After forcing a three-and-out, the Wolves (2-3, 0-2 Gulf South Conference) put together their most promising drive of the first three quarters, but stalled at the 27-yard line and were forced to punt. It would be the first of seven punts by the Wolves in the game.
“We played a very good football team [Saturday] in Valdosta State and we didn’t play very good ourselves — for whatever reason. It is what it is. We’re very, very disappointed in that. We had a great crowd and a great atmosphere, and we’ve got a very special place here at the University of West Georgia and we did not represent that very well [Saturday],” UWG coach Daryl Dickey said.
The Blazers (4-2, 1-1) got on the board first with a six-yard pass from Cayden Cochran to Gerald Ford early in the second quarter, but UWG still had plenty of chances to stay in the game. The West Georgia defense forced a punt and had a Jamaree James interception between Valdosta State touchdowns.
The second score for the Blazers was another six-yard pass from Cochran, this time to Seantavious Jones, as the VSU offense scored on four straight drives. Austin Scott scored with just over a minute left in the half to give the Blazers a 21-0 advantage going into the break. Coming out of halftime, it was all Scott, as he scored from three and six yards out and VSU began to pile it on.
The final Blazer touchdown was a 10-yard pass from backup quarterback Graham Craig to Quin Roberson.
The Wolves avoided the shutout when Quan Jones rushed in from five yards out with 2:11 left in the game for the final 42-7 tally.
Offensively, UWG only managed 217 total offense yards, while the Blazers racked up 507 yards, including 317 on the ground. The offense had another loss as starting quarterback Austin Trainor injured the index finger on his throwing hand late in the first quarter, putting true freshman Dallas Dickey into the game for the remaining three quarters. Coach Daryl Dickey noted the injury kept Trainor from returning, but he said it was unknown if the injury would force the junior signal-caller to miss any more time.
David Bailey led the UWG offense with 51 yards on 10 rushes, while Seth Hinsley added 14 carries for 48 yards.
Halfway through the season, UWG isn’t where it was hoping to be at a 2-3 and winless in the conference, but it will look to turn things around next week on the road at Delta State.
“We’ve got to understand that for us to be competitive at this point in time, we have to play our best game week-in and week-out. We’ve done that for the last four ball games. Now our fifth ball game of the year we were really flat [Saturday]. It looked like [the season] had taken it’s toll a little bit. Hopefully, we can get this thing put behind us, mend some injuries — we’re banged and beat up a little bit — and get ourselves ready to go to Delta State,” Daryl Dickey said.
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