#17 Football 8/28/2016 1:55:00 PM

Game Preview – UWA at NGU

THE SERIES
This is the first meeting between the Tigers and the Crusaders.

WEST ALABAMA in 2015
West Alabama finished the 2015 season with a 7-4 record.

NORTH GREENVILLE IN 2015
North Greenville finished the 2015 season with a 7-3 record. NGU was undefeated at home last season.

THE COACHES
Brett Gilliland is 12-10 as he begins his third season at UWA, his third as a head coach. Jeff Farrington is 19-14 beginning his fourth season at NGU, his fourth as a head coach.

COVERAGE
TV: None
Radio: ESPN 104.9 or www.espn1049.com
Live Video Feed: http://bit.ly/2bpY5yr
Live Stats: http://bit.ly/2bpYMrx
Twitter: @UWAathletics

THE HIGHWAY
West Alabama will be racking up the miles in September, opening the regular season with three straight road games and four of five September games on the road.

NORTH GREENVILLE COMING ABOARD FOR FOOTBALL 2018
The Crusaders will have full integration into the Gulf South Conference football schedule and access to championships and awards in 2018, boosting the conference's football membership to 10 teams.

BETHANY HARRIS HONORED ON TIGER HELMETS
To honor the memory of former UWA cheerleader Bethany Harris, who perished in an automobile accident on Dec. 28, 2015, the Tigers will wear the initials "BH" on their helmets during the 2016 season.

GRAMMER LESSON
The NGU game will be the first in a UWA uniform for senior quarterback Austin Grammar, who transferred to the Tigers after three seasons at Middle Tennessee State. Grammar threw for 306 yards and three TDs in just over a half of play in the Tigers 2016 spring game.

NEW FACES ON THE TIGER STAFF
The UWA coaching staff has three new faces heading into the 2016 season. Don Bailey came from the University of Hawaii to serve as the Tigers offensive coordinator, former Jones County Junior College head coach David Thornton returns for his second tour of duty at UWA as the offensive line coach and Ervin Jackson also returns to coach defensive backs after a season away at Point.

PRESEASON HONORS FOR FELIX
Tiger strong safety Felix Woods is the lone UWA player to be voted by league coaches as a preseason All-Gulf South Conference performer. A senior from Lakeland, Florida, Woods is the leading returning tackler for the Tigers. The 2015 Weber State transfer recorded 45 tackles last year, 21 solo. He also recorded 3.5 sacks for minus 30 yards.

211 NOT COMING BACK
Graduation hit the Tiger defense hard … to the tune of a combined 211 total tackles not returning in the persons of linebackers Quentin Harton, Brandon Keel and defensive tackle Jared Washington. The triumvirate also combined for 29.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks.

GILLILAND 7-1 IN SEPTEMBER
Since returning to his alma mater as head coach prior to the 2014 season, Brett Gilliland has put together a 7-1 record in games played in the month of September. The only loss was to FCS power Jacksonville State in 2014.

FIVE TIMES THIS YEAR
If history is an indicator, then UWA should get off to a fast start to the 2016 season with five games scheduled in the month of September. Problem is, four are on the road and the lone home games is against perennial Division II power North Alabama.

JUST 14
The Tiger roster boasts just 14 seniors this season, with just five of those having played their entire college football career at West Alabama. Those five are center Jess Allen, defensive linemen Ashton Derico and Jherron Jones, special teams guru Robert Myers and linebacker DeQuante Shockley.

VERSUS NON CONFERENCE FOES
West Alabama went undefeated in non-conference play in 2015 and are 7-1 in non-conference games under Brett Gilliland. The Tigers are 3-1 in non-conference road games under Gilliland.

NEXT WEEK
West Alabama saddles up to return to Texas for a second straight year, this time to face FCS foe Stephen F. Austin. North Greenville travels to Hickory, North Carolina, to meet Lenior Rhyne.

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Players Mentioned

#34 Quentin Harton: LB; 5' 11"; Senior

#33 Brandon Keel: LB; 6' 2"; Senior

#41 Jared Washington: DT; 6' 2"; Senior

#50 Jess Allen: C; 6' 0"; Senior

#91 Ashton Derico: DE; 6' 4"; Junior

#5 Jherron Jones: DL; 5' 11"; Senior

#21 Robert Myers: RB; 5' 11"; Junior

#10 DeQuante Shockley: LB; 6' 2"; Senior

#38 Felix Woods: SS; 5' 11"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#34 Quentin Harton
: 5' 11"; Senior
: LB

#33 Brandon Keel
: 6' 2"; Senior
: LB

#41 Jared Washington
: 6' 2"; Senior
: DT

#50 Jess Allen
: 6' 0"; Senior
: C

#91 Ashton Derico
: 6' 4"; Junior
: DE

#5 Jherron Jones
: 5' 11"; Senior
: DL

#21 Robert Myers
: 5' 11"; Junior
: RB

#10 DeQuante Shockley
: 6' 2"; Senior
: LB

#38 Felix Woods
: 5' 11"; Senior
: SS