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Second Half Surge Leads Braves Past Weevils CARROLLTON, Ga. --- The West Georgia Braves (3-2, 3-0 GSC) scored 23 unanswered second-half points en route to a 58-21 win over the University of Arkansas at Monticello Boll Weevils (1-4, 1-2 GSC) tonight at Grisham Stadium in Carrollton. The Braves opened the contest with a stroke of luck after a three-and-out performance on their opening drive. Von Mixon fumbled the punt on fourth down to give the Braves a first down on the UAM 20 yard line. Stan Rowe capped the scoring drive with a ten yard touchdown run to give the Braves an early 7-0 lead. The Weevils responded in turn on their next drive, going three-and-out but recovering a fumble on the punt to take a first down on the West Georgia 17 yard line. After John L. Williams carried the Weevils inside the five-yard line, Matt Fryfogle punched through the middle with a 4-yard run to tie the game at 7-7. The Braves immediately struck back on the following drive, going 60 yards in seven plays capped by a 32-yard touchdown run by Rowe to take a 14-7 lead. UWG padded their lead on their next drive, going 41 yards in four plays capped by an Abe Felix 15 yard touchdown run to give the Braves a 21-7 lead. The Braves took their 21-7 lead into the second quarter, and on the opening drive of the second quarter, West Georgia marched another 74 yards to paydirt, capped by a 30 yard touchdown pass from Keats Baldwin to Johnny Williams, giving UWG a 28-7 lead. On the next drive, Anthony Rodriguez connected with Von Mixon on a 24-yard touchdown pass to cut West Georgia’s lead to 28-14, capping a ten-play, 72-yard drive that saw UAM convert three third downs. UAM seized the momentum on the first play of the ensuing drive, recovering a Stan Rowe fumble at the Braves 34 yard line; then cutting the lead to 28-21 on a four-yard quarterback keeper by Rodriguez. Unfortunately, that would be the last of the highlights for UAM. West Georgia tacked on a score on the next drive with an 18-yard run by Abe Felix to extend their lead to 35-21 going into the half, and the Braves controlled the pace from there. On UAM’s opening drive of the second half, the Weevils drove to the West Georgia 19 yard line, when a 36 yard field goal attempt by Nick Green was blocked and returned 66 yards by Brandon Jamison for a touchdown. The point after attempt failed giving the Braves a 41-21 lead. The Weevils were able to hold the Braves off the board going into the fourth quarter, but West Georgia opened the fourth with a 40-yard field goal by Adi Brkic to push their lead to 44-21. West Georgia took advantage of a miscue on the ensuing UAM drive, as Kelvin Morris picked off Anthony Rodriguez and returned the pick 54 yards for a touchdown to push the Braves’ lead to 51-21. The Braves closed their scoring with an eight-yard run by Brett Yenser to cap a 11-play, 63-yard drive and push their lead to 58-21. Anthony Rodriguez completed 12 of 27 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown, throwing one pick. Tim Harris led all UAM receivers with 8 catches for 99 yards, while Matt Fryfogle carried 18 times for 61 yards to lead UAM. The Weevils had no answer for the West Georgia rushing attack, as Abe Felix carried 18 times for 137 yards and two touchdowns and Stan Rowe carried 12 times for 86 yards and two touchdowns. DeMathus Ledet led the Weevils with nine tackles (five solo, four assists). Rey Veal forced and recovered one fumble, while breaking up three passes and adding one sack. The Braves outgained the Weevils 466 yards to 310, with West Georgia racking up most of their yardage on the ground; rushing for a total of 273 yards. The Weevils will return to action next Saturday, October 1, hosting Southern Arkansas at Convoy Leslie-Cotton Boll Stadium on Parent/Family Day. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.
