2002 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football | |
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NCAA Division I-AA champion Gateway co-champion | |
NCAA Division I-AA Championship Game, W 34–14 vs. McNeese State | |
Conference | Gateway Football Conference |
Ranking | |
Sports Network | No. 1 |
Record | 12–3 (7–1 Gateway) |
Head coach |
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Co-offensive coordinator | Willie Taggart (2nd season) |
Co-offensive coordinator | Keven Lightner (2nd season) |
Offensive scheme | Multiple |
Defensive coordinator | David Elson (2nd season) |
Base defense | 3–4 |
Home stadium | L. T. Smith Stadium |
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 1 Western Kentucky +^ | 6 | – | 1 | 12 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 5 Western Illinois +^ | 6 | – | 1 | 11 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Youngstown State | 4 | – | 3 | 7 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Illinois State | 4 | – | 3 | 6 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Indiana State | 3 | – | 4 | 5 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Northern Iowa | 2 | – | 5 | 5 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Southern Illinois | 2 | – | 5 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Southwest Missouri State | 1 | – | 6 | 4 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2002 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team represented Western Kentucky University in the 2002 NCAA Division I-AA football season and were led by head coach Jack Harbaugh in his 14th and final season as head coach. They claimed a share of the Gateway Football Conference championship and made the school's third straight appearance in the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs.[1] After a rocky start, the team rallied to win their last 10 games including the 2002 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game, beating McNeese State, 34–14, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Hilltoppers finished the season ranked number 1 in both final 1AA postseason national polls.[2]
This team won the school's first NCAA team championship and tied the program record for victories in a season set by the 1973 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team. Their roster included future National Football League (NFL) players Sherrod Coates, Jeremi Johnson, and Brian Claybourn, and future NFL coach Jason Michael. Coates, Chris Price, and Buster Ashley were named to the AP All American team and Harbuagh was named AFCA Coach of the Year Award. The All Conference team included Ashley, Coates, Price, Jeremy Chandler, Erik Dandy, Jon Frazier, and Daniel Withrow.[3]
Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
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August 31 | 6:10 pm | at Kansas State* | No. 18 | L 3–48 | 45,844 | ||
September 7 | 5:30 pm | Kentucky State* | No. 22 | W 49–0 | 9,500 | ||
September 14 | 1:30 pm | Western Illinois | No. 21 |
| L 0–14 | 6,000 | [4] |
September 21 | 5:30 pm | No. 11 Youngstown State |
| W 13–7 | 10,100 | ||
September 28 | 7:00 pm | at No. 2 McNeese State* | No. 25 | L 13–38 | 16,840 | ||
October 5 | 4:05 pm | at No. 6 Northern Iowa | W 31–12 | 14,684 | |||
October 12 | 5:30 pm | FIU* |
| W 56–7 | 6,000 | ||
October 19 | 1:30 pm | at Southwest Missouri State | No. 24 | W 31–7 | 13,002 | ||
October 26 | 4:30 pm | Indiana State![]() | No. 22 |
| W 24–7 | 11,200 | |
November 2 | 4:30 pm | Illinois State | No. 19 |
| W 9–0 | 5,600 | [5] |
November 16 | 1:30 pm | at Southern Illinois | No. 15 | W 48–16 | 3,203 | [6] | |
November 30 | 1:00 pm | No. 23 Murray State* | No. 15 |
| W 59–20 | 3,300 | |
December 7 | 1:00 pm | at No. 3 Western Illinois* | No. 15 |
| W 31–28 | 3,300 | [7] |
December 14 | 1:05 pm | at No. 2 Georgia Southern* | No. 15 |
| W 31–28 | 6,573 | |
December 20 | 5:30 pm | vs. No. 1 McNeese State* | No. 15 | W 34–14 | 12,360 | ||
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Further information: 2002 NCAA Division I-AA football rankings |
Week | |||||||||||||||
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Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Final |
The Sports Network | 18 | 22 | 21 | RV | 25 | RV | RV | RV | 24 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 1 (41) |
See also: 2002 Kansas State Wildcats football team |
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 18 Hilltoppers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
Wildcats | 3 | 31 | 7 | 7 | 48 |
Game information |
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First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
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Statistics | WKU | KSU |
---|---|---|
First downs | 12 | 23 |
Total yards | 183 | 412 |
Rushing yards | 110 | 240 |
Passing yards | 73 | 172 |
Turnovers | 2 | 0 |
Time of possession | 31:55 | 27:14 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Western Kentucky | Passing | Jason Michael | 7/11, 73 yards, INT |
Rushing | Maurice Bradley | 19 rushes, 64 yards | |
Receiving | Casey Rooney | 2 receptions, 28 yards | |
Kansas State | Passing | Ell Roberson | 4/8, 108 yards |
Rushing | Darren Sproles | 19 rushes, 135 yards, TD | |
Receiving | Derrick Evans | 3 receptions, 74 yards |
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Thorobreds | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
No. 22 Hilltoppers | 14 | 17 | 9 | 9 | 49 |
at L. T. Smith Stadium, Bowling Green, Kentucky
Statistics | KSU | WKU |
---|---|---|
First downs | ||
Total yards | ||
Rushing yards | ||
Passing yards | ||
Turnovers | ||
Time of possession |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Kentucky State | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving | |||
Western Kentucky | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving |
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Leathernecks | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
No. 21 Hilltoppers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at L. T. Smith Stadium, Bowling Green, Kentucky
Statistics | WIU | WKU |
---|---|---|
First downs | ||
Total yards | ||
Rushing yards | ||
Passing yards | ||
Turnovers | ||
Time of possession |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Western Illinois | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving | |||
Western Kentucky | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving |
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 11 Penguins | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
Hilltoppers | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
at L. T. Smith Stadium, Bowling Green, Kentucky
Statistics | YSU | WKU |
---|---|---|
First downs | ||
Total yards | ||
Rushing yards | ||
Passing yards | ||
Turnovers | ||
Time of possession |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Youngstown State | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving | |||
Western Kentucky | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving |
