Carrollton, GA - Heading into the midpoint of the season, the West Georgia Wolves are 2-2 on the season, following a tough loss on Homecoming last Saturday to the Henderson State Reddies at University Stadium.

Football Gameweek

This week takes the Wolves on the road for just the second time this season, as West Georgia makes its final trip to Arkansas as a part of Gulf South Conference scheduling to take on the Harding Bisons in Searcy, Ark.

Harding is a part of the former GSC schools based in Arkansas that left the league during the summer of 2011 to join with several schools from Oklahoma to form the Great American Conference. As a part of the departure, the Arkansas schools agreed to provide three games to the schedules of each of the remaining GSC members. This week marks the last of those three for the Wolves.

Last week was a rough ride for the Wolves, as Henderson State and UWG combined for over 800 yards of offense en route to a 50-30 victory for HSU. The Reddies did the most damage on the ground with 254 total yards and four touchdowns to their credit.

UWG quarterback Emmanuel Taylor was solid for the Wolves in the contest, rushing 12 times for 67 yards and two touchdowns to combine with 180 yards and two scores through the air. Taylor connected with receivers Denarius Appling and Bobby Burum for the first offensive touchdowns of their respective collegiate careers.

Appling had a solid day catching the ball, picking up four receptions for 102 yards and a touchdown. Burum had five receptions for 32 yards and a touchdown.

On the season, the Wolves are now averaging 21 points per game to their opponents' 23.8 per contest. West Georgia is picking up 170 yards per game on the ground and giving up 168.5 to opponents in the rushing game.

Yusuf Holloway leads the UWG rushing attack with 67 yards per game on the ground. Taylor is neck-and-neck with James Kennebrew for second on the team, as Taylor averages 46.2 yards per game on the ground to Kennebrew's 44.

Taylor has accounted for all of West Georgia's offensive touchdowns this year, with four on the ground and three through the air. His scoring strikes have gone to three different receivers; Denarius Appling, V.J. Hunt and Bobby Burum. Hunt's may have been the most significant, as it came against UAM two weeks ago in the final seconds to seal the Wolves' victory.

Appling presents himself as one of the biggest threats in the nation on multiple levels, as he has seven punt returns this season with three scores and 342 yards, an average of 48.9 yards per return. That, along with his kickoff return yards (228) and receiving yards (155), makes Appling one of the top all-purpose athletes in the nation. He averages 185.25 all-purpose yards per contest, good for eighth in the nation.

Harding comes into the week with a 2-3 record on the season after falling in the past two weeks to GSC opponents. The Bison have also lost to Henderson State, 35-31 in the second week of the season. Coming into this week, Harding is averaging 39.2 points per game, but have scored just 20 and 17 against North Alabama and West Alabama in the past two weeks.

The Bison are a running team, averaging an NCAA-best 371 yards on the ground this season with their triple-option attack. Kale Gelles is the leading rusher for the Bison, averaging 107.2 yards per game on the ground. The Wolves are familiar with Gelles, as he rushed for 181 yards during last season's game at University Stadium, a 28-21 victory for West Georgia.

Kickoff for Saturday's game is set for 7 p.m. (EST) in Searcy, Ark. Fans can listen online at the Teamline link or in the Carrollton area on KISS 102.7 or follow the game on live stats. It will also be streamed live via video from the Harding Athletic Department website at www.hardingsports.com.