Weevils Look To Capitalize On First
Win At West Georgia CARROLLTON, Ga. --- Anybody that knows Gwaine Mathews knows that the UAM head football coach is a believer in the value of a well-conditioned team. Last week’s game at West Alabama made him an even stronger believer. “I’ve told the guys all along that if we can keep the game close into the fourth quarter, we’re going to win the game,” said Mathews. “If we could avoid making mistakes and keep it close going into the last quarter, our conditioning would put us over the top.” In fact, that’s exactly what happened last Saturday at West Alabama, as the Weevils rallied from a 10-7 deficit at the beginning of the fourth quarter to take away a 21-17 win at Tiger Stadium. “When I got here, I didn’t figure it would be four weeks into the season before I got my first win,” said Mathews. “But, I think it might be for the best. We’ve learned some things and made some adjustments and it paid off for us.” Mathews and the Weevils can not afford to savor their victory too much, as they have a very tough opponent lying in wait this Saturday night in the West Georgia Braves. The Braves (2-2, 2-0 GSC) started their season on a bad note with a 48-13 loss to Presbyterian College that had even the most staunch Brave fans questioning the team - but UWG silenced the doubters with a solid performance in a 14-10 loss to #6 Carson-Newman. Since then, the Braves have gone 2-0 in their first two Gulf South Conference games, topping Harding (who knocked off #1 Valdosta State this last weekend) 23-21, and then knocking off Ouachita Baptist in Arkadelphia 34-23. The Braves and Weevils have the two worst scoring offenses in the GSC, as West Georgia averages 20.0 points per game and the Weevils boosted their season average to 8.8 points per game after Saturday’s win. West Georgia has survived behind a tough defense that allows an average of 26.5 points per game on 304.0 yards per game. The Weevil offense seemed rejuvenated Saturday, as Matt Fryfogle rushed for 163 yards and one touchdown and Anthony Rodriguez threw for two touchdowns. “(Rodriguez) is the kind of kid that just grows on you,” said Mathews. “He works his tail off and he gets better every time he goes out there. With Fryfogle, it isn’t pretty but it gets the job done. He isn’t fast but he’ll rack up the yards.” Offensively, the Braves are in the middle of the pack in the Gulf South Conference, averaging 388.8 yards per game with a run-based attack. The West Georgia rushing attack ranks second in the GSC with 201.8 yards per game behind only Southern Arkansas, who use their triple option almost exclusively to rack up 253.2 yards per game. “This could be a very quick game,” said Mathews. “They like to run the ball and we like to run the ball.” The Weevils will need improvement from their defensive unit in stopping the run if they are to win Saturday, as UAM’s rush defense is the worst in the Gulf South Conference, allowing an average of 272.8 yards per game. “The numbers don’t bear it out, but we have gotten better on defense,” said Mathews. “We gave up a couple of big plays, that hurt us number-wise on Saturday. Take those away and it’s a different story. I know statistically we can’t do that but we definitely got better on the average. If we can avoid the big plays our improvement will be obvious.” Kickoff from Carrollton is set for 6:00 p.m.
Last Minute Heroics Propel Weevils
Past Tigers LIVINGSTON, AL --- Anthony Rodriguez completed a six-yard touchdown pass to Tim Harris with twenty seconds left to propel the University of Arkansas at Monticello Boll Weevils (1-3, 1-1 GSC) to a 21-17 victory over the University of West Alabama Tigers tonight at Tiger Stadium in Livingston. The pass capped a UAM rally that saw the Weevils come back from deficits of 10-7 and 17-14. The Weevils opened scoring on the first drive of the game, as Matt Fryfogle capped a six play, 59-yard drive with a four yard touchdown run. Nick Green converted the PAT to give the Weevils a quick 7-0 lead just over two minutes into the ballgame. The Tigers responded immediately, as quarterback James Reiter reeled off a 70-yard touchdown run on UWA’s first play from scrimmage as the Tigers knotted the game at seven. The two teams alternated punts on their next five possessions, when the Weevils drove to the UWA 31, and Albert Urbina missed a 49-yard field goal on the first drive of the second quarter. The two teams traded defensive stops through the second quarter, until Mitch Warfield booted a 20-yard field goal with under a minute remaining in the first half to give the Tigers a 10-7 lead going into the intermission. The Tigers had a chance to push their lead to 13-7, but DeMathus Ledet blocked a 35-yard field goal attempt by Warfield, giving the Weevils the ball at their own 19. On the next drive, Anthony Rodriguez’s third down pass was intercepted by Richard Bevill, giving UWA the ball on the verge of UAM territory. After a pass interference play pushed UWA into UAM territory, Calvin Sojourney snagged an interception, returning it 19 yards to the UAM 41. The Weevils were unable to muster any offense for the remainder of the third quarter, but came alive in the fourth, as Anthony Rodriguez tossed a 17-yard touchdown pass to Tim Harris to give the Weevils a 14-10 lead with 9:27 remaining. The Tigers clawed back immediately, taking the lead on a 28-yard touchdown pass from Reiter to Chris Coach. Warfield’s PAT attempt gave UWA a 17-14 lead. The Weevils started their last drive at their own nine yard line in fashion, as Matt Fryfogle picked up 35 yards on the first play of the drive to give the Weevils a first down at their own 44. After three more Fryfogle carries, Von Mixon converted a fourth-and-two with a twelve yard pickup to give UAM a first down at the UWA 36. UAM took advantage of a personal foul penalty to give UAM a first down at the UWA 21. Dakota Fitzgerald picked up 15 yards on the first down, giving the Weevils a first and goal at the UWA six yard line. After a Fryfogle carry picked up no yards, Rodriguez tossed the winning TD pass to Harris with 20 seconds remaining. The Tigers were not done, as Coach returned Green’s kickoff 44 yards to the UAM 46 yard line. However, on first down, Reiter’s pass was intercepted in the end zone by DeMathus Ledet to seal the UAM victory. Rodriguez was 7-of-21 for 131 yards, passing for two touchdowns and one interceptions. Matt Fryfogle led all rushers with 29 carries for 163 yards and two touchdowns, while Von Mixon added three receptions for 63 yards. Rodriguez continued his stellar punting with five punts for 250 yards, including a long punt of 65 yards. Jeremy Brown led all defenders with 13 tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss. The Weevils return to action next Saturday, September 24 as they travel to Carrollton, Georgia to take on West Georgia. Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m.
