Indiana StatedaggerNo. 10
  • L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
W 31–9
October 30Illinois StateNo. 7
  • L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
W 24–21
November 6at Southwest MissouriNo. 5W 28–24
November 13Western IllinoisNo. 5
  • L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
W 45–3
November 20at FIU*No. 3W 35–14
November 27at No. 9 Sam Houston State*No. 3
L 24–54
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from Coaches' 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 icon
  3. ^ WKU Football Media Guide retrieved 31 March 2020.