See also: 2002 McNeese State Cowboys football team |
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 25 Hilltoppers | 0 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
No. 2 Cowboys | 14 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 38 |
at Cowboy Stadium, Lake Charles, Louisiana
Statistics | WKU | MCN |
---|---|---|
First downs | ||
Total yards | ||
Rushing yards | ||
Passing yards | ||
Turnovers | ||
Time of possession |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Western Kentucky | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving | |||
McNeese State | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving |
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hilltoppers | 0 | 7 | 10 | 14 | 31 |
No. 6 Panthers | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 12 |
at UNI-Dome, Cedar Falls, Iowa
Statistics | WKU | UNI |
---|---|---|
First downs | ||
Total yards | ||
Rushing yards | ||
Passing yards | ||
Turnovers | ||
Time of possession |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Western Kentucky | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving | |||
Northern Iowa | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving |
See also: 2002 FIU Golden Panthers football team |
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Panthers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
Hilltoppers | 21 | 21 | 0 | 14 | 56 |
at L. T. Smith Stadium, Bowling Green, Kentucky
Statistics | FIU | WKU |
---|---|---|
First downs | ||
Total yards | ||
Rushing yards | ||
Passing yards | ||
Turnovers | ||
Time of possession |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
FIU | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving | |||
Western Kentucky | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving |
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 24 Hilltoppers | 7 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 31 |
Bears | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
at Plaster Sports Complex, Springfield, Missouri
Statistics | WKU | SMS |
---|---|---|
First downs | ||
Total yards | ||
Rushing yards | ||
Passing yards | ||
Turnovers | ||
Time of possession |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Western Kentucky | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving | |||
Southwest Missouri State | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving |
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sycamores | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
No. 22 Hilltoppers | 10 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
at L. T. Smith Stadium, Bowling Green, Kentucky
Statistics | INS | WKU |
---|---|---|
First downs | ||
Total yards | ||
Rushing yards | ||
Passing yards | ||
Turnovers | ||
Time of possession |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Indiana State | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving | |||
Western Kentucky | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving |
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Redbirds | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
No. 19 Hilltoppers | 0 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
at L. T. Smith Stadium, Bowling Green, Kentucky
Statistics | ILS | WKU |
---|---|---|
First downs | ||
Total yards | ||
Rushing yards | ||
Passing yards | ||
Turnovers | ||
Time of possession |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Illinois State | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving | |||
Western Kentucky | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving |
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 15 Hilltoppers | 7 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 48 |
Salukis | 3 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 16 |
at Saluki Stadium, Carbondale, Illinois
Statistics | WKU | SIU |
---|---|---|
First downs | ||
Total yards | ||
Rushing yards | ||
Passing yards | ||
Turnovers | ||
Time of possession |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Western Kentucky | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving | |||
Southern Illinois | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving |
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 23 Racers | 0 | 14 | 0 | 6 | 20 |
No. 15 Hilltoppers | 24 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 59 |
at L. T. Smith Stadium, Bowling Green, Kentucky
Statistics | MUR | WKU |
---|---|---|
First downs | ||
Total yards | ||
Rushing yards | ||
Passing yards | ||
Turnovers | ||
Time of possession |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Murray State | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving | |||
Western Kentucky | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving |
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 15 Hilltoppers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 17 | 31 |
No. 3 Leathernecks | 0 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
at Hanson Field, Macomb, Illinois
Statistics | WKU | WIU |
---|---|---|
First downs | ||
Total yards | ||
Rushing yards | ||
Passing yards | ||
Turnovers | ||
Time of possession |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Western Kentucky | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving | |||
Western Illinois | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving |
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 15 Hilltoppers | 7 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
No. 2 Eagles | 7 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 28 |
at Paulson Stadium, Statesboro, Georgia
Statistics | WKU | GSO |
---|---|---|
First downs | ||
Total yards | ||
Rushing yards | ||
Passing yards | ||
Turnovers | ||
Time of possession |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Western Kentucky | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving | |||
Georgia Southern | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving |
Main article: 2002 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game |
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 15 Hilltoppers | 7 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 34 |
No. 1 Cowboys | 0 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 14 |
at Finley Stadium, Chattanooga, Tennessee
Game information |
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First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
|
Statistics | WKU | MCN |
---|---|---|
First downs | 13 | 26 |
Total yards | 380 | 405 |
Rushing yards | 195 | 137 |
Passing yards | 185 | 268 |
Turnovers | 1 | 3 |
Time of possession | 30:18 | 29:42 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Western Kentucky | Passing | Jason Michael | 6/10, 185 yards, TD |
Rushing | Jon Frazier | 27 rushes, 159 yards, 2 TD | |
Receiving | Jeremi Johnson | 3 receptions, 90 yards, TD | |
McNeese State | Passing | Scott Pendarvis | 21/38, 244 yards, TD, INT |
Rushing | Marcus Trahan | 12 rushes, 82 yards | |
Receiving | B. J. Sams | 7 receptions, 69 yards |