Don McPeak-US PRESSWIRE
The Alabama Crimson Tide is just one day away from their home opener against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, and if you are like me you can’t wait for this game to get started, to end all the talk that has been going on this week.
We aren’t here to talk about that now. It’s been discussed enough in this space. Despite the lack of respect Western Kentucky has gotten from everyone this week, they have a solid football team.
You can check out my breakdown of their offense here if you missed it on Wednesday.
The Hilltopper offense has talent, but it’s without a doubt their defense that sets the tone with seven returning starters from last season’s respectable unit. Last week against Austin Peay, Western Kentucky held the Governors to only 154 yards of total offense, with only 11 of those yards coming through the air.
Austin Peay quarterback Jake Ryan completed just 2-of-10 passes for 11 yards and an interception.
Of course, that means that Western Kentucky conceded 143 yards on the ground against an Austin Peay team that returned only one starter from last season on their offensive line. That spells bad news for the Hilltoppers as they go against Alabama’s big and physical offensive line that dominated Michigan.
Austin Peay did rush for 143 yards, but nearly half of those yards came on Wes Kitts’ 68-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Other than that one run, Austin Peay managed just 75 yards on their 36 other carries for just over 2-yards per carry.
Still, Western Kentucky’s defensive front hasn’t seen an offensive line as talented as Alabama’s, and not many teams have. For comparison’s sake, LSU rushed for 291 yards against the Hilltoppers last season in a 42-9 victory. But, the Bayou Bengals didn’t waltz all over Western Kentucky right away. LSU had only a 14-7 halftime lead before they wore the Hilltoppers down as they coasted to the victory.
That kind of start to the game is exactly what Nick Saban is concerned with and for good reason. The weather is likely to be a factor on Saturday and that means the Crimson Tide will have to be that much more focused to make sure this game isn’t closer than it should be.
The quarterback of Western Kentucky’s defense is 6-foot-1, 262-pound junior linebacker Andrew Jackson. Nick Saban said Jackson is an SEC player and there is no doubt that he is of that caliber. Jackson was an All-Sun Belt performer last season as he led Western Kentucky with 107 tackles and 17 tackles for loss.
You might remember back to last season when Western Kentucky played Kentucky, and Andrew Jackson was quite unimpressed with the Wildcats. If you don’t know him, he’s a guy you will get to know on Saturday afternoon. Jackson is a legitimate NFL prospect for Western Kentucky, and he has the talent to play with the Crimson Tide.
Unfortunately, Western Kentucky needs an entire team of guys like Jackson to have a legitimate shot at the upset.
Senior defensive tackles Jamarcus Allen and Kenny Martin are the experienced guys on Western Kentucky’s defensive line, and they will have their hands full against the interior of Alabama’s offensive line. They both started 11 games last season with Allen leading the way with 39 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, and a pair of sacks.
The Hilltoppers have two new starters on their defensive line with seniors Quanterus Smith and Cole Tischer. Smith may not be considered a returning starter, but he led Western Kentucky with 7 sacks last season.
Joining Andrew Jackson at linebacker is returning starter Xavius Boyd. Boyd was second on the team behind Jackson in tackles a year ago as a sophomore, and he made nine starts.
The secondary stole the show last week for the Hilltoppers and their defensive backfield features three returning starters in junior Tyree Robinson, and senior safeties Kiante Young and Kareem Peterson.
Their secondary also features a Florida transfer in Jonathan Dowling who was a very highly touted recruit coming out of high school. Dowling intercepted a pass against Austin Peay in his first game for the Hilltoppers.
Western Kentucky has a very deep and talented secondary that will pose problems for AJ McCarron and Alabama’s wide receivers. Fortunately, Alabama should be able to rely on their running game once again against what looks like an overmatched front seven.
As far as special teams go, Western Kentucky’s struggles should make Alabama fans feel fortunate about what they have. The Hilltoppers converted 5 of their 18 field goal attempts last season, and went 0/3 in their season opener against Austin Peay. So, yeah things could be worse.
The Hilltoppers have talent on their defense, but they do not have enough to seriously challenge the Crimson Tide. Alabama’s offensive line should dominate up front much like last week and open up running lanes for the four-headed monster in the backfield.
Expect this game to be similar to the LSU/Western Kentucky game last season. Don’t be surprised to see this team hang around for a little bit, but in the end Alabama’s depth and talent will be way too much for them to overcome for sixty-minutes, and the Crimson Tide should pull away to a comfortable victory.
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