Carrollton, GA - Some of the biggest programs in the nation have been on special teams and defense and that was on display for the West Georgia faithful on Saturday evening at University Stadium, as the Wolves took down Arkansas-Monticello 21-5 in non-conference action.

Sophomore punt returner #Denarius Appling# was the story of the night, as the speedster returned two punts for a touchdown in leading the Wolves to victory. That gives him four career punt return touchdowns, including three this season, which are all school records for the Wolves.

On the opening drive of the game, the Boll Weevils marched 74 yards in 10 plays and the West Georgia defense started a trend for the game, bowing their backs and holding UAM to a field goal. That was all the scoring that the two teams would have in the first quarter, as neither team could break through the opposing defense.

But at the 11:02 mark of the second quarter, Appling brought the West Georgia crowd to their feet after the UWG defense forced a UAM punt. The speedster hauled in the punt at the 17 on the UWG sideline. After making three defenders miss, he turned near midfield and headed for the far sideline. Appling side-stepped the Monticello punter just past midfield and raced into the endzone. #Davis Brackett#'s extra point gave the Wolves a 7-3 advantage.

After the UWG defense stood strong again, Arkansas-Monticello punted the Wolves deep in their own territory, as #Emmanuel Taylor# and the UWG offense took over at their own 11. On third down, Taylor found himself caught in the backfield, as he was sacked in the endzone for a safety, which cut the UWG lead to 7-5.

The ensuing drive could have been a killer for the Wolves, but defensive end #Zach Fore# stepped up big on third-and-goal from the West Georgia four. On the 11th play of the drive, Fore broke free and sacked UAM quarterback Keith Manning. The ball squirted free and Fore recovered at the UWG 19, avoiding a potential disaster for the Wolves.

After the half, the Wolves were unable to mount a drive on the first possession of the half and had to punt. Brackett pinned the Boll Weevils at the 13 when lightning struck for the second time on the night. Manning faded back to pass and threw to his receiver in the flat. Freshman #Teddy Lawrence#, celebrating his 19th birthday today, stepped in front of the pass and took it to paydirt for a 24-yard interception return for a touchdown.

The defense held the Boll Weevils to three-and-out and UAM punted again to one of the most dangerous return men in the nation. Appling again broke through the first wave and was off to the races, this time going 87-yards for the score, marking the first time in school history that a player has scored twice in a game on a punt return.

The Wolves defense took over from that point, keeping the Boll Weevil offense out of the endzone for the remainder of the contest. After the dust cleared, West Georgia held a team that averaged more than 30 points per game through the first three contests to just five points on the night.

The Wolves move to 2-1 on the season while UAM falls to 2-2 overall. West Georgia now plays host to Henderson State next Saturday afternoon on Homecoming.