Carrollton, GA - For the second straight season, the West Georgia Wolves have opened the season with a 2-1 record, largely on the back of a strong defense and special teams effort. With the Homecoming game set for this week, the Wolves are looking to take another step forward on one of the bigger stages of the year.

Football Gameweek

On the opposite side of the field will be the Henderson State Reddies, a team that claimed a share of the Gulf South Conference title last season in their final year in the GSC. Now a member of the newly formed Great American Conference, the Reddies are 1-3 through the first four games with losses to Division I Central Arkansas, Southwest Oklahoma and Delta State. Their lone win came via a 35-31 victory over Harding in week 2.

One quick look at the stats shows that the Wolves and Reddies are fairly evenly matched offensively. The Wolves are averaging 268.7 yards per game on the year while Henderson State puts out 248 yards per game. Inside their respective offenses, UWG averages 167 yards on the ground and 101 yards through the air while HSU gets 188 yards per game through the air and 60 in the rushing game.

The Wolves' defense has been a bend-but-don't-break defense thus far, giving up 369 yards per game overall with only 15 points per game. Against Arkansas-Monticello, the UWG defense kept the Boll Weevils out of the end zone all night ina 21-5 victory last Saturday at University Stadium.

On the Reddies' defense, Henderson State has not been able to keep teams out of the end zone as much, giving up 390 yards and 27.5 points per contest.

For West Georgia, the biggest offensive threat has been in the running game, but the best scoring output has come from special teams. Thus far on the season, punt returner Denarius Appling has three punt returns for touchdowns, including two last week against UAM. He won the Gulf South Conference Special Teams Player of the Week twice this season, including this past week when he set school records for punt return touchdowns for single game (2), season (3) and he is second on the career list (4).

Defensively last week, it was the turnover game that was the biggest key, as the Wolves forced and recovered two fumbles and also had two interceptions, with one returned for a touchdown. Freshmen and redshirt freshman were the bulk of the standouts, as true freshman linebacker Teddy Lawrence's 24-yard interception return for a touchdown was the third score of the game for the Wolves against UAM. Trenton Edwards, a freshman defensive back, picked off a pass late in the game and redshirt freshman Zach Fore had a forced fumble and recovery in the fourth quarter. The fourth fumble recovery came from junior defensive lineman Juan Pickett.

Redshirt freshman linebacker Cornelius Winters continues to lead the Wolves in tackles with 21 stops this season, including one for a loss, two pass breakups and one forced fumble.

In the recent series between the two teams, Henderson State has owned the glory, winning five straight against the Wolves. The last win for West Georgia came in Arkansas in 2005, where UWG won by a 38-12 count. Last season, HSU won in Arkansas 40-6 on the final day of the season for the Wolves.