LIVINGSTON, Ala. - The University of West Alabama Football team is set to wrap up their historic 2024 regular season on Saturday as they host the Erskine Flying Fleet at 1:00 p.m.
Saturday is also Senior Day for the Tigers as they are set to recognize and celebrate all 33 of their honorees before kickoff.
"We are excited to get to honor these great seniors and have another game in Tiger Stadium," said head coach
Brett Gilliland. "I am very proud of what this team has accomplished to this point. We have put ourselves in a great position to make the playoffs and complete the regular season with the best regular season record at UWA since the 70s."
No.12 West Alabama (8-1, 4-1 GSC) enters the regular season finale in prime position to host a playoff game next weekend after picking up their eighth win of the year last week against the Shorter Hawks, 31-6. As for Erskine (1-7, 0-5 GSC), they've struggled in their first season in the GSC and come into Saturday's game off the heels of a 21-3 loss to Chowan.
With immense talent on both sides of the ball, the Tigers are in the midst of one of their greatest seasons in school history. UWA comes into their final regular season contest, outscoring their opponents by 15.0 points per game. The Tigers' defense has received a ton of well deserved praise this season, but the offense has continued to take leaps week-by-week. Quarterback
Spencer Arceneaux has inserted his name into the All-GSC conversation after the junior recorded a career-high four touchdown passes in West Alabama's win over Shorter. Arceneaux is now up to 17 total touchdowns this season after beginning the year as the backup. Arceneaux's two favorite targets,
Khris Binion and
Caeleb Bass, have turned in career-seasons with the junior Quarterback at the helm. Binion currently leads the team and ranks seventh in the league with 505 receiving yards while Bass leads the Tigers and sits third in the GSC with six receiving touchdowns.
While the offense continues to improve, West Alabama's defense remains a juggernaut. With so many standout players on that side of the ball,
Trevon Stanford arguably stands at the top of the list. Stanford is a versatile Linebacker who's registered 50 tackles, 10.0 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and three QB hurries through nine games. While Stanford's turned in a tremendous season, so has fellow Linebacker
Ishmael Naylor. Naylor leads the team and ranks second in the conference in tackles with 65.0, making West Alabama's Linebacker duo one of the best in the entire country.
UWA's defense has allowed 12.4 points per game this season which now ranks ninth in the country. The Tigers have a great opportunity to build on that number against an Erskine team that's only averaging 13.9 points this year.
The two biggest offensive threats on the Flying Fleets' roster is Running back, Rashad Luckey and Wide Receiver, Rodshaun Dorsey. Luckey leads Erskine's backfield with 346 rushing yards and three touchdowns this season while Dorsey has been Quarterback, Craig Pender's favorite target in 2024. Dorsey leads Erskine in receiving yards and touchdowns with 366 yards and five touchdowns.
Defensively for the Flying Fleet, Defensive back Hayden Redders has turned in an All-GSC caliber season. In the secondary, Redders has recorded 65 total tackles, leading all DBs in the conference. The redshirt freshman will need help from his fellow defensive teammates if Erskine wants any chance of pulling off an upset.
"It will take a focused effort against an unfamiliar opponent," Gilliland continued. "Hopefully Tiger Stadium is packed again for a great GSC game."
Kick-off for Saturday's game is set for 1:00 p.m. CST from Tiger Stadium.
