LIVINGSTON, AL- The University of West Alabama Tiger football team (2-4, 0-4 GSC) is gearing up for another road contest this week, as the team travels to Carrollton, Ga., to meet up with West Georgia (3-3, 3-1 GSC). The Tigers are coming off of a 20-14 Homecoming loss to Ouachita Baptist, while the Braves were defeated at Arkansas Tech, 14-9.

“West Georgia is an outstanding football team that is extremely well-coached,” said UWA Head Coach Sam McCorkle. “It will take our best effort if we are to compete with them. There is no doubt that they are one of the most improved teams in our league”

The powerful Tiger running attack will have it’s work cut out this week as the Braves’ defense is only giving up 92.8 yards rushing per game on the season. The Tiger offense is averaging 187.2 rushing yards per contest.

Leading the ground game for the Tigers is running back Jerin Wright. Wright has 90 carries for 357 yards on the season and has scored three touchdowns. Quarterback James Reiter is right behind, with 355 yards rushing on 69 carries. Reiter has also rushed for five touchdowns.

The Braves’ rushing attack is gaining 201.7 rushing yards per game. The team has three players with over 200 yards rushing, led by Abe Felix, who has carried the ball 110 times for 629 yards and has scored seven touchdowns. Javari Taylor is next, with 54 carries and 299 yards rushing, while Stan Rowe has rushed 47 times for 293 yards and three touchdowns.

“West Georgia has a big, physical offense line that has a lot of experience and they have two great backs in Felix and Rowe that will present a great challenge for our defense,” said McCorkle.

The Braves have a slight edge in the passing game, as they are averaging 168.7 yards passing per game, while the Tigers average 138.5 yards passing per contest.

Junior quarterback Keats Baldwin leads the passing game for the Braves, and has completed 75-of-171 pass attempts for 976 yards and six touchdowns. Fifteen of those completions have been to junior wide receiver, Channing Rice, who leads the team with 15 receptions for 185 yards and one touchdown. Jay Holbrook is next with 14 catches for 200 yards, while Emory Jones has 11 catches for 115 yards.

Reiter leads the Tiger passing attack, as he has completed 35-of-80 pass attempts for 724 yards and four touchdowns. Andre Epps leads the team with 12 receptions for 168 yards and two touchdowns. Chris Coach is next with 11 grabs for 316 yards and two touchdowns.

Defensively, the Tigers are allowing 351.8 yards of total offense on the season, while the Braves are holding their opponents to 298.8 yards of total offense per contest.

Lewis Thompson leads the Tiger defense with 48 total tackles (25 solo and 23 assisted), to go with two forced fumbles. Kidane McBride is next with 39 total tackles (19 solo and 20 assisted) and one interception. Richard Bevill leads the team with four interceptions, while Demarcus Thornton is second with three.

John Perkins leads the Braves defense with both 45 total tackles (30 solo and 15 assisted) and three fumble recoveries. Rico Stevens is next with 34 total tackles (26 solo and 8 assisted), while leading the team in interceptions, with three.

“West Georgia is one of the best defensive teams we have played in a long time,” commented McCorkle. “They are the kind of defensive team that would be fun to watch if you knew that you did not have to play them. Their speed on defense is tremendous, and they play defense the way it is supposed to be played, aggressive and full-speed.”

The Tigers and Braves are set to square off in Grisham Stadium, with kickoff set for 1:00 p.m. All of the exciting action can be heard on WZNJ FM-106.5 (Demopolis).