CARROLLTON, Ga. - The 21st-ranked UWG football team fell at home on Saturday, 30-13, to 19th-ranked Abilene Christian at University Stadium.
It was missed opportunities that plagued West Georgia (5-2, 2-2 UAC) and Abilene Christian (4-3, 3-0 UAC) took advantage, spoiling Hall of Fame Saturday in Carrollton. West Georgia got inside the ACU five-yard line twice in the first half and had to settle for field goals, and the Wolves' defense couldn't get off the field on third down as the Wildcats, who entered the game ranked 11th in the country on third down conversions, were 10-of-15 on third down.
The Wolves struggled in the ground game, rushing for just 35 yards while ACU put up 210 yards on 46 carries and 451 yards of total offense.
UWG got on the board first, taking their opening drive deep into the redzone before a penalty put them behind the chains and forced a field goal. Tommy Holden knocked in the 21-yarder to give the Wolves a 3-0 lead.
On ACU's opening drive, the Wildcats matched the Wolves, driving into field goal territory before settling for three, and Brandon Perez converted the 34-yarder to tie it up midway through the first.
Holden put UWG back up by three early in the second quarter with a 23-yard field goal, but at the 6:11 mark of the second, Abilene scored the game's first touchdown and gave the Wildcats their first lead of the game. The touchdown was an eight-yard completion from Stone Earle to JB Mitchell and made it 10-6.
The Cats stretched the lead to 17-6 by the halftime break, using the legs of Jordon Vaughn to find the endzone on a three-yard rush at the 2:19 mark of the second quarter.
In the third quarter, ACU made it 21 unanswered points as the went up 24-6 at the 8:52 mark on a six-yard touchdown pass.
West Georgia answered just over two minutes later as Colton FitzGerald connected with DeAndre Buchannon for a 54-yard touchdown that got the Wolves back within two scores at 24-13.
Late in the third, UWG's defense forced a fumble as Tre'Shawn Moore forced a fumble, but UWG turned it over on the ensuing play, and Abilene Christian then went on a 19-play, 94-yard drive that spanned 10:29 of game time and ended with Earle finding JJ Henry for an 11-yard touchdown pass and a 30-13 lead after a failed PAT.
At the end, time of possession was heavily in favor of the Wildcats as ACU had the ball for 39 minutes of the contest.
In his first career start, FitzGerald threw for 279 yards on 19-of-37 passing with his top target being Bryce Dickerson who caught 10 passes for 38 yards. DeAndre Buchannon had nine catches for 137 yards and the one touchdown.
Micah Thurman led the defense with 11 tackles while Moore added nine with his forced fumble.
UWG is back on the road facing yet another ranked opponent next weekend, traveling to Tarleton State for a 7 p.m. ET kickoff from Stephenville, Texas on October 18.
NOTABLE NUMBERS
- The third quarter UWG touchdown was Colton FitzGerald's first career touchdown in a UWG uniform.
- The Wolves' defense has forced a turnover in all seven games played this season.
- Buchannon's 137 yards receiving is the first 100-yard receiving game of the season by a UWG player. The junior had receptions of 64 and 54 yards on the day.
