Football vs Western Kentucky - Saturday, August 31 - Game Week
Game Week: Football vs Western Kentucky Saturday, August 31
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| FTBL Western Kentucky vs Alabama
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Nothing_But_A_Winner00
Member
When: 8/31 at 6 PM CT
Where: Tuscaloosa, AL
Coach: Tyson Helton, 6th season, 40-26 overall
2023 record: 8-5, 5-3 in Conference USA
The Hilltoppers of Bowling Green, KY will travel to Alabama for the 4th time, hoping to upset the Crimson Tide for its first win of the series. Alabama won the last meeting 38-10 in 2016. Coach Tyson Helton, brother of former USC and current Georgia Southern coach Clay Helton, coached under his brother at USC and was the QB/OC at Tennessee under Jeremy Pruitt prior to taking over at WKU. Helton’s team has the second-best odds to win Conference USA in 2024.
WKU loses QB Austin Reid who passed for 3,340 yards and 31 touchdowns in 2023. Insert an all too familiar face at quarterback, TJ Finley, who is surely the only quarterback to play against the Tide in 3 different jerseys. The former LSU and Auburn quarterback transfers from Texas State where last year he beat current Alabama DC and former South Alabama head coach, Kane Wommack, passing for 368 yards, 3 touchdowns, and one interception.
Wommack on TJ Finley: “Really impressed with him a year ago. He’s got a really good release. He can make all throws. I thought he did a really good job of managing their offense really well. Took what was given early, but can work through a progression. And so, it’ll be interesting to see how Tyson and their staff utilizes him.”
Finley’s has a 57% completion rate with 3 touchdowns and one interception against Alabama in his previous two starts, which includes the overtime thriller in the 2021 Iron Bowl. WKU lost their top 2023 receiver to the New York Jets in the 3rd round of the 2024 NFL draft. They return RB Elijah Young who rushed for 474 yards last season, and 500-yard receiver Dalvin Smith who caught 6 TDs in 2023. WKU also brings back another solid WR and returner, Easton Messer, who averaged 22.2 yards a return in 2023 and is on the 2024 Paul Hornung Award watchlist.
On defense, WKU only returns 4 starters from a weak run defense that gave up 190 yards on the ground in their last campaign. Notable returning defenders include defensive tackle Hosea Wheeler (42 tackles in 2023), cornerback Anthony Johnson Jr. (4 interceptions and 44 tackles), and outside linebacker Kylan Guidry (54 tackles and 3 sacks). They also return All-Conference Honorable Mention Lucas Carneiro at kicker.
Verdict: Helton likes his quarterback to distribute the ball in their West Coast attack, and it will be interesting to see how Wommack defends that approach given his recent experience with Finley. On the other side of the ball, I expect Milroe’s jersey to remain clean and Alabama to run at will with Haynes and Miller.
49-13
Where: Tuscaloosa, AL
Coach: Tyson Helton, 6th season, 40-26 overall
2023 record: 8-5, 5-3 in Conference USA
The Hilltoppers of Bowling Green, KY will travel to Alabama for the 4th time, hoping to upset the Crimson Tide for its first win of the series. Alabama won the last meeting 38-10 in 2016. Coach Tyson Helton, brother of former USC and current Georgia Southern coach Clay Helton, coached under his brother at USC and was the QB/OC at Tennessee under Jeremy Pruitt prior to taking over at WKU. Helton’s team has the second-best odds to win Conference USA in 2024.
WKU loses QB Austin Reid who passed for 3,340 yards and 31 touchdowns in 2023. Insert an all too familiar face at quarterback, TJ Finley, who is surely the only quarterback to play against the Tide in 3 different jerseys. The former LSU and Auburn quarterback transfers from Texas State where last year he beat current Alabama DC and former South Alabama head coach, Kane Wommack, passing for 368 yards, 3 touchdowns, and one interception.
Wommack on TJ Finley: “Really impressed with him a year ago. He’s got a really good release. He can make all throws. I thought he did a really good job of managing their offense really well. Took what was given early, but can work through a progression. And so, it’ll be interesting to see how Tyson and their staff utilizes him.”
Finley’s has a 57% completion rate with 3 touchdowns and one interception against Alabama in his previous two starts, which includes the overtime thriller in the 2021 Iron Bowl. WKU lost their top 2023 receiver to the New York Jets in the 3rd round of the 2024 NFL draft. They return RB Elijah Young who rushed for 474 yards last season, and 500-yard receiver Dalvin Smith who caught 6 TDs in 2023. WKU also brings back another solid WR and returner, Easton Messer, who averaged 22.2 yards a return in 2023 and is on the 2024 Paul Hornung Award watchlist.
On defense, WKU only returns 4 starters from a weak run defense that gave up 190 yards on the ground in their last campaign. Notable returning defenders include defensive tackle Hosea Wheeler (42 tackles in 2023), cornerback Anthony Johnson Jr. (4 interceptions and 44 tackles), and outside linebacker Kylan Guidry (54 tackles and 3 sacks). They also return All-Conference Honorable Mention Lucas Carneiro at kicker.
Verdict: Helton likes his quarterback to distribute the ball in their West Coast attack, and it will be interesting to see how Wommack defends that approach given his recent experience with Finley. On the other side of the ball, I expect Milroe’s jersey to remain clean and Alabama to run at will with Haynes and Miller.
49-13
TerryP
Staff
Personally...
I would be happy sitting here tomorrow, looking at the box score, and see less than fifteen passes. Just run the ball. WKU can't stop the run.
But, I also want to see 30+ passing attempts just to get the WR group "in motion."
I'm still laughing a bit at the fact this is the third time we're going to see Finley, on his THIRD team.
Where is that horse? I want to beat him again. Domani Jackson is the guy I want to watch today...and without All-22, I can't. Cornerback play is something to watch today...in my not so humble opinion.
I would be happy sitting here tomorrow, looking at the box score, and see less than fifteen passes. Just run the ball. WKU can't stop the run.
But, I also want to see 30+ passing attempts just to get the WR group "in motion."
I'm still laughing a bit at the fact this is the third time we're going to see Finley, on his THIRD team.
Where is that horse? I want to beat him again. Domani Jackson is the guy I want to watch today...and without All-22, I can't. Cornerback play is something to watch today...in my not so humble opinion.
TerryP
Staff
@bamaledge the Twitter embeds mess with the amount of space the chat takes up.
