Claim: The 1917 Western State Hilltoppers football team, under head coach William H. Spaulding, played seven games for the season and secured four wins out of these games.
Evidence: The 1917 Western State Hilltoppers football team represented Western State Normal School (later renamed Western Michigan University) as an independent during the 1917 college football season. In their 11th season under head coach William H. Spaulding, the Hilltoppers compiled a 4–3 record and outscored their opponents, 203 to 105. 
4–3