1989 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team

1989 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football
1989 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football
Conference	Independent
Record	6–5
Head coach	Jack Harbaugh (1st season);
Defensive coordinator	Bruce Hoffman (1st season)
Captain	Russell Foster, Xavier Jordan, Mark Marsh
Home stadium	L. T. Smith Stadium
	Seasons ← 1988 1990 →

The 1989 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team represented Western Kentucky University as an independent during the 1989 NCAA Division I-AA football season Led by first-year head coach Jack Harbaugh, the Hilltoppers compiled a record of 6–5.^[1]

1989 NCAA Division I-AA independents football standings
v t e	Conf			Overall
Team	W	L	T	W		L		T
No. 1 Georgia Southern ^		–		12	–	0	–	0
No. 14 Youngstown State ^		–		9	–	3	–	0
No. T–10 William & Mary ^		–		8	–	3	–	1
Liberty		–		7	–	3	–	0
Western Kentucky		–		6	–	5	–	0
James Madison		–		5	–	4	–	1
Lamar		–		5	–	5	–	0
Arkansas State		–		5	–	6	–	0
Nicholls State		–		5	–	6	–	0
Samford		–		4	–	7	–	0
Northeastern		–		3	–	7	–	0
Fordham		–		2	–	6	–	0
Towson		–		2	–	8	–	0

^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 2	at Illinois State		Hancock Stadium Normal, IL	W 17–12	4,452
September 9	at No. 20 Murray State		Roy Stewart Stadium Murray, KY (Battle for the Red Belt)	L 14–17	8,575
September 16	No. 18 Middle Tennessee		L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY	W 31–16	14,700
September 23	at No. 1 Eastern Kentucky	No. 19	Hanger Field Richmond, KY (Battle of the Bluegrass)	L 3–24	19,200	^[2]
September 30	Austin Peay	No. T–20	L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY	W 49–0	4,200
October 7	at Chattanooga	No. 17	Chamberlain Field Chattanooga, TN	L 7–19	6,207	^[3]
October 14	No. 4 Southwest Missouri State		L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY	W 42–33	9,000	^[4]
October 21	Tennessee Tech		L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY	W 61–14	18,000
October 28	at No. 14 Youngstown State	No. T–18	Stambaugh Stadium Youngstown, OH	W 41–38	9,879	^[5]
November 4	at Louisville	No. 15	Cardinal Stadium Louisville, KY	L 7–55	36,126
November 18	No. 18 Eastern Illinois	No. 15	L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY	L 7–10	4,000
Homecoming Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee Poll released prior to the game

^ "WKU Football 2021 Media Guide" (PDF). Bowling Green, Kentucky: Western Kentucky University. p. 180. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
^ "Eastern punishes 'Toppers". The Daily News-Journal. September 24, 1989. Retrieved March 23, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Chattanooga's punting, trick play beat Western". The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. October 8, 1989. p. C5. Retrieved December 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Western rallies past SW Missouri". The Courier-Journal. October 15, 1989. Retrieved March 24, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Western tips Youngstown 41–38 on late field goal". The Courier-Journal. October 29, 1989. Retrieved March 24, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.

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