2000 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team

The 2000 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team represented Western Kentucky University in the 2000 NCAA Division I-AA football season and were led by veteran head coach Jack Harbaugh. They won their first conference championship since 1980, going undefeated in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) in just their second year after rejoining as a football-only member; the school was a football independent from 1982 through 1998.[1] The Hilltoppers received the OVC's automatic berth to the NCAA Division I-AA playoff, making it to the quarterfinals. Prior to the start of the season, the OVC gave Western Kentucky an ultimatum, join the conference for all sports or leave. The administration decided to leave and joined the Gateway Football Conference. [2] The Hilltoppers finished the season ranked No. 5 in final national poll by The Sports Network.[3]

2000 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football
OVC champion
ConferenceOhio Valley Conference
Ranking
Sports NetworkNo. 5
2000 record11–2 (7–0 OVC)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
Home stadiumHouchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium
2000 Ohio Valley Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
Team W L    W L 
No. 5 Western Kentucky $^  7 –0     11 –2  
No. 17 Eastern Illinois ^  6 –1     8 –4  
No. 22 Tennessee Tech  5 –2     8 –3  
Murray State  4 –3     6 –5  
Eastern Kentucky  3 –4     6 –5  
Tennessee State  2 –5     3 –8  
Southeast Missouri State  1 –6     3 –8  
Tennessee–Martin  0 –7     2 –9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant
Rankings from The Sports Network poll

Western Kentucky was ranked first in pass efficiency, scoring defense, and turnover margin out of all NCAA Division I-AA teams. The team's roster included future National Football League (NFL) players Joseph Jefferson, Mel Mitchell, Sherrod Coates, and Bobby Sippio, and NFL coach Jason Michael.[4] Sippio and Melvin Wisham were named to the AP All-American team and Harbaugh was OVC Coach of The Year. The All-Conference team included DeWayne Gallishaw, Peter Martinez, Chris Price, Sippio, Wisham, Coates, Jefferson, and Mitchell.[5]

Schedule
DateOpponentRankSiteResult
September 9Tennessee–Martin
W 71–0
September 16at No. 24 Elon*
W 23–0
September 23at Southeast Missouri StateNo. 24
W 38–14
September 30at Murray StateNo. 24
W 48–38
October 7No. 18 Eastern KentuckyNo. 20
W 6–3
October 14Tennessee TechNo. 14
  • L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
W 17–14
October 21at Tennessee StateNo. 12
W 52–14
October 28No. 19 Eastern IllinoisNo. 9
  • L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
W 34–12
November 4at South Florida*No. 6
L 24–30
November 11Indiana State*No. 10
  • L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
W 28–3
November 18Southern Illinois*No. 7
  • L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
W 22–0
November 25No. 13 Florida A&M*No. 7
  • L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY (NCAA Division I-AA First Round)
W 27–0
December 6No. 14 Appalachian State*No. 7
  • L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY (NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinal)
L 14–17

References
  1. 2017 OVC Football Media Guide, retrieved 30 April 2020
  2. Toppers search for haven, By Justin Willis,, The Daily News, Jun 13, 2000, retrieved 6 April 2020.
  3. "I-AA poll". The Greenville News. Greenville, South Carolina. December 19, 2000. p. 4C. Retrieved May 20, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. Pro Football Reference, retrieved 30 April 2020
  5. WKU Football Media Guide retrieved 31 March 2020.

 

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