2012 WKU Hilltoppers football team

The 2012 WKU Hilltoppers football team represented Western Kentucky University in the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by third-year head coach Willie Taggart and played their home games at Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium. They were a member of the Sun Belt Conference. They finished the season 7–6, 4–4 in Sun Belt play to finish in fifth place.[1] They were invited to the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, their first bowl appearance since joining FBS in 2007, where they were defeated by Central Michigan.[2]

2012 WKU Hilltoppers football
ConferenceSun Belt Conference
2012 record7–6 (4–4 Sun Belt)
Head coachWillie Taggart (regular season)
Lance Guidry (bowl game)
Defensive coordinatorLance Guidry
Home stadiumHouchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium
(Capacity: 22,113)
2012 Sun Belt Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
Team W L    W L 
Arkansas State $  7 –1     10 –3  
Louisiana–Monroe  6 –2     8 –5  
Middle Tennessee  6 –2     8 –4  
Louisiana–Lafayette**  4 –2     5 –4  
WKU  4 –4     7 –6  
Troy  3 –5     5 –7  
North Texas  3 –5     4 –8  
Florida Atlantic  2 –6     3 –9  
FIU  2 –6     3 –9  
South Alabama*  1 –7     2 –11  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • South Alabama not eligible for conference title or bowl game as part of their transition to the FBS.
    **Louisiana–Lafayette vacated 4 wins due to NCAA violations.
Rankings from AP Poll

After a three-year record of 16–20, head coach Willie Taggart resigned in December to become the head coach at South Florida. Defensive coordinator Lance Guidry coached the Hilltoppers in Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. Bobby Petrino was hired as the school's new head coach on December 10, 2012.

Schedule
DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
September 16:00 p.m.Austin Peay*
ESPN3W 49–1016,327
September 83:30 p.m.at No. 1 Alabama*
SECNL 0–35101,821
September 156:00 p.m.at Kentucky*
ESPNUW 32–31 OT53,980
September 226:00 p.m.Southern Miss*
  • Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, Kentucky
ESPN3W 42–1723,252
September 296:00 p.m.at Arkansas State
ESPN3W 26–1325,160
October 116:30 p.m.at Troy
ESPNUW 31–2616,426
October 203:00 p.m.Louisiana–Monroe†
  • Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, Kentucky
ESPN3L 42–43 OT22,323
October 276:00 p.m.at FIU
ESPN3W 14–612,842
November 18:15 p.m.Middle Tennessee
  • Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, Kentucky (100 Miles of Hate)
ESPNUL 29–3417,327
November 1012:00 p.m.Florida Atlantic
  • Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, Kentucky
SBN/CSSL 28–3714,185
November 176:00 p.m.at Louisiana–Lafayette
ESPN3L 27–3120,314
November 2412:00 p.m.North Texas
  • Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium
  • Bowling Green, Kentucky
SBN/CSSW 25–2411,074
December 266:30 p.m.vs. Central Michigan*
ESPNL 21–2423,310

Game summaries

Austin Peay
1 2 3 4 Total
Governors 9 9 7 3 28
Hilltoppers 14 21 7 7 49
Overall record Last meeting Result
34–6–1 2006 WKU, 24–14

@ Alabama
1 2 3 4 Total
Hilltoppers 0 0 0 0 0
#1 Crimson Tide 14 7 7 7 35
See also: 2012 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
Overall record Last meeting Result
0–1 2008 ALB, 41–7

@ Kentucky
1 2 3 4OT Total
Hilltoppers 3 14 7 08 32
Wildcats 0 10 7 77 31
See also: 2012 Kentucky Wildcats football team
Overall record Last meeting Result
0–3 2011 UK, 14–3

The win over the Wildcats of the SEC marks the Hilltoppers first ever win over a team from a Bowl Championship Series conference..

Southern Miss
1 2 3 4 Total
Golden Eagles 0 3 7 7 17
Hilltoppers 14 7 21 0 42
See also: 2012 Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team
Overall record Last meeting Result
First meeting

@ Arkansas State
1 2 3 4 Total
Hilltoppers 0 0 14 12 26
Red Wolves 3 10 0 0 13
See also: 2012 Arkansas State Red Wolves football team
Overall record Last meeting Result
2–3–1 2011 ARST, 26–22

@ Troy
1 2 3 4 Total
Hilltoppers 7 7 14 3 31
Trojans 10 7 9 0 26
See also: 2012 Troy Trojans football team
Overall record Last meeting Result
1–8–1 2011 WKU, 41–18

Louisiana–Monroe
1 2 3 4OT Total
Warhawks 0 21 0 148 43
Hilltoppers 7 21 0 77 42
See also: 2012 Louisiana–Monroe Warhawks football team
Overall record Last meeting Result
4–3 2011 WKU, 31–28

@ FIU
1 2 3 4 Total
Hilltoppers 7 0 0 7 14
Panthers 3 0 0 3 6
See also: 2012 FIU Panthers football team
Overall record Last meeting Result
3–4 2011 WKU, 10–9

Middle Tennessee
1 2 3 4 Total
Blue Raiders 10 7 7 10 34
Hilltoppers 7 10 7 5 29
See also: 2012 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team and Middle Tennessee–WKU football rivalry
Overall record Last meeting Result
29–31–1 2011 WKU, 36–33

Florida Atlantic
1 2 3 4 Total
Owls 0 14 7 16 37
Hilltoppers 7 7 0 14 28
See also: 2012 Florida Atlantic Owls football team
Overall record Last meeting Result
1–3 2011 WKU, 20–0

@ Louisiana–Lafayette
1 2 3 4 Total
Hilltoppers 0 10 3 14 27
Ragin' Cajuns 0 10 7 14 31
See also: 2012 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns football team
Overall record Last meeting Result
2–3 2011 WKU, 42–23

North Texas
1 2 3 4 Total
Mean Green 7 10 7 0 24
Hilltoppers 7 3 0 15 25
See also: 2012 North Texas Mean Green football team
Overall record Last meeting Result
1–4 2011 WKU, 31–21

Central Michigan–Little Caesars Pizza Bowl
1 2 3 4 Total
HIlltoppers 7 7 7 0 21
Chippewas 14 3 0 7 24
See also: 2012 Central Michigan Chippewas football team and 2012 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl
Overall record Last meeting Result
First meeting

This will be the Hilltoppers first bowl game since becoming a member of the FBS in 2007.

References
  1. 2019 Sun Belt Conference Football Media Guide, retrieved 30 April 2020
  2. WKU Football Media Guide retrieved 31 March 2020.
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