Weevils Hit The Road Looking For
First Win LIVINGSTON, AL --- After last week’s 42-0 home loss to the University of North Alabama, the University of Arkansas at Monticello Boll Weevils (0-3, 0-1 GSC) find themselves looking for something – anything – to change the momentum against this year’s team. They hope that their hard work and efforts will pay off Saturday, as they travel to Livingston, Alabama for a Gulf South Conference tilt with the University of West Alabama Tigers. The Tigers enter Saturday’s game at 2-1 after knocking off a pair of NAIA schools (Concordia 34-12 and Lambuth 37-0) before being dealt a 43-14 setback at #7 Delta State. The Weevils know that in order to compete in Saturday’s game, their offense will need to step up and perform against a West Alabama defense that surrendered 554 yards of total offense to Delta State. “We have to get better,” said offensive coordinator Tyler Peterson. “That’s all there is to it. We need to step up and perform.” While the UAM offense has struggled all year, their start hasn’t been the slowest start in recent memory – the 1961 Boll Weevils squad managed to score only seven points through their first three games. The offensive struggle has been even across the board thus far for the Weevils – the Boll Weevil offense has only averaged 185.7 yards per game while the defense has allowed 492.7 yards per game. However, even in a difficult loss such as last Saturday’s, the coaching staff still sees a few rays of hope. “We didn’t give up the deep ball this week,” said assistant head coach Donald Dykes. “Our defensive backs were able to keep the receivers in front of them and take away the long threat.” Indeed, UAM’s defensive numbers improved their standing to ninth in the GSC in total pass defense. However, the UAM defense has allowed 274 rushing yards per game, worst in the GSC by 109 yards. Highlighting UAM’s defensive efforts thus far has been the play of DeMathus Ledet, who leads the Gulf South Conference with 33 tackles. This week’s opponent features a balanced offensive attack led by the efforts of Jerin Wright on the ground and the tandem of James Reiter and Chris Coach in the air. The UWA pass offense ranks 11th in the Gulf South Conference, while their rushing offense ranks 7th, as the Tiger backs combine for an average of 136.7 yards per game. Saturday’s game marks the 18th meeting between the two schools, with UAM holding a 9-8 all-time advantage in the series. Livingston University knocked off Arkansas A&M 21-6 in the first meeting between the two schools in 1962, but Arkansas A&M won the next four meetings in 1963 (17-0), 1964 (14-0), 1965 (9-6), and 1966 (20-14). Livingston won 17-13 in 1967, and the two schools did not meet again until 1991; with Livingston winning meetings in both 1991 and 1992. Livingston changed their name to the University of West Alabama in 1996, and the two teams have played every year since. The Tigers have won the last two meetings between the two teams, both in Monticello; as last year the Tigers took advantage of an injury to QB Cory Allred and a missed extra point to take home a 24-23 victory. The Weevils have won their last two games in Livingston (2001 and 2002), last losing in Tiger Stadium in 1998. Kickoff from Livingston is set for 7:00 p.m.
