(Photos Courtesy UWG Athletics)

The West Georgia Wolves had a huge turnaround with first year Coach Will Hall at the helm last season. He led the program into the playoffs, earning the school’s first ever D2 playoff victory, and marched them into the national semi-finals.

UWG will attempt do the same and even more this season as Hall has more of his own recruits in place. In the off season the Wolves picked up several transfers including receiver and kick returner Telvin Brown, from FCS Jacksonville State, and kicker Trevor Wylie from Tuskegee. Brown played at JSU in 2013 and was third on the team with 34 receptions and second in receiving yards with 441 along with two touchdowns. Wylie, interestingly, actually kicked a 45-yarder against UWG in the playoffs last season playing for the Golden Tigers. Another key pick-up was defensive end Chris Rabb from UAB. He had 35 tackles, 5.0 tackles for a loss, three sacks and recovered two fumbles last season for the DI-FBS Blazers.

The Wolves’ offense will be led by veteran senior quarterback Dallas Dickey, along with All-GSC Second Team selections senior wide receiver Shaq Hall and senior guard Orion Awa-Dubose. Dickey was 158-of-268 on the year, throwing for 1,982 yards and 17 touchdowns while also rushing for 453 yards and two touchdowns. Hall led the team in receiving with 795 yards and six touchdowns, while Awa-Dubose helped pave the way for the offense that rushed for nearly 3,400 yards in 2014.

The UWG defense will see the returned play of USA College Football All-America and All-GSC Second Team senior safety Carlos Hutton, who’s four pass interceptions ranked second in the GSC and his 13 passes defended was the top total in the league in 2014. He will be joined by All-GSC Second Team selections junior end Alex Armah and senior cornerback Laronji Vason. Last season Armah had 64 total tackles, including 26 solo stops, along with six sacks. Vason had 72 tackles, including 48 solo stops, along with two interceptions, seven pass breakups, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries in 2014.

On special teams, All-GSC First Teamer punter James Dugan will anchor the squad, along with All-GSC Second Team special teams selection junior linebacker Gabe Freeman. Dugan led the Gulf South Conference with an average of 42.9 yards per punt with 70 punts on the year and put 24 punts inside the opponent’s 20 yard line.

The season opens with four non-conference games that include SAC squad Catawba, Miles and Clark-Atlanta from the SIAC along with the CIAA’s Fayetteville State. I suspect the Wolves will roll into GSC play with a 4-0 record where they will open conference action on the road at West Alabama, which will be the first trip back to Livingston for Will Hall after jumping ship to UWG. It should be an interesting matchup, as I expect both squads to be undefeated at that point of the season.

Per usual, UWG’s toughest conference games will be against the GSC’s traditionally known “Big 3” as they play Valdosta State, Delta State and North Alabama in consecutive weeks. All four teams made it to the playoffs last season. These games will most likely determine the conference title and playoff field.

The Wolves have not won the GSC since being co-champs with DSU and VSU in 2000. That could certainly change this season with Coach Hall being in his second year of installing his system at UWG.