Live Updates: No. 5 Alabama Football vs. Western Kentucky

Score updates, stats and analysis from inside Bryant-Denny Stadium as the Crimson Tide officially kicks off the Kalen DeBoer era.

Kalen DeBoer at the Walk of Champions- August 31, 2024 / Alabama Athletics

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— The first game of the Kalen DeBoer era went off without a hitch at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday night as the Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers 63-0.

That’s because the Alabama football team, finally participating in real game action following all the talk about its twist-filled offseason, dismantled the overmatched Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in the season opener. The Crimson Tide (1-0) scored 42 first-half points and didn’t look back. 

Here's how it happened:

MOST RECENT EVENTS ARE AT THE TOP.

Fourth Quarter:

• Running backs Daniel Hill and Kevin Riley chew the clock with nonstop run plays for the Tide's longest drive of the game. After yet another first-down run, Lonergan took a knee in the red zone to close the game.

• Dylan Lonergan is in at quarterback with under nine minutes to go.

• Alabama forces a punt and gets the ball at its own 31 yard line with 8:39 remaining in the game.

• Simpson gets into the end zone on a 15-yard run. He joins the party. Alabama 63, WKU 0. 10:04 remains in the ball game.

• Simpson throws an interception, only the second turnover of the game for Alabama. A flag is called for roughing the passe, wiping the pick from the ledger. After a review, there is no targeting foul assessed.

• The final frame of the night begins with a Hilltopper punt.

Third Quarter:

• Alabama punts it back to Western Kentucky. The third quarter ends with the visitors facing second down from their own 26. Alabama leads this one 56-0 with the fours coming up at Bryant-Denny.

• Another three-and-out for the Hilltoppers following a long pass attempt by Veltkamp. Another punt for the visitors. Jaylen Mbakwe calls for and takes the fair catch.

• Simpson helps march the Crimson Tide downfield and running back Daniel Hill finds paydirt for another touchdown. Alabama 56, WKU 0. 2:51 remains in the third quarter.

• Ty Simpson is now in at quarterback for Alabama.

• Western Kentucky can't respond to Milroe's second rushing score of the day, punting the ball back to the Crimson Tide.

• Jalen Milroe collects his second rushing score of the day, and Alabama continues to pile on. This one comes from 21 yards out. Alabama 49, WKU 0. 6:30 remains in the third quarter. A 61-yard scoring drive by the Crimson Tide.

• Western Kentucky follows that example after a penalty negated a decent gain and will punt once more.

• Alabama goes three-and-out on its first drive of the third quarter.

• The third quarter gets underway at 8:10 p.m. CT.

Second Quarter:

• Western Kentucky is content to let the clock wind down to halftime. A first half for Kalen DeBoer's Crimson Tide squad that yielded much spark on both sides of the ball, and more relevantly to the current contest, a 42-0 lead over the Hilltoppers at the break.

• Ryan Williams has his second touchdown of the game, a 55-yard connection between himself and Milroe. What a game for both players and what a debut for Williams. The first half isn't even over yet. Alabama 42, WKU 0.

• Caden Veltkamp is in at quarterback for Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers fail to convert on third down after the new two-minute warning. Alabama calls a timeout with 1:54 remaining in the second quarter.

• Justice Haynes gets his first massive play of the season two plays into the drive with an 85-yard touchdown run. The big plays are all over the place for the Crimson Tide. Alabama 35, WKU 0. 2:53 to go in the first half. Two plays with 90+ yards gained in under a minute on that Alabama drive.

• Finley is dragged down short of the line to make by Tim Keenan, turning the football over on downs. The Hilltoppers remain off the scoreboard as Alabama takes over on its own five-yard line.

• For the third time on this drive, Western Kentucky decides to go for it, this time at the Alabama eight-yard line. Five yards to go. The Hilltoppers call a timeout to assess things. 3:33 left on the game clock in the first half.

• The Hilltoppers again go for it on fourth down, this time from the Alabama 42. Needing two yards, Finley completes the pass to K.D. Hutchinson for first-down yardage.

• A capacity crowd is announced in the Bryant-Denny Stadium press box.

• Western Kentucky sets up to go for it on fourth down from its own 34, and does snap the ball. Finley gets a first down.

• Aided by penalties and a big run from Jalen Milroe, Jam Miller gets to the house on a 39-yard scamper. The Crimson Tide adds on Alabama 28, WKU 0.

• Western Kentucky cannot capitalize on the Alabama fumble, as the Hilltoppers miss a 38-yard field goal try off the boot of Lucas Carneiro after starting the drive at the Crimson Tide 20. The visitors remain scoreless.

First Quarter:

• The first quarter wraps up with Western Kentucky maintaining possession in the red zone after Jalen Milroe lost a fumble on a bad snap, but Alabama has a 21-0 lead.

• Three-and-out once again for Western Kentucky. Things have gotten out of hand for the Hilltoppers in a hurry.

• Following additional penalties, including a false start by Tyler Booker and a hold by Kobe Prentice, Milroe takes punting out of the equation on 3rd & 13 with an 84-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Williams. There's the freshman Williams' first catch. He makes an early statement. Nicholson's kick is good. Alabama 21, WKU 0.

