Carrollton, GA - A career night from a senior running back and a smothering defensive effort propelled UWG to a Senior Night win Thursday evening at University Stadium, as the Wolves upended the Delta State Statesmen by a 38-20 count in the season finale for both teams.

Delta State came into the evening needing a win to secure a spot in the postseason as well as a share of the Gulf South Conference title. But UWG senior running back #Quan Jones# and a stingy defense had other plans, as Jones had the 20th-highest rushing game of all time at UWG while the defense held DSU to a negative rushing total.

As a team, the Wolves rushed 58 times for 328 yards and five touchdowns, but the driving force was a solid offensive line that opened huge holes for Jones, who was a workhorse in his final game at University Stadium. He carried the ball 32 times for 181 yards and three touchdowns on the night, and even on his last drive, Jones didn't slow down, toting the ball six times for 41 yards on that drive alone to seal the UWG victory.

Defensively. West Georgia allowed just 384 yards of offense to one of the top offensive teams in the GSC. The Statesmen threw 61 passes on the evening for 388 yards and two scores, but rushed 17 times for -4 yards total. The Wolves also had three sacks and an interception in the game and shut out the Statesmen in the third quarter.

The game was the finale in the careers of 10 UWG seniors on Thursday evening, but it also was the end of the Dickey era as a football coach at UWG.

The defense showed up early, as redshirt freshman #Alex Armah# forced a fumble on a lateral pass on the first play of the game for DSU. Junior linebacker #Tyrell Adams# recovered the fumble, giving UWG the ball on the DSU 26 yard line.

Senior quarterback #Austin Trainor# and the Wolves wasted little time, going 26 yards in six plays, with Jones finishing off the drive with a four-yard plunge for a 7-0 lead for West Georgia. After forcing a Delta State punt, the Wolves mounted another march, with this one reaching midfield before Trainor was intercepted inside the 20, handing the ball and the momentum back to DSU.

The Statesmen raced back down the field, taking just five plays to go 83 yards in 1:26. DSU quarterback Tyler Sullivan matched Jones' touchdown with a four-yard rushing touchdown on his own to tie the contest at 7-7 with just over four minutes left in the first quarter.

The UWG response was quick, as sophomore quarterback #Dallas Dickey# entered the game after the DSU drive. The son of UWG head coach Daryl Dickey took very little time in getting into the swing of things, going 80 yards in just three plays and scoring on a five-yard run from Jones.

Two plays from scrimmage later and Armah produced his second turnover of the night, intercepting a pass over the middle and giving UWG the ball at the 31. Seven plays later, the Wolves had a 21-7 lead and the first quarter wasn't completed yet.

The two teams exchanged punches over the bulk of the remainder of the first half, with Delta State striking next with a 42-yard touchdown pass from Sullivan to Ricky Hunt. But the score didn't stay there, as the Wolves tacked on a 26-yard field goal as time expired in the half to give the Wolves a 24-19 lead heading into the second half.

Dickey and the UWG offense exploded on the second drive of the second half, as Dickey engineered an eight-play, 52-yard drive that finished off with a three-yard run to the corner for Dallas Dickey, giving the Wolves a 31-13 advantage. West Georgia scored once more in the game, with Dickey scoring on a 39-yard scamper on the first GA positionto put the Wolves in a commanding 38-13 lead.

After Delta State added another score to the final tally to move the score to 38-20, the Wolves kept the ball out of the Statesmen hands, taking the 38-20 victory.

Jones had 32 carries for 181 yards in the game, the 20th-highest single game rushing total in school history. Dickey added 96 yards per game, and Jones also added 50 receiving yards on five carries. #Rocky Capobianco# led the Wolves in tackles on the night with 10 tackles in the contest.

Junior wide receiver #Alex Macauley# stepped into the spotlight in a much-needed role, as the Wolves' top receiver on the year, #Bobby Burum#, was sidelined with an injury from the West Texas A&M game. Macauley caught three passes for 65 yards to lead the Wolves in receiving yards.

As a team, the Wolves racked up 503 yards of total offense, rushing for 328 yards and passing for 175 yards. It was the third time this season that UWG went over 300 yards rushing and the seventh time that West Georgia had at least 200 yards on the ground.

The defensive effort marked the first time that West Georgia has held a team to negative yards rushing since November 5, 2005, when West Georgia held Valdosta State to -16 yards on the ground.

West Georgia closes the season with a 6-5 record overall on the year and 3-3 spot GSC play. The Statesmen fall to 7-4 overall and 4-2 in GSC play.