CARROLLTON, Ga. - It was a heartbreaking defeat on Saturday for the University of West Georgia football team as a late touchdown by Austin Peay was the difference in a 20-16 loss at University Stadium.
West Georgia (1-4, 0-4 UAC) had the advantage in total offense and first downs, putting up nearly 500 yards of offense, but in the end the experience of Austin Peay (2-4, 1-2 UAC) pushed the visiting Governors past the Wolves on Hall of Fame Saturday.
The Wolves led twice in the second half, and each time APSU would respond with a touchdown rush on their ensuing possession and the final lead change came with just 1:23 left in the contest.
UWG had 469 yards of offense and had 388 yards passing as Davin Wydner had his best game throwing the ball of his young career. The Cocoa, Florida native was 33-of-47 for 388 yards and a touchdown while also adding a touchdown on the ground. Karmello English had 132 yards on seven catches and a touchdown.
It was a slow start as the teams scored just 10 combined first half points. After a punt on UWG's opening possession, Austin Peay drove into UWG territory but the Wolves' defense forced a fourth down, but the Govs missed a 53-yard field goal attempt.
Late in the first, West Georgia drove down, but was forced to settle for a field goal, and Chance Gagnon connected on a 37-yarder on the first play of the second quarter to give the Wolves the 3-0 lead.
Austin Peay quarterback Austin Smith capped off a seven-play, 80-yard drive with a 15-yard touchdown rush to give the Govs the 7-3 lead with 1:46 left in the half. UWG would get the ball back twice before the break but would go into the locker room trailing.
West Georgia struck first in the second half as Wydner took the Wolves' offense 51 yards on six plays and scored with his legs from two yards out to put UWG up 10-7.
But the Govs came right back, and scored just over three minutes later on a four-yard touchdown rush by Courtland Simmons to retake the lead 13-10 after a failed PAT.
With 7:17 remaining, Wydner hit English on a 56-yard touchdown completion as English beat his man on a double move and hauled in a beautiful deep ball. The Wolves would fail on the PAT and take a 16-13 lead.
Austin Peay then engineered a nearly six minute drive that ended with a one-yard touchdown pass from Smith to Alec Pell.
West Georgia got the ball back and drove into APSU territory and then ran into a fourth-and-18 situation and came up four yards short of a miraculous conversion, falling short in their fourth consecutive game.
Micah Thurman led UWG's defensive efforts with a 10-tackle game while Malachi Williams had eight and Jalen Frazier and Jay Carter had seven.
West Georgia is on the road next week at Central Arkansas. Kickoff from Conway, Arkansas is set for 5 p.m. ET.
