2015 WKU Hilltoppers football team
# 2015 WKU Hilltoppers football team

The 2015 WKU Hilltoppers football team represented Western Kentucky University (WKU) in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season as members of the East Division of Conference USA. Led by second year head coach Jeff Brohm, they played their home games at Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium in Bowling Green, Kentucky. They finished the season 12–2, 8–0 in C-USA play to be champions of the East Division. They represented the East Division in the Conference USA Football Championship Game where they defeated Southern Miss to win their first ever C-USA championship. They were invited to the Miami Beach Bowl where they defeated South Florida. They led the NCAA in Passing Efficiency, tied the school record for victories and were also ranked in the FBS AP Top 25 for the first time in program history.

## Previous season

The Hilltoppers finished the 2014 season 8–5 overall and 4–4 in conference play. WKU biggest win and upset was against season closer Marshall by 67–66 in overtime, Marshall's first and only loss of their season making them ineligible for a berth in a New Year's Six Bowl. WKU became bowl eligible after defeating UTSA and was invited to play in the inaugural Bahamas Bowl, the first international bowl game since 2010. The Hilltoppers defeated the Central Michigan Chippewas, 49–48.

## Schedule

Western Kentucky announced their 2015 football schedule on February 2, 2015. The 2015 schedule consist of five home and seven away games in the regular season. The Hilltoppers will host CUSA foes Florida Atlantic, Louisiana Tech, Marshall, and Middle Tennessee, and will travel to Florida International (FIU), North Texas, Old Dominion, and Rice.

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| September 3 | 7:00 p.m. | at Vanderbilt* | | Vanderbilt StadiumNashville, TN | SECN | W 14–12 | 30,307 |
| September 10 | 7:00 p.m. | Louisiana Tech | | Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith StadiumBowling Green, KY | FS1 | W 41–38 | 17,515 |
| September 19 | 3:00 p.m. | at Indiana* | | Memorial StadiumBloomington, IN | ESPNews | L 35–38 | 44,823 |
| September 26 | 2:30 p.m. | Miami (OH)* | | Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith StadiumBowling Green, KY | CBSSN | W 56–14 | 20,320 |
| October 3 | 2:30 p.m. | at Rice | | Rice StadiumHouston, TX | FSN | W 49–10 | 20,124 |
| October 10 | 11:00 a.m. | Middle Tennessee | | Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith StadiumBowling Green, KY (100 Miles of Hate) | FSN | W 58–28 | 16,993 |
| October 15 | 6:30 p.m. | at North Texas | | Apogee StadiumDenton, TX | CBSSN | W 55–28 | 10,155 |
| October 24 | 6:00 p.m. | at No. 5 LSU* | | Tiger StadiumBaton Rouge, LA | ESPNU | L 20–48 | 101,561 |
| October 31 | 11:00 a.m. | at Old Dominion | | Foreman FieldNorfolk, VA | FSN | W 55–30 | 20,118 |
| November 7 | 11:00 a.m. | Florida Atlantic | | Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith StadiumBowling Green, KY | FSN | W 35–19 | 18,421 |
| November 21 | 1:30 p.m. | at FIU | | FIU StadiumMiami, FL | FCS | W 63–7 | 14,380 |
| November 27 | 11:00 a.m. | Marshall | | Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith StadiumBowling Green, KY | FS1 | W 49–28 | 17,687 |
| December 5 | 11:00 a.m. | Southern Miss | | Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith StadiumBowling Green, KY (C–USA Championship) | ESPN2 | W 45–28 | 16,823 |
| December 21 | 1:30 p.m. | vs. South Florida* | No. 25 | Marlins ParkMiami, FL (Miami Beach Bowl) | ESPN | W 45–35 | 21,712 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to gameAll times are in Central time ||||||||

    Schedule source:

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking. — = Not ranked. RV = Received votes. :

| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
| AP | RV | RV | RV | — | — | — | RV | RV | — | — | RV | RV | RV | RV | 25 | 24 |
| Coaches | — | — | RV | — | — | — | — | RV | — | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV |
| CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | — | — | — | — | — | — | Not released |

## Game summaries

### at Vanderbilt

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Hilltoppers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| Commodores | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 12 |

### Louisiana Tech

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Bulldogs | 0 | 17 | 7 | 14 | 38 |
| Hilltoppers | 14 | 13 | 11 | 3 | 41 |

### at Indiana

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Hilltoppers | 7 | 21 | 0 | 7 | 35 |
| Hoosiers | 7 | 10 | 21 | 0 | 38 |

### Miami (OH)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| RedHawks | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Hilltoppers | 21 | 28 | 0 | 7 | 56 |

### at Rice

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Hilltoppers | 21 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 49 |
| Owls | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 |

### Middle Tennessee

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Blue Raiders | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| Hilltoppers | 28 | 24 | 3 | 3 | 58 |

### at North Texas

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Hilltoppers | 14 | 20 | 14 | 7 | 55 |
| Mean Green | 0 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 28 |

### at LSU

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Hilltoppers | 0 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 20 |
| #5 Tigers | 7 | 7 | 20 | 14 | 48 |

### at Old Dominion

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Hilltoppers | 10 | 21 | 10 | 14 | 55 |
| Monarchs | 3 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 30 |

### Florida Atlantic

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Owls | 7 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 19 |
| Hilltoppers | 0 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 35 |

### at Florida International

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Hilltoppers | 21 | 14 | 21 | 7 | 63 |
| Panthers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |

### Marshall

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Thundering Herd | 0 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| Hilltoppers | 7 | 28 | 6 | 8 | 49 |

### Southern Miss (C–USA Championship Game)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Golden Eagles | 7 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 28 |
| Hilltoppers | 7 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 45 |

### South Florida (Miami Beach Bowl)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| #25 Hilltoppers | 0 | 10 | 28 | 7 | 45 |
| Bulls | 7 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 35 |
