Those that were in attendance that night in Chattanooga may not have realized at the time what they were witnessing. That victory over the Cowboys would prove to be the final game as head coach for Jack Harbaugh, who would retire just over a month later. It also was the culmination of an improbable run that saw the Hilltoppers play with their backs against the wall for over two months.
Sitting at 2-3 after a Sept. 28 loss at - ironically - McNeese State, WKU knew a fourth loss would all but eliminate it from consideration for an at-large bid into the playoffs. But starting with a 31-12 win at Northern Iowa, the Hilltoppers rattled off six straight wins to close out the regular season, and earn a playoff bid as co-Gateway Football Conference champions. After a home win over Murray State, WKU went on the road to knock off Western Illinois and Georgia Southern before taking down McNeese State in the title contest. The road to a title saw WKU take down four conference champions and the top three national seeds, all culminating in a sea of Hilltoppers players and fans celebrating and taking home the goalposts from Finley Stadium.
That night in many ways was the catalyst for where WKU Football sits today. Ten years and six days after hoisting a national championship trophy, the Hilltoppers will take the field in their first-ever FBS bowl game against Central Michigan in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl.
And while the road from Chattanooga to Detroit has not always been smooth, those involved in the journey over the many years of WKU Football would agree that is probably the way it is supposed to be. In 1992, just 10 years prior to winning the title, the program was on the verge of elimination when drastic budget cuts hit the University. While the program able to survive a Board of Regents vote, the dramatic cut in operating budget and full-time staff put the program at a decided disadvantage in the I-AA ranks. However, with time, those obstacles were overcome. Much in the same way this current crop of Hilltoppers seniors have endured a transition to football's highest level, an 0-12 season and a 26-game losing streak to come out on the other end with a chance to close out their careers in a bowl game.
It was only fitting that during its win over Southern Miss earlier this year, WKU honored both the 1992 and 2002 teams for their contributions to the history of Hilltopper football. Perhaps at some point during the 2022 season a third team will be honored in that same way and remembered as the team that propelled the program to even greater heights that were only a dream on December 20, 2002.
