Preview Week 7: West Alabama
University of West Alabama, GSC (D2)
Broadcast: 10/14 FloSports 4 PM CST/5 PM EST
When We Last Saw West Alabama
2023 Record: 2-4 (1-2)
Coach Brett Gilliland’s Tigers have been a tale of two phases all season. This team features an absolutely stifling defensive unit, currently near the top of the league in many major defensive categories (total defense, run defense, turnovers gained, yards per play) and a plethora of elite defensive contributors including 1st Team All-GSC DT Davonchae Bryant (24 tackles 4 TFL 1 sack 1 hurry), GSC 2nd leading tackler LB Jamarcus Smith (40 tackles 3.5 TFL 1 INT 1 PBU), along with a stacked DB group highlighted by Bethune Cookman transfer Uriah Ratliff, Shamar Lewis, Kel Williams, and Artavious Washington (t-GSC leading 3 INT). Despite being pretty stingy with yardage (2nd in GSC 328.2 yards allowed per game), they’re middle of the pack in scoring defense (25.3 ppg allowed). Offensively, this team has really struggled all around they have the worst scoring offense in the league (15.0 ppg), they’re one of two teams averaging less than 300 yards per game (270.7) and have coughed up a staggering 8 INT+10 fumbles and allowed 15 sacks. They do have a handful of experienced playmakers on offense, RB Bry Webb has two games with at least 150 yards this season and has a long of 78 yards. In the pass game, the QB combo of Spencer Arceneaux (33-67 438 yards 3 TD 3 INT) and Tucker Melton (43-101 438 yards 3 TD 5 INT) have struggled, but top receiving target Darius Nalls is having a solid year (21 receptions 283 yards 3 TD) and WR2 Tyler Walker isn’t too far behind (16 receptions 232 yards). All in all, the Tigers are just not having the kind of step forward season they should be having given the amount of talent on the roster.
Three Players to Know
Senior Bry Webb, RB 5’11” 188
Stats: 71 carries 409 yards 1 TD 4 receptions 18 yards
Bry Webb is the brightest spot on this West Al offense so far this season. While his production has been kind of spotty, three games with at least 60 yards, three games with less than 20, he has also been the biggest playmaker for the Tigers. In back to back to back weeks against NGU, MC, and Delta he combined for 57 carries and 379 yards plus his only score of the season. His lone TD is a 70+ yarder.
UWF has faced some good backs so far this season, Mosley and Kennedy from West Georgia, Watkins from North Greenville, and have faired well. With the Tigers’ issues at QB and a middling Offensive Line, it could be a tough day for Webb. But he still can hurt you if given the chance, so the Argos front seven will need to play through the whistle.
Junior Davonta Jackson, Defensive End 6’4” 225
Stats: 30 tackles (16 solo) 6 TFL 1.5 sacks 8 QB hurries 3 PBU
Jackson is in his first year in Livingston, but he is already proving to be one of the best players on a loaded Tiger defense. The pass rush specialist only has connected on 1.5 sacks this year but has a stout 8 QB hurries, and is t-3rd in the GSC for TFL. You can easily see his presence on tape, winning against Offensive Tackles and disrupting the backfield, plus he has been remarkably consistent, tallying at least 0.5 TFL and 1 hurry every game this season.
This DL group was special last year and then they added Jackson from the JUCO ranks in the offseason. UWF is in for their biggest test since FAMU, and maybe their biggest test the remainder of the regular season with Jackson rushing the passer. The OL has seemingly solidified around the current starting Tackle combo of Bruce and Freeman, but they’ll have their hands full Saturday evening.
Senior Uriah Ratliff, Defensive Back 5’10” 170
Stats: 32 tackles (25 solo) 2 TFL 1 FF 1 INT 4 QB Hurries 5 PBU 1 Blocked Kick
Another new addition to an already stellar defensive unit, Ratliff has been stuffing the stat sheet in his debut season with UWA. The Safety is 2nd on the team in tackles, leads in solo stops and PBU, and is 2nd in QB hurries. While he isn’t listed on the depth chart as starter at FS, he has been a major contributor in every game so far this season.
Ratliff plays Safety and also in the slot where he is used in coverage, against the run, and to rush the passer. UWF will already have hands full with the front four of the Tigers, so the Backs and Tight Ends, along with Peewee, are going to have to account for #8 in passing situations. He will also provide a credible pass defender in the slot where Caden Leggett has done a bunch of damage so far this year.
Matchup of the Week
West Florida’s Offensive Line vs West Alabama’s Defensive Line
We saw against FAMU that you can slow this offense down if your Defensive Line can cause consistent disruption in the backfield. This DL is the best they’ve seen since that FAMU game and could be the best opposing DL group in conference play this year, though Delta State’s Line is also very talented. If they can penetrate into the backfield they’re gonna have a chance to slow down both phases of the offense, and with the quality of LBs and DBs backing them up, this could end up being a very tricky game. The Argonauts’ Offensive Line, lead by Jacob Bruce, Oake Stipe, and Chop Doucoure, are going to have to be the difference in this contest. Overall the OL has played well this year, and I think have been playing their best ball with the current starting five configuration (L to R Bruce, Beesley, Stipe, Doucoure, Freeman). If they keep the pocket relatively clean, UWF should have a chance to move the ball and score some points. If they cant keep the Tigers out of the backfield, UWF might have to rely more on the quick pass and QB run game to counteract an aggressive DL group. This is the battle that is going to determine how close this game ends up being.
Prediction
UWF has been an unstoppable force on both sides of the ball through three games of GSC play. West Alabama has been elite on defense, but struggled mightily on offense all season. Its hard to imagine UWF not scoring enough to win this game, but it its going to be uglier than the last three weeks have been. The Argos have a size advantage in the WR-DB battle, maybe they can take advantage of that more against UWA than they did versus Shorter, but I think this is going to be a grind it out kind of game. Move the sticks on the ground, use the numbers advantage of a big, athletic QB in the run game, short passes allowing the pass catchers to make plays, but Peewee cant hold onto the ball for long because the pass rush will get there and the whole secondary is full of ballhawks. Turnovers will play a big role in this one, West Al has given away a league worst 18 turnovers (156th nationally) while UWF has turned it over just 7 times (t-2nd in GSC, t-37th nationally), compared to 13 and 12 turnovers gained, respectively. I think the Argos start their two game road trip with a win in Livingston 33-7 setting up a de facto conference championship game next week against Delta State.
