CARROLLTON, Ga. - The 2018 season wrote the next chapter in what has been the most successful five-year run in the history of West Georgia football, as head coach David Dean and his squad went 10-2, earned a spot in the NCAA Playoffs, and finished the regular season ranked in the top-10 nationally.
Overview
With a squad that included more than 70 upperclassmen, this year's team looked loaded for bear on paper to start the year. That proved to be an accurate statement, as the Wolves rattled off 10 consecutive victories to open the season and was ranked as high as third nationally during the year. The season brought individual success as well, as 12 players were named All-Gulf South Conference, seven players earned All-Region honors, and one was named as an All-American. In addition, head coach David Dean was named Co-Coach of the Year by GSC coaches at the conclusion of the season.
Camp Season
The 2018 fall camp season brought many challenges for Dean and the program, as the Wolves worked diligently to introduce a plethora of new coaches and players to the West Georgia way of doing things. Despite returning a solid nucleus of players, the coaching staff needed to fill out the roster with talent, and the team was loaded with it. In addition, only one full-time coach returned from the 2017 season, meaning that Dean had to fill a large number of spots both on the field and in the office. The Wolves reported in early August with nearly 150 players, making the transition to the season even more of a challenge, as the new coaches also had to sift through and determine the 60 names who would travel to Gulf South Conference games this fall.
Preseason
Five Wolves were named Preseason All-GSC, headlined by reigning Gulf South Conference Offensive Player of the Year and Harlon Hill finalist, Devontae Jackson. Chad Price, Korie Rogers, Quintin Stanford, and Montrell Pardue were also honored by the league coaches. As a team, the Wolves were ranked 19th by the American Football Coaches Association and 21st by D2Football.com in the annual preseason rankings.
Season Opener
West Georgia thumped visiting Catawba in the 2018 season opener, outgaining a team that won nine games in 2017 by a 362-195 mark, including 208 yards on the ground. Jackson gained 95 yards on 19 carries and junior quarterback Willie Candler had what would end up as his worst statistical outing of the year, going 18-for-34 with two touchdowns and an interception. When the clock hit zero, West Georgia was 1-0 after a sound 34-3 win over Catawba.
Non-Conference Play Continues
After a big win on opening day, the Wolves jumped to 13th in the AFCA poll and 15th in the D2Football.com poll ahead of Game 2 against Limestone. The Wolves shook off the rust from the first game and completely dominated the Saints, rolling up nearly 500 yards of offense in a 42-14 drubbing of Limestone. Devontae Jackson had his first 100-yard game of the year and Candler was 21-for-28 with 303 yards and three touchdowns on the afternoon, tossing for 300 yards in a game for the first time in his football career. The defense was stellar again, allowing just 225 yards of total offense in the game.
Top-10 Ranking
With a 2-0 record on the year and a coach with a penchant for national championships, the Wolves jumped into the AFCA top-10 heading into Game 3 of the season. West Georgia was 10th in the coaches poll and 13th in the D2Football.com poll heading south to Albany State for the first road game of the year. In that contest, UWG came out shaky in the first half but scored 35 unanswered points in the second half to take a 45-21 victory over the Golden Rams. Candler led the offense, connecting on 15-of-20 passes for 236 yards and three touchdowns through the air. He also had a career-high in rushing yards, running the ball eight times for 86 yards and a score. Jackson carried the ball 18 times for 140 yards and a touchdown as well. On the defensive side of the ball, senior safety Montrell Pardue led the way with nine tackles on the evening. For the second-straight game, a UWG player returned a kick for a touchdown, with LaPerion Perry jump-starting the West Georgia offense in the second half with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown on the opening kick of the period.
Gulf South Conference Play Begins
With league play beginning in Game 4, the Wolves again jumped in the national rankings, moving to 8th in the AFCA poll and 10th in the D2Football.com ranking. The GSC opener and Hall of Fame Saturday at University Stadium was fraught with peril in the early-going, as Florida Tech jumped out to a 14-7 lead. Jackson was then ejected for targeting in the second quarter, forcing the Wolves to dig deep to find a way to come back. Perry did it again, taking the opening kickoff of the second half 96 yards to paydirt to fuel a 23-7 second-half run for the Wolves, ending with a 30-21 victory over a team that would eventually make the NCAA Playoffs. Candler threw for 254 yards and three touchdowns and freshman Christian Royalston added 58 yards on the ground to lead the Wolves to victory.
First Weekly Honors
With the win over Florida Tech, the Wolves started to earn recognition on an individual level. West Georgia had been ranked nationally throughout the year and moved to sixth in both polls after the FIT win, but Candler and Pardue were named GSC Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week as well, the first of the year for a West Georgia player.
