The Louisiana Monroe Warhawks enter this weekend's matchup with the Alabama Crimson Tide as a 50-point underdog. That doesn't stop ULM head football coach Terry Bowden from encouraging his players as they prepare to play in Bryant Denny Stadium on Saturday.

"Men, you know what level of football players they are. You go be the best you can be, you go play the best you can be, be as good as you can be and do the best you can. Any Saturday, it can happen," said Bowden on Thursday morning on The Gary Harris Show. "Alabama has to help us a little bit on this one, or a lot. But men go out there and have fun, play as hard as you can and don't lose the game before it starts. Go to bed like any young man needs to go to bed. I'm going to somehow some miraculous play that's going to affect this game."

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The 66-year-old veteran of the coaching industry joined Harris on his radio program to discuss his career in football, his unique connection to Nick Saban and his Hall of Fame father.

Bowden, who spent six years as head coach of the Auburn Tigers, is looking forward to coaching his first game in Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday, despite bringing in a team that appears to be heavily outmatched.

"Our guys, hopefully will be focused on playing and playing the best they can, but when they look back on their life, at some of the great events of their life. Playing at Texas, playing at Alabama are opportunities that very few college players ever have and that part I think we look forward to and are excited about that opportunity," said Bowden.

Bowden and Saban have never coached a game against one another but the two are very familiar with one another due to connections dating back to days in the West Virginia program.

The pair will meet for the first time on Saturday, Sept. 17 at 3 p.m. CT in Bryant-Denny Stadium. Coverage of Alabama gameday begins on Tide100.9 FM and 95.3TheBear at 10 a.m. CT.

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