FB Preview | UWA vs LU | March 6, 2021

WEST ALABAMA (0-0) vs LIMESTONE UNIVERSITY (0-0)
March 6, 2021 l Tiger Stadium | Livingston, Ala. | 1 p.m. l SLY 104.9

THE SERIES
UWA leads 2-0. This will be second meeting at Tiger Stadium.

WEST ALABAMA
This is the first of two games the Tigers are scheduled to play in the spring of 2021

LIMESTONE
This is the first of seven scheduled games this spring for the Saints.

THE COACHES
Brett Gilliland is 43-26 in his seventh season as a head coach, all at UWA. Brian Turk is 3-10 in his second season at Limestone.

RADIO
SLY 104.9: Robert Upchurch & Will Atkinson on the call. The Tiger Tailgate show starts at noon.

TIGER VISION
The live video feed of the game, incorporating the radio call of the action, can be found at https://bit.ly/2lls7wI. There is no charge.

2021 UWA Spring Schedule/Results
Date                 Opponent                                 Time
3/6                   Limestone                                1 p.m.
3/13                 Savannah State*                       4 p.m.

*Gulf Coast Challenge Game in Mobile, Ala.

SERIES HISTORY
This is the third game in the series. West Alabama has won both. The Tigers won, 16-13, in 2018 and 35-18 to open the 2019 season at Tiger Stadium in Livingston.

EXPERIENCE
West Alabama has 23 players on the current roster who are listed as either seniors or graduate students.

DECEMBER WALK
Twenty (20) Tiger football players walked across the stage to pick up their undergraduate degrees in December 2020 commencement exercises. Eight of those are suited up in this game.

STADIUM RENOVATION
The UWA Board of Trustees approved the renovation of Tiger Stadium at its March 1 meeting. Construction of two new wings of the press box, a new entertainment area, new reserved seating and an academic center will begin in a couple of weeks.

NEW TURF, NEW SEATS
This game marks the first for UWA football on the new playing surface that was installed in the summer of 2020 and the first opportunity for fans to sit on the new perm planks in general admission.

GILLILAND vs LIMESTONE
West Alabama head coach Brett Gilliland is 2-0 against Limestone University, 1-0 in Livingston.

TURK vs. UWA
Limestone head coach Brian Turk is 0-1 against West Alabama, 0-1 against the Tigers in Livingston.

LAST TIME VERSUS THE SAINTS
West Alabama, ranked 24^th nationally, cruised to a 35-18 victory over Limestone to open the 2019 season at Tiger Stadium. Derrick Underwood rushed for 69 yards on 14 carries and James Smith had 53 on 11 trips.  The Tiger secondary broke up 11 passes in the game.

SEASON OPENERS
West Alabama is 5-1 in season openers under head coach Brett Gilliland. It's a good bet that there have been no other season openers in March and that the first game of the season has ever been the next to last game of the season, but so it goes with COVID 19.

NEXT WEEK
UWA travels to Ladd-Peeples Stadium in Mobile, Alabama to play Savannah State in the Gulf Coast Challenge. Game time is 4 p.m.

CLIMBING THE RECEIVING LIST
Tiger receiver Bayley Blanchard comes into the game eighth on the UWA all-time receptions list with 110 for 1,378 yards and 12 touchdowns.

SIZE UP FRONT
UWA's starting offensive line averages 6-foot-3 and 312 pounds.

ONLY TWO ON THE TWO
Coming into the game against Limestone there are only two freshmen on the projected two-deep depth chart, wide receiver Silas Thompson from Piedmont, Alabama and defensive back Nick Ellis of Mobile, Alabama.

ONE OF FOUR
UWA head coach Brett Gilliland is one of just four coaches in the history of Tiger football that have averaged seven or more wins over a minimum career of three seasons. Gilliland, Jim King, Micky Andrews and Will Hall are those four. Hall averaged eight over his three from 2011-13.

NEW SPECIALISTS
The Tigers will feature all new specialists since the last time a game was played. All-American punter Zach Gaines has graduated and freshman Trey Sullivan moves into that role. Gabe Dunkle, junior transfer steps into the place kicking role.

ONLY LILLY NOT NEW
Bandit end Undraez Lilly is the only returning starter to the defensive line. He will be joined by Chris Terrell at the other end and Charvez Embrey and Rykeem Terry on the inside. In 26 games played as a Tiger, Lilly has 54 career tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.

BAY BAY ONE OF EIGHT
Receiver Bayley Blanchard is one of only eight receivers in UWA history to have 100 receptions. Blanchard is one of two receivers in the league with over 40 catches with 43.

TYRIQ GETTING CLOSE
Junior receiver Tyriq Martin is closing in on being the ninth receiver in Tiger history with 100 receptions. In just two seasons Martin already has 75 catches for 917 yards and 11 TDs.

UWA FOOTBALL HISTORY
First Year of Football:                1938
All-Time Record:                       326-431-18
All-Time GSC Record:                 237-286-6
GSC Titles:                                1971, 2012, 2013, 2017
NCAA Playoff Appearances:       6
NCAA Playoff Record:                4-6
Last Playoff Appearance:           2018 Lost at Bowie State, 1st Round
National Titles Won:                  1 (NAIA '71)
TV Game of the Week Record:   20-19

COMBINED FOR 1965
Three returning UWA running backs have combined to rush for 1,965 yards over their careers. Derrick Underwood has 1,130, James Smith 6=553 and Demetrius Battle 282.

DERRICK NEEDS 574
Running back Derrick Underwood needs just 574 yards to move into the UWA all-time top 10 in rushing yards.

STATS COUNT
According to NCAA policy all stats collected in the two games that the Tigers play this spring will count toward player career records and toward career coaching records.

BOBBY AT 12:10
West Alabama director of athletics Bobby Wallace will be the special guest on the Tiger Tailgate Show this week. Wallace is expected to fill in Tiger fans about the upcoming stadium renovations. He is expected to join the show at 12:10 p.m.

PRESS BOX LUNCH
To keep in line with COVID 19 policy box lunches will be served to press box personnel in the press box. Masked will be required when faces are not being used for eating.

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Players Mentioned

#17 Zach Gaines: P; 6' 1"; Senior

#5 Demetrius Battle: RB; 6' 2"; Sophomore

#89 Bayley Blanchard: WR; 6' 1"; Senior

#5 Undraez Lilly: DE; 6' 0"; Senior

#8 Tyriq Martin: WR; 6' 3"; Junior

#4 James Smith, III: RB; 5' 8"; Senior

#3 Derrick Underwood: RB; 5' 10"; Senior

#7 Chris Terrell: DE; 6' 3"; Senior

#88 Silas Thompson: WR; 6' 3"; Freshman

#92 Trey Sullivan: P; 6' 1"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#17 Zach Gaines
: 6' 1"; Senior
: P

#5 Demetrius Battle
: 6' 2"; Sophomore
: RB

#89 Bayley Blanchard
: 6' 1"; Senior
: WR

#5 Undraez Lilly
: 6' 0"; Senior
: DE

#8 Tyriq Martin
: 6' 3"; Junior
: WR

#4 James Smith, III
: 5' 8"; Senior
: RB

#3 Derrick Underwood
: 5' 10"; Senior
: RB

#7 Chris Terrell
: 6' 3"; Senior
: DE

#88 Silas Thompson
: 6' 3"; Freshman
: WR

#92 Trey Sullivan
: 6' 1"; Freshman
: P