Coached by Hilltopper legend Jimmy Feix, the 1975 Hilltoppers were 11-2 overall and 6-1 in Ohio Valley Conference action, good enough for co-championships honors in the league. In the three-game NCAA D-II national championship playoffs, the Hilltoppers scored just 44 points, but that was enough to earn WKU its second national runner-up trophy in three years.
- A 14-12 win at Northern Iowa in what came to be known as the "Mud Bowl" – a win preserved when a complaint from Coach Feix forced the Panthers to try a late in the game without a dry towel on the muddy surface and the Hilltoppers advance.
- A 14-3 triumph over New Hampshire in the Grantland Rice Bowl in Tiger Stadium at LSU and a ticket to the Camellia Bowl in Sacramento, Calif.
- Another close one that goes down to the final minute before WKU's field goal attempt is "ruled" wide.
Often overlooked was the play of third string quarterback Steve Larimore who came off the bench in the Homecoming game – with no game experience – to lead the Hilltoppers to that win and four more, leading WKU to the national championship game.
Here, on the 50th anniversary of that memorable season, the '75 Hilltopper Football team is still listed in more than 30 stat categories in the WKU Football Record Book.
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