Total Dominance
Over the next two weekends, the Wolves would completely dominate the competition, taking on Shorter on the road and North Greenville at University Stadium. West Georgia would outscore those two opponents by a combined 89-34 to move to 6-0 on the season. The Wolves rolled up more than 500 yards of total offense in each game and picked up a non-offensive touchdown in each as well to stay undefeated. Malik Henry returned a punt for a touchdown against Shorter while Barron Burns picked up an interception for a touchdown against North Greenville to aid in the victory. That moved the Wolves to fourth nationally ahead of the biggest game of the year to date as the Wolves headed to Pensacola to take on 2017 national runner-up West Florida in a battle of top-five opponents.
Battle on the Bay
On Pensacola Bay on October 13, the fourth-ranked West Georgia Wolves faced off with fifth-ranked West Florida in a battle that held too many storylines. It was the first top-five battle in the history of Blue Wahoo Stadium as well as being a contest between two teams that faced each other twice in three weeks at the conclusion of the 2017 season. The Wolves, led by Jackson, were dominant on this night. Jackson rushed 33 times for 224 yards and two touchdowns, leading West Georgia to a 27-7 victory over the Argonauts. The defense was dominant, allowing 295 total yards to move to 7-0 on the year. For their efforts, Jackson and linebacker Korie Rogers were named Gulf South Conference Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week.
Lead-Up to the Clash in South Georgia
At that point of the season, it was abundantly clear to everyone around that the West Georgia Wolves and the Valdosta State Blazers were the top two teams in the Gulf South Conference, and the two would meet in Valdosta in the final week of the season in what looked to be a Gulf South Conference championship game. But to get there, the Wolves still had to face a West Alabama squad that was ranked eighth in the nation at the beginning of the season, Mississippi College, and then Delta State, a 2017 NCAA playoff participant. At home against UWA, the Wolves battled and Tyler Jack batted a two-point conversion attempt away in the final minute of the game to move the Wolves to 8-0 on the year with a 27-25 Homecoming victory. The next week against Mississippi College, the Wolves scored 12 unanswered points in the fourth quarter at Robinson-Hale Stadium in Clinton, Mississippi, moving to 9-0 on the season with a 36-21 victory. Week 10 brought more to the table, as Willie Candler was 21-of-24 for 307 yards, including 183 to Laperion Perry in a 29-17 victory over Delta State to move to 10-0.
GSC Championship Game
There could not be a more perfect script written in the lead-up the season finale in 2018. The biggest rivalry in the Gulf South Conference, with both teams, ranked in the top-five nationally and vying for the top seed in Super Region 2 in the playoffs. That, along with it being the Gulf South Conference Championship Game with the top two teams in the league on ESPN3 on a Saturday night made for an electric atmosphere in Bazemore-Hyder Stadium in Valdosta. The two teams battled to the end, with VSU coming out on top 47-31 to win the GSC and a first-round bye in the NCAA Playoffs. The Wolves would not fare well in the opening game of the playoffs, falling to seventh-seeded Wingate at home by a 41-31 score.
The G.O.A.T.
Devontae Jackson enjoyed a record-breaking senior season for the West Georgia Wolves. In December, Jackson's season and career received an exclamation point as he was named a second-team member of the 2018 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II Coaches' All-America Team.
For Jackson, a four-year standout running back from Marietta, the honor marks the second consecutive year for him to gain recognition as an All-American. He was named a First-team Associated Press All-America choice following the 2017 season. Also, he is a top candidate for additional All-America recognition later in December.
The honor is the latest entry on an already impressive 2018 postseason resume for Jackson. He was named last month to the All-Gulf South Conference Team for a fourth consecutive year and was voted a first team member of D2CCA All-Super Region 2 Team.
Jackson capped his impressive UWG career on the field this fall by leading the Gulf South Conference in both rushing (1,320 yards) and all-purpose yards (1,557 yards). He set UWG career records in both categories and ends his career as the most prolific kickoff return specialist in West Georgia history.
Devontae Jackson Career Accolades
2015 – GSC Freshman of the Year
2015 – First Team All-GSC – All-Purpose
2016 – Second Team All-GSC – All-Purpose
2017 – First Team All-GSC – Running Back
2017 – First Team All-Region – Running Back
2017 – First Team All-American – All-Purpose
2017 – Harlon Hill Finalist
2018 – First Team All-GSC - Running Back
UWG Career Records
All-Purpose Yardage - 6,063 yards
Rushing - 4,039 yards
100-yard games - 15
1,000-yard seasons - 3
