2012 WKU Hilltoppers football team

2012 WKU Hilltoppers football
Conference Sun Belt Conference
2012 record 7–6 (4–4 Sun Belt)
Head coach Willie Taggart (regular Season)
Lance Guidry (bowl Game)
Defensive coordinator Lance Guidry
Home stadium Houchens Industries – L. T. Smith Stadium
(Capacity: 22,113)
2012 Sun Belt football standings
Conf     Overall
Team   W   L         W   L  
Arkansas State †   7 – 1         10 – 3  
Louisiana–Lafayette   6 – 2         9 – 4  
Louisiana–Monroe   6 – 2         8 – 5  
Middle Tennessee   6 – 2         8 – 4  
WKU   4 – 4         7 – 6  
Troy   3 – 5         5 – 7  
North Texas   3 – 5         4 – 8  
Florida Atlantic   2 – 6         3 – 9  
FIU   2 – 6         3 – 9  
South Alabama*   1 – 7         2 – 11  
† – Conference champion
  • South Alabama not eligible for conference title or bowl game as part of their transition to the FBS.
    Rankings from AP Poll

The 2012 WKU Hilltoppers football team represented Western Kentucky University in the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by third year head coach Willie Taggart and played their home games at Houchens Industries – L. T. Smith Stadium. They were a member of the Sun Belt Conference. They finished the season 7–6, 4–4 in Sun Belt play to finish in fifth place. They were invited to the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, their first bowl appearance since joining FBS in 2007, where they were defeated by Central Michigan.

After a three year record of 16–20, head coach Willie Taggart resigned in December to become the head coach at South Florida. Defensive coordinator Lance Guidry coached the Hilltoppers in Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. Bobby Petrino was hired as the school's new head coach on December 10th, 2012.

Schedule

Date Time Opponent Site TV Result Attendance
September 1 6:00 PM Austin Peay* Houchens Industries – L. T. Smith Stadium • Bowling Green, KY ESPN3 W 49–10   16,327
September 8 3:30 PM at #1 Alabama* Bryant–Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, AL SECN L 0–35   101,821
September 15 6:00 PM at Kentucky* Commonwealth Stadium • Lexington, KY ESPNU W 32–31 OT  53,980
September 22 6:00 PM Southern Miss* Houchens Industries – L. T. Smith Stadium • Bowling Green, KY ESPN3 W 42–17   23,252
September 29 6:00 PM at Arkansas State Liberty Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR ESPN3 W 26–13   25,160
October 11 6:30 PM at Troy Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL ESPNU W 31–26   16,426
October 20 3:00 PM Louisiana–Monroe† Houchens Industries – L. T. Smith Stadium • Bowling Green, KY ESPN3 L 42–43 OT  22,323
October 27 6:00 PM at FIU FIU Stadium • Miami, FL ESPN3 W 14–6   12,842
November 1 8:15 PM Middle Tennessee Houchens Industries – L. T. Smith Stadium • Bowling Green, KY (100 Miles of Hate) ESPNU L 29–34   17,327
November 10 12:00 PM Florida Atlantic Houchens Industries – L. T. Smith Stadium • Bowling Green, KY SBN/CSS L 28–37   14,185
November 17 6:00 PM at Louisiana–Lafayette Cajun Field • Lafayette, LA ESPN3 L 27–31   20,314
November 24 12:00 PM North Texas Houchens Industries – L. T. Smith Stadium • Bowling Green, KY SBN/CSS W 25–24   11,074
December 26 6:30 PM vs. Central Michigan* Ford Field • Detroit, MI (Little Caesars Pizza Bowl) ESPN L 21–24   23,310
*Non-conference game. daggerHomecoming. #Rankings from Coaches Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time.

Game notes

Austin Peay

1 2 3 4 Total
Governors 9 9 7 3 28
Hilltoppers 14 21 7 7 49
Overall record Last meeting Result
34–6–1 2006 WKU, 24–14


@ Alabama

1 2 3 4 Total
Hilltoppers 0 0 0 0 0
#1 Crimson Tide 14 7 7 7 35
Overall record Last meeting Result
0–1 2008 ALB, 41–7


@ Kentucky

1 2 3 4OT Total
Hilltoppers 3 14 7 08 32
Wildcats 0 10 7 77 31
Overall record Last meeting Result
0–3 2011 UK, 14–3

The win over the Wildcats of the SEC marks the Hilltoppers first ever win over a team from a Bowl Championship Series conference..

Southern Miss

1 2 3 4 Total
Golden Eagles 0 3 7 7 17
Hilltoppers 14 7 21 0 42
Overall record Last meeting Result
First meeting


@ Arkansas State

1 2 3 4 Total
Hilltoppers 0 0 14 12 26
Red Wolves 3 10 0 0 13
Overall record Last meeting Result
2–3–1 2011 ARST, 26–22


@ Troy

1 2 3 4 Total
Hilltoppers 7 7 14 3 31
Trojans 10 7 9 0 26
Overall record Last meeting Result
1–8–1 2011 WKU, 41–18


Louisiana–Monroe

1 2 3 4OT Total
Warhawks 0 21 0 148 43
Hilltoppers 7 21 0 77 42
Overall record Last meeting Result
4–3 2011 WKU, 31–28


@ FIU

1 2 3 4 Total
Hilltoppers 7 0 0 7 14
Panthers 3 0 0 3 6
Overall record Last meeting Result
3–4 2011 WKU, 10–9


Middle Tennessee

1 2 3 4 Total
Blue Raiders 10 7 7 10 34
Hilltoppers 7 10 7 5 29
See also: 2012 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team and Middle Tennessee–WKU football rivalry
Overall record Last meeting Result
29–31–1 2011 WKU, 36–33


Florida Atlantic

1 2 3 4 Total
Owls 0 14 7 16 37
Hilltoppers 7 7 0 14 28
Overall record Last meeting Result
1–3 2011 WKU, 20–0


@ Louisiana–Lafayette

1 2 3 4 Total
Hilltoppers 0 10 3 14 27
Ragin' Cajuns 0 10 7 14 31
Overall record Last meeting Result
2–3 2011 WKU, 42–23


North Texas

1 2 3 4 Total
Mean Green 7 10 7 0 24
Hilltoppers 7 3 0 15 25
Overall record Last meeting Result
1–4 2011 WKU, 31–21


Central Michigan–Little Caesars Pizza Bowl

1 2 3 4 Total
HIlltoppers 7 7 7 0 21
Chippewas 14 3 0 7 24
Overall record Last meeting Result
First meeting

This will be the Hilltoppers first bowl game since becoming a member of the FBS in 2007.

References