Alabama To Face Familiar Foe In Week 1 After Former SEC QB Named WKU Starter

Perhaps the third time will be the charm for T.J. Finley.

On Monday, Western Kentucky head coach Tyson Helton named Finley the team's starting quarterback ahead of its Week 1 game at Alabama.

For Finley, it will be the third time he's played against the Tide.

The journeyman quarterback is on his fourth collegiate program and previously played in the SEC at LSU and Auburn.

Finley has two previous starts against Alabama and is 0-2 all-time.

In 2020, he started LSU's 55-17 blowout loss to Alabama. The following season, he transferred to Auburn and nearly pulled off a massive upset in the Iron Bowl.

The Tide entered 10-1 while the Tigers were 6-5, but Alabama needed a furious fourth-quarter rally in an eventual 24-22 win in four overtimes.

In his two prior starts against Alabama, Finley was 31-of-54 (57.4 percent) for 281 yards, three touchdowns and an interception.

Finley played at Texas State last season. In 13 games, he was 279-of-414 (67.4 percent) for 3,439 yards, 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

He led the Bobcats to a 45-21 win over Rice in the First Responder Bowl.

During the offseason, he transferred for the third time and landed with the Hilltoppers.

Last year, Western Kentucky went 8-5 in Helton's fifth season as head coach.

Per ESPN Bet , Western Kentucky is an enormous 31-point underdog against Alabama this Saturday.