MONTICELLO --- The University of Arkansas at Monticello Boll Weevils (0-3, 0-1 GSC) were unable to contain a high-powered attack by the University of North Alabama Lions (2-0, 1-0 GSC), falling 42-0 in their home opener before a crowd of 3,413 at Convoy Leslie-Cotton Boll Stadium in Monticello tonight. The UNA defense stifled the Weevil offense, forcing UAM to punt eleven times, and fumble the other two times the Weevils held the ball. The Lions opened scoring with seven first-quarter points, and then erupted for 14 points apiece in both the second and third quarters before finishing the fourth quarter with seven points. While the Weevils had relied on their running game to move their offense in the season’s first two games, the UNA defense stifled the UAM running attack, allowing just 50 rushing yards on 33 carries. Conversely, the Lions ran the ball with precision, carrying 47 times for 331 yards. The Lions were equally effective in the air, as quarterback Vinnie Saylor completed 15 of 30 passes for 176 yards. UAM quarterback Anthony Rodriguez was 9 of 26 for 87 yards in the air. Leading the way for the Weevils on the ground was fullback Matt Fryfogle, whose 41 yards on seven carries paced UAM. UNA had two backs in triple digit yardage, as DeMarcus Blount had 20 carries for 139 yards and three touchdowns, and Eric Packer had 17 carries for 1 touchdown. In his banner day, Blount tied the Gulf South Conference mark with 53 career touchdowns. The overworked Weevil defense struggled against a UNA offense that racked up 507 total yards, with DeMathus Ledet and Jamarrick Johnson providing the lead on defense, as Ledet led all players with 15 tackles (eight solo, seven assists) while Johnson added 11 (three solo, eight assists). Ledet also picked up the game’s only interception during a one minute stretch at the end of the first half that saw three turnovers between both teams. The Weevils will return to action on Saturday, September 17 as they travel to Livingston, Alabama to face the West Alabama Tigers. Kickoff from Livingston is set for 7:00 p.m., and the game will be broadcast locally on KWRF-FM 105.5 and KXFE-FM 106.9.
Bison Outgun Weevils FARGO, N.D. --- Despite a 28-carry, 116-yard effort from sophomore John L. Williams, the University of Arkansas at Monticello Boll Weevils (0-2) were outmatched from the start, falling to #22 (Division I-AA) North Dakota State 59-7 tonight at the Fargodome. The Bison set the tone early, capping a five-play, 67-yard opening drive with a 59-yard touchdown pass from Steve Walker to Marques Johnson to take a 7-0 lead. On the Weevils’ opening drive, UAM’s Adam Fisher had a first-down pass intercepted by Bobby Babich, leading to a three-play, 19-yard drive capped off by a 7-yard Kyle Steffes touchdown run to give the Bison a 14-0 lead. The Weevils forced NDSU to punt on their next two drives and went into the second quarter down 14-0. UAM was forced to punt, leading to a six-play, 52-yard drive capped by a three-yard touchdown strike from Walker to Andy DelaBarre, pushing NDSU’s lead to 21-0. After UAM was unable to convert a fourth down, Shamen Washington broke off a 31-yard touchdown run to put the Bison ahead 28-0. UAM was forced to punt on the next drive, and North Dakota State put together a 10-play, 71-yard drive ending with another three-yard toss from Walker to DelaBarre to boost the Bison lead to 35-0. The Bison took advantage of a 27-yard return by Washington, as Cory Vartanian booted a 37-yard field goal in the closing seconds of the first half to give the Bison a 38-0 lead. The Weevils opened the second half with the ball, and on third-and-three, Kole Zimmerman intercepted an Adam Fisher pass, returning it 27 yards for a touchdown to boost the Bison lead to 45-0. On the very first play of the next UAM drive, NDSU’s Justin Frick forced a fumble that was recovered by Zimmerman at the UAM 18, setting up a four-play drive capped by a Washington touchdown run, setting NDSU’s lead at 52-0. UAM finally got on the board with the opening drive of the fourth quarter, marching 64 yards in 13 plays, culminating in a 14-yard touchdown strike from Fisher to Walter Warfield, narrowing the gap to 52-7. The Bison added an insurance touchdown on the next drive setting the final score at 59-7. Williams led all rushers with 116 yards, while Adam Fisher was 6-of-14 for 42 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. NDSU’s Steve Walker was 10-of-16 for 160 yards and three touchdowns. Tim Harris was UAM’s leading receiver, hauling in three passes for 24 yards. UAM’s Wes Ables led all players with 13 tackles, including one tackle for loss totaling four yards. Sam Wisener and Raphael Rawls both picked up sacks, while Marcus Wallace and Corrie Ross combined on a sack. The Bison dominated most statistical categories, picking up 18 first downs to UAM’s 12, 226 net rushing yards to UAM’s 130, and 177 net passing yards to UAM’s 42. UAM was only able to convert two of 13 third downs, while NDSU converted four of eight. The Bison also took advantage of their red zone opportunities, converting on all six chances. The Weevils return to action on Saturday, September 10, hosting North Alabama at Convoy Leslie-Cotton Boll Stadium in the team’s home and GSC opener. Kickoff from Monticello is set for 6 p.m.
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