Led by fourth-year head coach Dave Roberts, the Hilltoppers compiled a 7–4.
The team earned the school's first NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship playoff berth; their previous playoff appearances had been at the NCAA Division II level.
Lights were installed prior to the season, and Western Kentucky hosted their first night game on September 19, a victory over rival Murray State.
[1] Western Kentucky's roster included future National Football League (NFL) players Tony Brown, Malcolm Darden, James Edwards, Glenn Holt, David Smith, Steve Walsh, Harold Wright, Xavier Jordan, and Dean Tiebout.
Edwards, Walsh, and Dewayne Penn were named to the AP All American team.