The 1952 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team represented Western Kentucky State College (now known as Western Kentucky University) in the 1952 college football season. They were coached by Jack Clayton and shared their first Ohio Valley Conference football championship and won their first bowl game, the Refrigerator Bowl.[1] The team was led by college division AP All-American and All-OVC Quarterback Jimmy Feix and matched the school record for most wins set in 1922.[2] R. E. Simpson, Marvin Satterly, Gene McFadden, and Max Stevens were also named to the All-OVC team. The team's captains were Dave Miller and Denny Wedge.[3]
| 1952 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football | |
|---|---|
OVC co-champion Refrigerator Bowl champion | |
Refrigerator Bowl, W 34–19 vs. Arkansas State | |
| Conference | Ohio Valley Conference |
| Record | 9–1 (4–1 OVC) |
| Head coach |
|
| Captain | Will Price, Willie Watson |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Western Kentucky + | 4 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tennessee Tech + | 4 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Murray State | 3 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Middle Tennessee | 2 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Eastern Kentucky | 0 | – | 3 | – | 1 | 3 | – | 4 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Morehead State | 0 | – | 4 | – | 1 | 1 | – | 6 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Schedule
edit| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 20 | Middle Tennessee | Bowling Green, KY (rivalry) | W 33–19 | |||
| September 27 | at Evansville* | Evansville, IN | W 39–0 | |||
| October 11 | at Morehead State | Morehead, KY | W 39–7 | |||
| October 18 | Northeast Louisiana State* | Bowling Green, KY | W 42–27 | 3,500 | [4] | |
| October 25 | 8:00 p.m. | at Tennessee Tech |
| L 13–21 | 6,000 | [5][6] |
| November 1 | Delta State* | Bowling Green, KY | W 35–13 | |||
| November 8 | Eastern Kentucky | Bowling Green, KY (rivalry) | W 48–6 | |||
| November 15 | Southeast Missouri State* | Bowling Green, KY | W 41–0 | |||
| November 22 | at Murray State |
| W 12–7 | |||
| December 7 | vs. Arkansas State* |
| W 34–19 | 9,000 | [7] | |
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References
edit- ^ 2017 OVC Football Media Guide, retrieved 30 April 2020
- ^ Ruby, Earl (1979). Red Towel Territory: A History Of Athletics At Western Kentucky University. American National Bank and Trust Co. ASIN B00ILIOPAO.
- ^ "WKU Football 2021 Media Guide" (PDF). Bowling Green, Kentucky: Western Kentucky University. p. 176. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
- ^ "Toppers clip Louisiana eleven 42–27 for fourth win". The Park City Daily News. October 19, 1952. Retrieved May 28, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Tulloss, Bill (October 25, 1952). "OVC Title In Balance At Cookeville". Nashville Banner. Nashville, Tennessee. p. 7. Retrieved February 10, 2022 – via Newspapers.com
.
- ^ "Tech Wallops Western 21-13". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville, Tennessee. October 26, 1952. p. 7C. Retrieved February 10, 2022 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ Robertson, Bill (December 8, 1952). "Powerful Western Kentucky Dethrones Arkansas State, 34-19". The Evansville Press. Evansville, Indiana. p. 18. Retrieved February 9, 2022 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
