CARROLLTON, Ga. -- Excitement is building for the third season of gridiron action in the United Athletic Conference (UAC) and as a lead into the kickoff of the 2025 campaign, we will preview each of the nine league members with a daily countdown in the "Chase for the Crown". West Georgia embarks on its second season in the league with plans to flip the results of some one-score games last year.
UWG QUICK FACTS
2025 Preseason Pick: T-7th
2024 Record: 4-7 (1-7 UAC)
Program Best DI / DII Record: 4-7 (2024) / 12-2 (2015)
NCAA FCS Playoff Appearances: n/a (9 DII appearances - last in 2021)
Head Coach: Joel Taylor
Career Record: 4-7 (2nd Season) | 1-7 UAC (2nd Season)
KEY RETURNERS
- DAVIN WYDNER (QB, SR) - Played every game for Wolves last year finishing with 1718 yards (9 TDs) on 142-of-229 passing; only threw one INT
- JAY CARTER (LB, R-JR) - UWG's top returning tackler after collecting 76 stops (46 solo) last year; boasted 5.5 TFLs and a pair of sacks along with one interception
NOTEWORTHY
1. The 2025 season marks the second year of UWG’s transition to Division I as members of the UAC as well as year two of the Joel Taylor era. The Wolves went 4-7 in year one with Division I victories over Samford and Utah Tech. This season’s schedule features 11 Division I opponents including six games on the road.
2. Taylor will be debuting new coordinators on both sides of the ball in 2025. Offensively, Austin Davis took over the reins after serving as the offensive line coach in 2024. Woody Blevins came in from Assumption (DII) to serve as the Wolves’ defensive coordinator. Tripp Weaver, who spent the 2024 season at UAC foe Austin Peay, is listed as UWG’s co-defensive coordinator.
3. The Wolves’ defense, which led the conference in total defense a season ago, returns their top two tacklers in linebackers Micah Thurman and Jay Carter. Both Thurman and Carter hail from Warner Robins, Ga., and Carter led the unit with 76 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss while Thurman recorded 68 tackles and 7.5 for loss.
4. Offensively, UWG returns Davin Wydner at quarterback. Wydner, a Cocoa, Fla., native threw for 1,718 yards and nine touchdowns with just one interception in his first year in Carrollton. Wydner also has a reshaped offensive line around him, anchored by senior Sam Regina who started all 11 games in UWG’s inaugural UAC season. The Wolves brought in six Division I transfers on the offensive line and five participated in spring ball.
5. West Georgia’s non-conference schedule features three solid FCS programs, all of which have been playoff teams in the last four seasons. The campaign opens with a return-trip to Samford in week one, followed by a trip to Nicholls, before a week three home opener against ETSU.
2025 SCHEDULE
Aug. 28 | @Samford
Sept. 6 | @Nicholls State
Sept. 13 | ETSU
Sept. 20 | EKU*
Sept. 27 | @Southern Utah*
Oct. 4 | @Austin Peay*
Oct. 11 | Abilene Christian*
Oct. 18 | @Tarleton State*
Oct. 25 | Central Arkansas*
Nov. 8 | @North Alabama*
Nov. 15 | Utah Tech*
Bold = Home | * = UAC