# 2017 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team

The 2017 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team (WKU) represented Western Kentucky University in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Hilltoppers played their home games at the Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium in Bowling Green, Kentucky as members of the East Division of Conference USA (C–USA). They were led by first-year head coach Mike Sanford Jr. The Hilltoppers finished the season 6–7, 4–4 in C-USA play to finish in a tie for third place in the East Division. They received an invite to the Cure Bowl where they lost to Georgia State.

## Preseason

On December 5, head coach Jeff Brohm resigned to become the head coach at Purdue. He finished at WKU with a record of 30–10, two bowl wins, and two C-USA titles. Defensive coordinator Nick Holt led WKU in the Boca Raton Bowl. On December 14, the school hired Mike Sanford Jr. as head coach.
In a preseason media vote, the Hilltoppers were picked to win the East Division again, receiving 20 of 28 first place votes.

## Schedule

Western Kentucky announced its 2017 football schedule on January 26, 2017. The 2017 schedule consists of 6 home and away games in the regular season. The Hilltoppers will host CUSA foes Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, Louisiana Tech, and Middle Tennessee, and will travel to FIU, Marshall, Old Dominion, and UTEP.
The Hilltoppers will host two of the four non-conference opponents, Ball State from the Mid-American Conference and Eastern Kentucky from the Ohio Valley Conference and travel to Illinois of the Big Ten Conference and Vanderbilt from the Southeastern Conference.
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 2 | 6:00 p.m. | Eastern Kentucky* | Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith StadiumBowling Green, KY (Battle of the Bluegrass) | FloSports | W 31–17 | 18,614 |
| September 9 | 7:00 p.m. | at Illinois* | Memorial StadiumChampaign, IL | BTN | L 7–20 | 41,923 |
| September 16 | 6:00 p.m. | Louisiana Tech | Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith StadiumBowling Green, KY | Stadium | L 22–23 | 16,223 |
| September 23 | 6:00 p.m. | Ball State* | Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith StadiumBowling Green, KY | Stadium | W 33–21 | 17,590 |
| October 7 | 7:00 p.m. | at UTEP | Sun BowlEl Paso, TX | CUSA.TV | W 15–14 | 20,418 |
| October 14 | 3:30 p.m. | Charlotte | Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith StadiumBowling Green, KY | FloSports | W 45–14 | 16,754 |
| October 20 | 5:00 p.m. | at Old Dominion | Foreman FieldNorfolk, VA | CBSSN | W 35–31 | 20,118 |
| October 28 | 3:30 p.m. | Florida Atlantic | Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith StadiumBowling Green, KY | Stadium | L 28–42 | 12,441 |
| November 4 | 11:00 a.m. | at Vanderbilt* | Vanderbilt StadiumNashville, TN | ESPNU | L 17–31 | 26,350 |
| November 11 | 5:30 p.m. | at Marshall | Joan C. Edwards StadiumHuntington, WV | Stadium | L 23–30 | 19,516 |
| November 17 | 7:00 p.m. | Middle Tennessee | Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith StadiumBowling Green, KY (100 Miles of Hate) | CBSSN | W 41–38 $^{3OT}$ | 12,612 |
| November 24 | 6:00 p.m. | at FIU | Riccardo Silva StadiumMiami, FL | beIN | L 17–41 | 16,199 |
| December 16 | 2:30 p.m. | vs. Georgia State* | Camping World StadiumOrlando, FL (Cure Bowl) | CBSSN | L 17–27 | 19,585 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingAll times are in Central time |||||||
    Schedule Source:

## Game summaries
### Eastern Kentucky

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Colonels | 0 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 17 |
| Hilltoppers | 0 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 31 |

### At Illinois

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hilltoppers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Fighting Illini | 3 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 20 |

### Louisiana Tech

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulldogs | 3 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 23 |
| Hilltoppers | 8 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 22 |

### Ball State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| Hilltoppers | 7 | 10 | 0 | 16 | 33 |

### At UTEP

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hilltoppers | 0 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 15 |
| Miners | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 |

### Charlotte

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Hilltoppers | 14 | 24 | 0 | 7 | 45 |

### At Old Dominion

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hilltoppers | 7 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 35 |
| Monarchs | 7 | 7 | 17 | 0 | 31 |

### Florida Atlantic

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Owls | 10 | 10 | 0 | 22 | 42 |
| Hilltoppers | 7 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 28 |

### At Vanderbilt

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hilltoppers | 7 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 17 |
| Commodores | 14 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 31 |

### At Marshall

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hilltoppers | 7 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 23 |
| Thundering Herd | 0 | 13 | 17 | 0 | 30 |

### Middle Tennessee

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | 2OT | 3OT | Total |
| Blue Raiders | 0 | 3 | 0 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 38 |
| Hilltoppers | 7 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 41 |

### At FIU

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hilltoppers | 3 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| Panthers | 3 | 10 | 21 | 7 | 41 |

### vs Georgia State–Cure Bowl

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hilltoppers | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Panthers | 10 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 27 |

## Coaching staff

| Name | Title |
| Mike Sanford Jr. | Head Coach |
| Clayton White | Defensive Coordinator |
| Junior Adams | Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers |
| Steve Spurrier Jr. | Quarterbacks |
| Mike Sanford Sr. | Special Teams Coordinator/Running Backs |
| Geoff Dartt | Offensive Line |
| Jimmy Lindsey | Defensive Line |
| Jami DeBerry | Safeties/Recruiting Coordinator |
| Ryan Mahaffey | Tight Ends |
| Maurice Crum Jr. | Linebackers |
Source