The Wolves (2-4, 0-3 GSC) have now dropped four in a row since their 2-0 start, including all three league affairs.
On Saturday, it was the GSC’s leader in total offense — DSU junior signal-caller Trevor Wooden — doing the bulk of the damage. The Missouri State transfer accounted for four Statesmen touchdowns, rushing for three and throwing for one.
Delta State (3-3, 1-1) opened the scoring on a five-yard touchdown run by Wooden with 4:58 remaining in the first quarter. Andrew Jones’ PAT attempt was blocked by UWG cornerback Kelly Dawsey, leaving it a 6-0 contest.
The Statesmen stretched their lead to 13-0 on a Justin McArthur 13-yard touchdown run with 12:07 left in the second quarter before the Wolves got on the board behind a seven-yard Dallas Dickey run at the 5:54 mark of the second, which stood for a 13-7 halftime score.
West Georgia, which has been plagued by injuries in recent weeks, pulled within 13-10 on the opening drive of the third quarter courtesy of a 48-yard Davis Brackett field goal and got a Teddy Lawrence interception for the opportunity to take its first lead of the night.
And the Wolves would do just that on a 29-yard scamper by David Bailey with 3:35 left in the third, giving UWG the 17-13 edge.
Delta State answered right back, marching 75 yards in nine plays, as Wooden scored his second touchdown of the night on a 20-yard run just seven seconds into the fourth quarter. Jones missed the PAT, however, keeping it a 19-17 ball game.
The Wolves got down to the Statesmen’s 29-yard line on the ensuing drive, but Dickey’s fourth-down pass was incomplete, turning the ball back over to Delta State.
DSU made the Wolves pay, going 71 yards in 11 plays and scoring on a 14-yard pass from Wooden to Kevin Jackson for the 26-17 lead with 6:31 left in the game.
The Wolves took advantage of a pair of DSU personal-foul penalties and responded with a four-yard Bailey touchdown run to pull within two at 26-24 at the 3:21 mark.
The Statesmen were able to essentially put the game away, though, breaking loose for a 49-yard run by Brant Botill that set up a one-yard Wooden keeper to give DSU the nine-point lead with only 1:35 remaining.
UWG got the ball back with 1:28 left at its own 31, but would turn the ball over on downs with 14 ticks left.
Wooden completed 15-of-21 pass attempts for 154 yards and a touchdown with one interception, while rushing for 93 yards and three scores on 21 carries.
Bailey had his best game in a UWG uniform, rushing for 111 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries, while Dickey — making his first collegiate start as a true freshman following the season-ending injury to junior Austin Trainor — gave a solid effort with 110 rushing yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. Dickey was also 9-of-17 through the air for 77 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.
Lorenzo Ford and Bobby Liggins both posted 10 tackles to lead the UWG defense.
The Wolves now have a short week to prepare for Thursday night’s GSC home contest with North Alabama at University Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
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