CARROLLTON, Ga. - For the first time in the brief history of UWG football as a Division I program, the Wolves will take the field as a ranked team on Saturday evening in Carrollton, hosting the East Tennessee State Buccaneers in a non-conference, 6 p.m. contest from University Stadium. 

The 25th-ranked West Georgia Wolves (2-0, 0-0 UAC) return home after back-to-back road wins earned them their first-ever ranking as a Division I program, and now will be tested by an ETSU (1-1, 0-0 SOCON) team hungry to get back in the win column after falling at Neyland Stadium to Tennessee last Saturday. 

GAME INFORMATION 
#25 UWG (2-0, 0-0 UAC) vs. ETSU (1-1, 0-0 SOCON) 
Saturday, September 13
Kickoff: 6 p.m. EST 
Location: Carrollton, GA // University Stadium
TV: ESPN+ 
Radio: KISS 102.7 

West Georgia enters the contest on the heels of a 34-10 road win at no. 22 Nicholls and will look to ride the momentum gained on both sides of the ball from that trip to Louisiana. 

Defensively, UWG was nearly perfect on third down, holding Nicholls to 2-of-13 on converting, and now the Wolves come into Saturday's showdown with ETSU boasting the country's sixth-best defense on third down, holding opponents to 23.3 percent. 

UWG's rush defense has been stellar, holding opponents under 100 yards combined, and their rushing defense ranks third in FCS football, allowing 45.0 yards per game on the ground through two games. In terms of total defense, UWG is ninth in the country and second in scoring defense, being one of just three teams (NDSU and Drake) to allow fewer than two touchdowns this season.

But the Bucs come in with a solid offense that ranks in the top-30 in FCS in total offense, and feature a pair of FBS transfers at quarterback, Cade McNamara (Iowa) and Jacolby Criswell (North Carolina). 

"Both of those guys have experience, they've both played in big moments, so you know they'll come in with great confidence, so we have to do a good job of being in the right spots and confusing them with our coverages," said head coach Joel Taylor during his weekly coaches show filmed on Tuesday at Jefferson's in Carrollton. "They're two good players, and it's a great challenge and I enjoy a challenge and In think our kids do too." 

ETSU will use both at the QB position, with McNamara leading the way with 231 yards passing and a pair of touchdowns while Criswell has 110 yards on 20 attempts this season. Criswell has used his legs more than McNamara thus far this season, rushing 10 times for over 50 yards. 

West Georgia's offense is coming off a game in which it rushed for 342 yards, the most by a UWG rushing attack since 2015. The Wolves rank fourth in FCS football in rushing offense with the duo of Latrelle Murrell and TJ Lester handling the bulk of the duties although quarterback Davin Wydner is coming off of a 103-yard rushing performance against Nicholls. 

Murrell ran for 170 yards last week and has 299 yards through two games. The Douglasville native is third in all of FCS football in yards per game and his 7.48 yards per carry ranks eighth in the nation. 

ETSU is coming off of a game at Tennessee where they gave up 70-plus points to a high-powered UT offense, but the Bucs defense had success against Murray State in the opener, holding the Racers to just 34 yards on 28 attempts and allowed just 260 yards of total offense. 

The Bucs defense has done a good job creating turnovers thus far, picking off Murray State twice in that game and forced a fumble against UT. 

It's the first meeting all-time between ETSU and UWG. The ETSU program was a mainstay in FCS football until it disbanded in 2003 and returned to campus in 2015. ETSU's roster features 24 players from the state of Georgia. 

Saturday will also mark the home opener for the Wolves as the University Stadium gates open to welcome friends, fans, and alumni back to campus. 

"I am so excited to get in the stadium and show our fans how much better we've gotten since last year. And I know they've watching it on ESPN, but there ain't nothing like watching it live and on wax," Taylor noted in his weekly press conference. "And we've got a great community in Carrollton, everybody kind of knows everybody, so everyone coming together to watch some great football is going to be awesome." 

The game is being broadcast on ESPN+ and UWG fans can also listen live to the radio broadcast on KISS 102.7 or the Gradick Communications Listening Portal. 

Tickets are available and can be purchased at Wolves Ticket Central.