2024 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team

2024 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football
Conference	Conference USA
Record	2–1 (1–0 C-USA)
Head coach	Tyson Helton (6th season)
Offensive coordinator	Will Friend (1st season)
Co-offensive coordinator	Drew Hollingshead (2nd season)
Defensive coordinator	Tyson Summers (3rd season)
Home stadium	Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium

2024 Conference USA football standings

	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
Liberty		2	–	0					3	–	0
Western Kentucky		1	–	0					2	–	1
Sam Houston		0	–	0					2	–	1
Louisiana Tech		0	–	0					1	–	1
FIU		0	–	0					1	–	2
Jacksonville State		0	–	0					0	–	3
Kennesaw State*		0	–	0					0	–	3
Middle Tennessee		0	–	1					1	–	2
New Mexico State		0	–	1					1	–	2
UTEP		0	–	1					0	–	3
Championship: December 6, 2024
$ – Conference champion y – Championship game participant * – Ineligible for postseason play due to FCS-to-FBS transition rules As of September 16, 2024 Rankings from AP Poll

The 2024 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team will represent Western Kentucky University in Conference USA (C-USA) during the 2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Hilltoppers are led by Tyson Helton in his sixth year as the head coach. The Hilltoppers will play home games at Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium, located in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 31	6:00 p.m.	at No. 5 Alabama*	Bryant–Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, AL	ESPN	L 0–63	100,077
September 7	6:00 p.m.	Eastern Kentucky*	Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY (Battle of the Bluegrass)	ESPN+	W 31–0	16,712
September 14	6:00 p.m.	at Middle Tennessee	Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium Murfreesboro, TN (100 Miles of Hate)	ESPN+	W 49–21	12,227
September 21	6:00 p.m.	Toledo*	Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY	ESPN+
September 28	11:00 a.m.	at Boston College*	Alumni Stadium Chestnut Hill, MA	ACCN
October 10	7:00 p.m.	UTEP	Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY	ESPNU
October 16	7:00 p.m.	at Sam Houston	Bowers Stadium Huntsville, TX	ESPN2
October 30	6:30 p.m.	Kennesaw State	Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY	ESPN2
November 9	5:00 p.m.	at New Mexico State	Aggie Memorial Stadium Las Cruces, NM	ESPN Networks
November 16	11:00 a.m.	Louisiana Tech	Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY	CBSSN
November 23	12:00 p.m.	at Liberty	Williams Stadium Lynchburg, VA	ESPN Networks
November 30	2:30 p.m.	Jacksonville State	Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY	ESPN Networks
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings released prior to game All times are in Eastern time

Game summaries

at No. 5 Alabama

See also: 2024 Alabama Crimson Tide football team

Game One – Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (0-0) at No. 5 Alabama Crimson Tide (0-0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Western Kentucky	0	0	0	0	0
No. 5 Alabama	21	21	14	7	63

at Bryant-Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, AL

• Date: Saturday August 31st, 2024
• Game time: 7:00 PM EST
• Game weather: 85 °F (29 °C), Wind SE @ 3 mph
• Game attendance: 100,077
• Referee: Matt Loeffler
• TV announcers (ESPN): Dave Pasch (play-by-play), Dusty Dvoracek (analyst), and Taylor McGregor (sideline)

Game information

First quarter (10:07) ALA – Jalen Milroe 12-yard run (Graham Nicholson kick) (Drive: 2 plays, 16 yards, 0:41; Alabama 7-0) (5:01) ALA – Kendrick Law 22-yard pass from Jalen Milroe (Graham Nicholson kick) (Drive: 3 plays, 26 yards, 1:31; Alabama 14-0) (2:27) ALA – Ryan Williams 84-yard pass from Jalen Milroe (Graham Nicholson kick) (Drive: 4 plays, 81 yards, 1:19; Alabama 21-0) Second quarter (12:35) ALA – Jam Miller 39-yard run (Graham Nicholson kick) (Drive: 2 plays, 80 yards, 1:14; Alabama 28-0) (2:53) ALA – Justice Haynes 85-yard run (Graham Nicholson kick) (Drive: 2 plays, 96 yards, 0:33; Alabama 35-0) (1:30) ALA – Ryan Williams 55-yard pass from Jalen Milroe (Graham Nicholson kick) (Drive: 2 plays, 55 yards, 0:15; Alabama 42-0) Third quarter (6:30) ALA – Jalen Milroe 21-yard run (Graham Nicholson kick) (Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 4:10; Alabama 49-0) (2:51) ALA – Daniel Hill 2-yard run (Conor Talty kick) (Drive: 6 plays, 53 yards, 2:47; Alabama 56-0) Fourth quarter (10:04) ALA – Ty Simpson 15-yard run (Conor Talty kick) (Drive: 10 plays, 79 yards, 3:58; Alabama 63-0)

Statistics	WKU	ALA
First downs	10	25
Total yards	67–145	65–600
Rushing yards	27–42	47–334
Passing yards	103	266
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	22–40–2	12–18–0
Time of possession	29:25	30:35

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Western Kentucky	Passing	TJ Finley	18/31, 92 yards, 2 INT
	Rushing	Elijah Young	10 carries, 18 yards
	Receiving	Moussa Barry	4 receptions, 27 yards
Alabama	Passing	Jalen Milroe	7/9, 200 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	Justice Haynes	4 carries, 102 yards, TD
	Receiving	Ryan Williams	4 receptions, 139 yards, 2 TD

vs. Eastern Kentucky (FCS) (rivalry)

See also: 2024 Eastern Kentucky Colonels football team

Game Two – Eastern Kentucky Colonels (FCS) (0-1) at Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (0-1) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Eastern Kentucky (FCS)	0	0	0	0	0
Western Kentucky	0	0	0	0	0

at Houchens Industries-L. T. Smith Stadium • Bowling Green, Kentucky

• Date: Saturday September 7, 2024
• Game time: 7:00 p.m.
• TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	EKU	WKU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Eastern Kentucky	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Western Kentucky	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving