Carrollton, GA - West Georgia quarterback #Emmanuel Taylor# connected with receiver #V.J. Hunt# for a 12-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter and the UWG defense held off a last-ditch effort from the Miles Bears as the Wolves won the 2011 home opener 23-20 Thursday night at University Field.

But despite all of the late drama, the story of the night was the running tandem of Taylor and senior running back #Yusuf Holloway#. The pair combined for 28 rushes for 191 yards with Taylor picking up a pair of rushing touchdowns.

The Holloway/Taylor connection loomed large for the Wolves, especially in the second half as senior running back #James Kennebrew# went down late in the first quarter.

Miles opened the contest with the ball and took just six plays to go 67 yards, capping off the drive with a 35-yard touchdown pass from David Thomas to Breanta Allen. The kick from Patton Chambers was good as the Bears led 7-0.

West Georgia responded by giving the ball to Kennebrew. The Columbus, Ga. native carried the ball on the first three plays of the drive, chewing up 29 yards of earth while marching his squad down the field. UWG reached the Miles 17 and on 3rd-and-6, Taylor took off. The junior leapt into the endzone, tying the game at 7-7.

The two teams stayed in the middle of the field for the rest of the first quarter and into the second. With 11:04 left in the first half, UWG punt returner #Denarius Appling# got things rolling with a 23-yard return to the Miles 32.

Holloway opened the drive with a 12-yard run, but on first down, the Wolves had a false start, making it 1st-and-15. Taylor followed that with a nine-yard jaunt, then a five-yard run for Holloway brought up a big 3rd-and-1 from the Miles 11. Freshman running back #Seth Hinsley# came in a bulled his way forward for the first down.

On the ensuing play, Taylor scampered for nine more yards and a West Georiga touchdown, his second of the contest. The extra-point was no good and the Wolves led 13-7.

That was the score heading into the half after the West Georgia defense held firm at their own 10 yard line, forcing Miles to attempt a field goal with just over a minute left in the first half after a long drive. The attempt went wide right and the Wolves went into the locker room at the break with a 13-7 advantage.

Taylor and the UWG offense took the ball to start the second half and went on a 10-play, 50-yard march that ended with a missed field goal from 34 yards out. The two teams remained scoreless for the third quarter, setting up a wild final stanza.

The final quarter opened up with kicker #Davis Brackett redeeming himself with a 25-yard field goal that gave the Wolves a 16-7 advantage. But that lead didn't stay for long, as Miles marched right back down the field, going 70 yards in 10 plays, ending with a Thomas 1-yard plunge. The extra-point was good, making the score 16-14 with 6:36 left in the game.

The UWG quarterback mounted a drive that would prove to be the game-winner, as Taylor completeed 4-of-4 passes for 42 yards in a nine-play, 59-yard drive. He capped the march with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Hunt with 2:23 left on the clock.

Miles drove down and scored, then recovered an onside kick but time ran out and the Wolves celebrated the first win of the 2011 campaign.

Holloway rushed 18 times in the game for 114 yards, marking just the second time in his career that he has rushed for more than 100 yards. The other time was a very important one in UWG history, as he had 26 carries for 171 yards in the Wolves' first win in University Stadium in 2009.

Taylor had 10 carries for 77 yards and was 9-of-11 for 69 yards through the air. He was in on all three touchdowns for the Wolves, with two rushing and one passing.

Junior defensive lineman #Juan Pickett# became the first UWG player to log a double-digit tackle night, collecting 10 tackles to lead the defensive effort. #Adam Strakose# and #Amir Mustafaa# each had a sack in the contest.

The Wolves return to the field next Saturday night to take on Arkansas-Monticello at University Field. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. as the UWG Athletic Department is planning to honor the 1981 football team that returned football to West Georgia.