• Alabama will set up on its 19 following a penalty for a block in the back.

• Finley is stopped on third down by Jihaad Campbell, and the Hilltoppers will punt it away.

• Western Kentucky now faces a tremendous hole following two costly turnovers from its quarterback on opposite sides of the field.

• Milroe's first completion of the season is a 22-yard touchdown pass to Kendrick Law. The point-after try is good. Alabama 14, WKU 0. 5:01 remains in the first quarter.

• Finley throws another interception to Sabb, and it's returned deep into Western Kentucky territory. The Hilltoppers had driven down to the Alabama 22. Sabb's return goes for 64 yards to the WKU 26.

• Alabama defensive back Red Morgan picks up a pass interference penalty, moving the Hilltoppers into Alabama territory for the first time after two previous first downs on the drive.

• Jalen Milroe has the first score of the 2024 season on a 12-yard rush. The extra point from Graham Nicholson is good. Alabama 7, WKU 0. 10:07 remains in quarter number one. It was a two-play, 16-yard drive.

• Finley throws an interception to Keon Sabb, who makes a big play in his much-anticipated Alabama debut. The Crimson Tide will set up shop in the red zone at the Western Kentucky 16 as a result of the turnover.

• After the second-down fumble, Jalen Milroe's first pass attempt of the season is incomplete on third down. Alabama goes three-and-out on drive number one of Kalen DeBoer's tenure. James Burnip's punt goes 52 yards.

• The Crimson Tide puts the ball on the deck on the second snap of the new season but maintains possession.

• Alabama's first offensive play of the 2024 season is a handoff to Justice Haynes that goes for four yards. Elijah Pritchett starts at left tackle following Proctor's warmup exit.

• TJ Finley is sacked rather emphatically by Quandarrius Robinson on a 3rd & 12, making it 4th down with 22 to go. The Hilltoppers had gotten one first down on the drive. Alabama will have the ball at its own 31 for its first offensive possession.

• Western Kentucky's headsets are not working, meaning Alabama must remove its headsets as a matter of policy. A sterling start for the new system.

• Kickoff for the 2024 season, and the Kalen DeBoer era, is official at 6:06 p.m. CT.

• Western Kentucky will receive the first half kickoff.

Pregame:

• It appears Proctor has gone to the locker room, with Elijah Pritchett taking over for him.

• A big ovation for offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor when he comes on the video board. Proctor previously transferred to Iowa before coming back to Alabama.

• Former Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban is in the building for the first chapter in his successor's story.

• Players have taken the field in uniform for warm-ups with under an hour to go until the season gets underway. It is still raining, though the sky is substantially brighter.

• The sun is doing its best to peek through here with fewer than 90 minutes to go until kick.

• Rain is still falling at Bryant-Denny with approximately two hours until kickoff.

• Everything is earlier now than it has been, with the first Walk of Champions that was set two and a half hours prior to kickoff (instead of the previous two) having just completed.

• Kalen DeBoer began his pregame stroll around the field at approximately 3:50. It is still raining lightly inside Bryant-Denny Stadium. DeBoer is currently wearing a hoodie and hat, but he could still change before the game.
• Tyler Booker and Kadyn Proctor were the first players on the field for warmups for the Crimson Tide.

How to Watch: Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

Who: Alabama (0-0, 0-0 SEC) vs. Western Kentucky (0-0, 0-0 Conference USA)

When: Saturday, Aug. 31, 6 p.m. CT

Where: Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

TV: ESPN

Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network (Play-By-Play: Chris Stewart, Color: Tyler Watts). The pregame show will begin one hour prior to kickoff.

SiriusXM: 81

Series: Alabama leads 3-0 with the first meeting occurring on Sept. 13, 2008.

Last Meeting: On Sept. 10, 2016, the Crimson Tide defeated the Hilltoppers 38-13 in Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts completed 28-of-36 pass attempts for 287 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver Calvin Ridley was certainly Hurts' favorite target that afternoon as he hauled in nine receptions for 129 yards and a touchdown. On the defensive side of the ball, Reuben Foster was the tackles leader with six, Eddie Jackson and Ronnie Harrison each tallied an interception and Dalvin Tomlinson and Jonathan Allen had one sack apiece (Dakota Ball and Ryan Anderson split a sack).

Last Time Out, Alabama: The then-No. 4 Crimson Tide concluded last season with a 27-20 overtime loss to the then-No. 1 Michigan Wolverines in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, 2024. Former Alabama running back (drafted by the Atlanta Falcons) Jase McClellan's 14 carries for 87 yards and two touchdowns plus current quarterback Jalen Milroe's 116 passing yards and 63 rushing yards weren't enough to come up with a victory. One week later, Michigan defeated the Washington Huskies 34-13 in the National Championship.

Last Time Out, Western Kentucky:The Hilltoppers concluded last season with a 44-23 victory over the South Alabama Jaguars in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl on Dec. 21, 2023. Former Western Kentucky quarterback (signed as an undrafted free agent by the Chicago Bears) Austin Reed threw a for a collegiate career-high 497 yards and four touchdowns.