1974 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team

The 1974 Western Kentucky football team represented Western Kentucky University during the 1974 NCAA Division II football season. Coming off a 12-1 and NCAA Playoff Runners-up season the previous year, WKU started the season ranked number 1 in both the AP[1] and UPI[2] national polls. They ended up losing their last two games, finished tied for 2nd in the conference, and missed the NCAA Playoffs.[3] The team's roster included future National Football League (NFL) players Virgil Livers, John Bushong, David Carter, Rick Caswell, and Biff Madon. Livers and Bushong were named to the AP All-American team, and Livers was also named OVC Defensive Player of the Year. The All OVC team included Livers, Bushong, Rick Green, David Carter, John Humphrey, and Keith Tandy.[4] The coaching staff included future NFL coach Romeo Crennel.

1974 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football
ConferenceOhio Valley Conference
Record7–3 (5–2 OVC)
Head coach
Home stadiumL. T. Smith Stadium
Seasons
← 1973
1975 →
1974 Ohio Valley Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Eastern Kentucky $ 6 1 0 8 2 0
Murray State 5 2 0 9 2 0
Western Kentucky 5 2 0 7 3 0
Tennessee Tech 4 3 0 6 5 0
East Tennessee State 3 3 1 4 6 1
Middle Tennessee 2 5 0 3 8 0
Austin Peay 1 5 1 3 7 1
Morehead State 1 6 0 3 8 0
  • $ – Conference champion

Schedule

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DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendance
September 14C.W. Post*No. 1W 48–013,300
September 28Austin PeayNo. 2
  • L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
W 35–713,400
October 5East Tennessee StateNo. 2
W 24–05,213
October 12Dayton* No. 3
  • L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
W 32–1520,000
October 19at Tennessee TechNo. 2L 6–1012,000
October 26No. 15 Eastern KentuckyNo. 7
W 34–2418,880
November 2at Morehead StateNo. 7W 36–08,000
November 9Middle TennesseeNo. 7
W 36–1013,300
November 16No. 11 Western Carolina*No. 8
  • L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
L 2–2011,300
November 23at Murray StateNo. 13L 7–915,200
  • *Non-conference game
  •  Homecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[5]

References

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  1. ^ "AP Small-College Football Poll". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. September 19, 1974. p. 20. Retrieved May 24, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  2. ^ "Small College Football Poll". Waukesha Daily Freeman. Waukesha, Wisconsin. September 18, 1974. p. 14. Retrieved May 24, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  3. ^ WKU Football Media Guide retrieved 31 March 2020.
  4. ^ 2017 OVC Football Media Guide, retrieved 30 April 2020
  5. ^ "Final 1974 Cumulative Football Statistics Report". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved December 17, 2022.