Joe Imel/Daily News Western Kentucky coach David Elson talks with officials Thursday before the Hilltoppers’ mini-scrimmage at Houchens-Smith Stadium.

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David Elson’s exact words following last year’s season-ending defeat at North Texas: Sometimes you get what you deserve.

Elson was referring to the Hilltoppers’ sloppy effort, which resulted in a season-high 11 penalties - including several personal fouls for excessive celebration.

As if blowing a first-half lead and losing by one point weren’t bad enough - against a future Sun Belt Conference opponent, no less - WKU threw in a postgame, on-field altercation with the Mean Green for good measure.

This fall, though, Elson has shown little patience for such behavior. Even less for excessive celebration.

Motivated by last season’s mess at North Texas, as well as a new NCAA crackdown on personal fouls and excessive celebration penalties, Elson has stopped practice multiple times this fall. His message resonates through Houchens-Smith Stadium: Celebrate with your team, and your team only.

“That’s something quite honestly that’s going to be an emphasis across college football this year,” Elson said. “We want our guys to play with a lot of emotion, play with passion, but just understand that when you go to celebrate, you’ve got to do it with your teammates and not draw attention to yourself.”

Drawing attention was exactly what happened in Denton, Texas, in November. The defense was flagged for an organized team celebration after returning an interception for a touchdown near the end of the first half.

Once North Texas’ comeback was complete, the Mean Green gathered at midfield and recreated the celebration, sparking the postgame altercation.

Elson said the Hilltoppers have moved on from the incident, but not until they learned from it.

“We talked about it across the board after last season and in the offseason and it’s behind us and everything, but it’s still always going to be there in the back of your mind,” Elson said. “But bottom line is, we have to learn from it, and we want them to make plays and we want them to celebrate, but we’ve got to do it the right way and we’re really harping on that.”

The players have noticed the coaching staff’s focus on discipline, and the Toppers agree that keeping emotions in check is a priority - no matter how hard it might be.

“We learned that lesson last season at North Texas, and (Elson) has been preaching it,” sophomore quarterback K.J. Black said. “Celebrate with the team and not by yourselves, and try to be more disciplined when it comes to things like that.”

Still, WKU must find a balance between natural, acceptable excitement and going overboard.

“It’s been a challenge, I even catch myself before I do some things here and there,” Black said. “We have good leadership, though, and we’ve had guys step up and make sure guys don’t get out of hand.

“It’s difficult. I’m an emotional guy and I want to be out there having fun, but I have to make sure that I don’t go overboard and set a bad example for someone else to do the same.”

When wins and losses can sometimes come down to a matter of yards, limiting unnecessary penalties is paramount.

“It’s been focused on a lot, partly because the NCAA has said it’s going to be a lot more strict than it has been in the past and in the offseason some of the officials got a little ripped for letting certain things happen,” junior linebacker Blake Boyd said. “And then last year at North Texas we got the penalty for excessive celebration, and we don’t want that to happen again this year because it could have an effect on a major game.

“We only lost that game by a point, and that could make a difference right there.”

Elson said learning to harness emotions is a simple fact of life, and he’s made it clear that those Hilltoppers who don’t find the balance, won’t find the field.

“You have to know that fine line and where to draw it,” Elson said. “And the thing is, in anything you do, if the intention is to celebrate with your teammates, then there’s no problem.

“They’re getting it, and sometimes we want them out here being more emotional. But it’s just a learning process and I think you need to reteach it every year with your team and never assume that they know some of these things.”