CARROLLTON, Ga. - Following three straight weeks on the road, the UWG football team is back in action at University Stadium on Saturday, hosting Division II Fort Valley State.
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
UWG vs. Fort Valley State
Saturday, September 26, 2026 | 6:00 PM
RaLin Field at University Stadium
Live Stats | Watch on ESPN+ | Listen Live
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West Georgia (0-4) is still searching for their first win of 2026 and hosts Fort Valley State (1-2) in the final non-conference game of the season. It marks the third time UWG has hosted a non-Division I opponent since the move to FCS Football in 2024, and UWG is 2-0 in previous matchups.
Despite the record, UWG has shown improvement through the course of the season and seem to have found their footing offensively. In last week's loss at ETSU, the Wolves put up 411 yards of total offense including 347 yards through the air.
The Wolves' defense, who has been missing some key pieces since the season kicked off, settled in against ETSU and gave up only 109 yards and seven points in the second half.
Fort Valley State is also coming off of a one-score loss, falling 34-33 to Benedict in overtime. The Wildcats are averaging 391 yards of offense and are led by Don Hudson Jr. at quarterback. He's completed 64 percent of his passes for 528 yards and two touchdowns.
Through three games, FVSU has used a two-back offense with Michael Cabellero averaging 5.8 yards per carry on 35 attempts while Rodrick Payne has carried it 26 times and averages 7.2 yards per carry.
The FVSU defense has taken advantage of opposing quarterbacks, picking off six passes in three games.
For the Wolves, Colton Fitzgerald started against ETSU, making his second career start and throwing for 324 yards and three touchdowns to three different receivers: Malik Leverett, Joshua Schuchts, and T.J. Lockley.
While Brody Jones didn't have a touchdown, he was the top target with seven catches for 109 yards. He became the first UWG freshman since 1984 to record a 100-yard receiving game.
UWG's defense is led by Chidu Bekee and Lucas Naquin who each have 28 tackles thus far. Naquin had a 10-tackle performance against ETSU which was second on the team behind an 11-tackle performance from Stephan French. The Powder Springs native, French is third on the team with 27 tackles and has a team-high 17 solo stops.
It's just the second time UWG and Fort Valley State have squared off, with the first meeting coming in the season opener in 2017. UWG won that game, 34-9.
Saturday's game, which is UWG's annual Friends and Family Weekend, kicks at 6 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+. Fans in the Carrollton area can listen to the radio broadcast on KISS 102.7 and fans outside of the listening area can tune in on the Gradick Communications app or website.
