1938 Western Kentucky State Teachers Hilltoppers football team

1938 Western Kentucky State Teachers Hilltoppers football
KIAC co-champion
ConferenceKentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Record7–2 (2–0 KIAC, 4–1 SIAA)
Head coach
CaptainTom Triplett
Alternate captainJoe Gili
Home stadiumWestern Stadium
1938 Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Centre + 2 0 0 7 2 0
+ 2 0 0 7 2 0
Eastern Kentucky 3 1 1 6 1 1
Morehead State 2 1 1 5 1 1
Murray State 1 1 0 6 2 1
Georgetown (KY) 2 3 0 4 4 0
Union (KY) 1 2 0 4 4 0
Transylvania 2 4 0 3 5 0
Louisville 0 3 0 2 6 0
  • + – Conference co-champions
1938 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
West Tennessee State Teachers $ 7 0 0 10 0 0
Centre 4 0 0 7 2 0
Miami (FL) 3 0 0 8 2 0
Centenary 2 0 0 7 4 0
Mississippi State Teachers 6 1 0 7 2 0
Presbyterian 6 1 0 6 4 0
Mississippi College 5 1 0 7 2 0
4 1 0 7 2 0
SW Louisiana 4 1 1 8 2 1
Murray State 4 1 0 6 2 1
Tennessee Tech 4 1 0 6 3 0
Eastern Kentucky 3 1 1 6 1 1
Morehead State 2 1 1 5 1 1
Stetson 4 2 1 6 2 1
Newberry 4 2 0 5 5 0
Rollins 3 2 1 6 2 1
Louisiana Normal 3 3 0 5 5 0
Georgetown (KY) 2 3 0 4 4 0
Union (TN) 2 3 0 4 6 0
Louisiana College 2 4 1 4 4 1
Union (KY) 1 2 0 4 4 0
Transylvania 2 4 0 3 5 0
Louisiana Tech 2 4 0 3 7 1
Delta State 2 5 0 2 7 0
Oglethorpe 2 5 0 2 9 0
Middle Tennessee State Teachers 1 5 0 2 6 0
Howard (AL) 0 2 0 2 5 0
Emory and Henry 0 2 0 1 6 2
Louisville 0 3 0 2 6 0
Troy State 0 3 1 3 4 1
Jacksonville State 0 3 1 1 6 1
Erskine 0 3 1 1 7 2
Tampa 0 4 0 3 7 0
Wofford 0 4 1 0 8 1
Millsaps 0 7 0 1 10 0
  • $ – Conference champion

The 1938 Western Kentucky State Teachers Hilltoppers football team represented Western Kentucky State Teachers College—now known as Western Kentucky University—as a member of the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC) and the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) during the 1938 college football season. Led by first-year head coach Gander Terry, the Hilltoppers compiled an overall record of 7–2 with marks of 2–0 in KIAC play and of 4–1 against SIAA opponents.[1][2] Western Kentucky State Teachers shared the KIAC title with Centre.[3]

Tom Triplett was the team's captain and Joe Gili was the alternate captain.[4]

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 24Emporia State*Bowling Green, KYW 34–0
October 1 at Vanderbilt* L 0–12 7,000 [5]
October 8 Howard (AL) Bowling Green, KY W 6–0 3,500 [6]
October 152:00 p.m. Tennessee Tech
  • Western Stadium
  • Bowling Green, KY
L 6–7 [7][8]
October 29 Western State Teachers*dagger Bowling Green, KY W 13–6
November 5 at Eastern Kentucky
W 32–7 [9][10]
November 12 Western Carolina* Bowling Green, KY W 55–0
November 19 at Murray State
W 21–7 [11]
December 3 at Tampa W 50–7 [12]

References

  1. ^ "Standings Of Leading College Football Loops". The Lexington Herald. Lexington, Kentucky. November 21, 1938. p. 6. Retrieved July 30, 2025 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  2. ^ "Football". Tampa Bay Times. St. Petersburg, Florida. November 28, 1938. p. 10. Retrieved September 23, 2020 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  3. ^ Ashford, Ed (November 21, 1938). "Victories Of Western and Georgetown Top State Grid Play". The Lexington Herald. Lexington, Kentucky. p. 6. Retrieved July 30, 2025 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  4. ^ "WKU Football 2021 Media Guide" (PDF). Bowling Green, Kentucky: Western Kentucky University. p. 174. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  5. ^ "Vanderbilt beats Western, 12 to 0; Housman tallies". The Paducah Sun-Democrat. October 2, 1938. Retrieved September 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Western tallies touchdown in second period to defeat Howard College team, 6 to 0". The Park City Daily News. October 9, 1938. Retrieved August 24, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Western Team Is In Good Shape For Invaders". The Park City Daily News. Bowling Green, Kentucky. October 14, 1938. p. 5. Retrieved July 30, 2025 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  8. ^ Wallace, Herb (October 16, 1938). "Floundering Western Team Is Defeated By Light, But Game Tennessee Poly, 7 to 6". The Park City Daily News. Bowling Green, Kentucky. pp. 1, 3. Retrieved July 30, 2025 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  9. ^ "Crippled Maroons Will Meet Western At Richmond Today". The Lexington Herald. Lexington, Kentucky. November 5, 1938. p. 6. Retrieved July 30, 2025 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  10. ^ "Western Teachers Gallop To 32 To 7 Decision Over Eastern College Eleven". Sunday Herald-Leader. Lexington, Kentucky. November 6, 1938. p. 44. Retrieved July 30, 2025 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  11. ^ "Western beats Murray, 21–7". Sunday Herald-Leader. November 20, 1938. Retrieved March 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Western swamps Tampa University by 50 to 7 score". The Paducah Sun-Democrat. December 4, 1938. Retrieved March 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.