CARROLLTON, Ga. - A night many anticipated for several years got a little bit sweeter when the clock hit triple zeroes on Saturday and the University of West Georgia football team defeated Samford 38-29 in the first ever Division I football game in program history.
A total of 385 days has passed since UWG's original Division I elevation announcement, and over 4,000 people showed up to usher in a new era of West Georgia football and were treated to a historic night at University Stadium.
The win was head coach Joel Taylor's first win as a collegiate head coach and highlighted by an offensive performance from West Georgia (1-0) that saw the Wolves rack up over 450 yards of total offense and zero turnovers.
In his first start at quarterback, Davin Wydner threw for 271 yards on 24-of-35 passing with two touchdowns while also rushing for 58 yards and another score. His top target was TJ Lockley who caught 10 passes, but Karmello English led the receiving corps with 108 yards on six catches.
"I thought he did a phenomenal job in his first start," said Taylor. "We didn't turn the ball over which is huge, and for him to go out there and command the offense the way he did. I think the future's bright for him."
Defensively, UWG gave up chunks of yards to the "Hatch Attack" offense of Samford (0-1) but made timely takeaways and turned both Bulldog turnovers into points.
There were fireworks postgame and fireworks on the game's opening play as offensive coordinator Dane Stevens dialed up a flea-flicker that Wydner completed to Karmello English for 71 yards to the four-yard line. Chase Belcher punched it in two plays later for the Wolves' first touchdown of the Division I era and a 7-0 lead.
Samford would bounce right back and answer on their first drive, marching 70 yards in eight plays, tying it up on a one-yard rush by Quincy Crittendon.
UWG then went up 14-7 as Wydner connected with Bryce Dickerson from 29 yards out and went up 14-7, and then extended the lead to 17-7 on a 49-yard field goal by Chance Gagnon.
West Georgia's next points came after another Samford touchdown and it was Gagnon again, this one from 28 yards out that made it a 20-14 UWG lead with 2:18 left in the half.
The final two minutes of the first half proved to be huge as Jibrahn Claude picked off a Samford pass in the end zone and set up the UWG offense with 49 seconds left. Wydner and the Wolves used all 49 seconds of it as Dylan Gary hauled in a 44-yard hail mary as time expired and made it 26-14 at the break after a failed PAT.
"We talk about situational football, and we always talk about the middle eight. The last four minutes of the first half and the first four of the second half, so for us to end the half that way, with the momentum and to be up by 12, was huge, and we needed that," said Taylor. "Big Dylan Gary is going to make catches like that all the time and I'm just proud of Jibrahn too. He's one of our leaders and he stepped up making that play."
Samford got all the momentum coming out of halftime, scoring twice in the first 10 minutes of the period and taking their first lead of the game at 29-26.
West Georgia would outscore Samford 14-0 in the final quarter, capitalizing on a Samford fumble early in the period and scoring on Belcher's second touchdown rush to regain the lead at 32-29.
Wydner put the Wolves up two scores at the 8:18 mark of the final quarter, capping off an 87-yard drive with a 21-yard touchdown run, making it a 38-29 score.
Samford would get the ball twice more after that point, but would not score as UWG clinched its first Division I win in school history, its third win all-time over Samford, and its 12th consecutive season-opening win.
Rajaez Mosley was UWG's leading rusher with 66 yards while Chase Belcher finished with 51 yards and two scores.
Jelen Lee and Micah Thurman led UWG's defense with seven tackles while the trio of Jay Carter, Mar'Quavious Moss, and Malachi Williams each finished with six. Solomanie Bambara had a sack and a pair of tackles for loss.
West Georgia now takes its shop on the road next week for their first United Athletic Conference game and first road game at the Division I level at Abilene Christian. Kickoff is slated for 8 p.m. EST from Wildcat Stadium in Abilene, Texas.
