CARROLLTON, GA - Much like the season opener against Alcorn State, Miles had a couple of opportunities to put up more of a fight in the first half against No. 24/25 West Georgia.
But when the Wolves - like the Braves the previous week - scored late in the first half, then followed it with two quick backbreaking touchdowns to open the second half, the Golden Bears found themselves on the wrong end of a 45-7 score Saturday night at Ra-Lin Field. UWG (2-0) scored the last 31 points of the game and rolled up 490 yards of total offense against Miles (0-2), which struggled to move the ball for the second straight week.
The game was scoreless after the first quarter before the Wolves scored on back-to-back drives to grab a 14-0 lead. But after a big kickoff return by Leonard Tyree, and a fourth-and-2 conversion when Li'Jon Cordier hit LeAnthony Robinson for four yards, Cordier finsihed the drive with a 27-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit in half with 7:18 left in the first half. The Golden Bears would get the ball back with a chance to tie the score but would have to punt back the Wolves late in the first half.
UWG would march 51 yards in nine plays, scoring with 12 seconds left when Willie Candler hit Emoni Williams from 10 yards out to push the score to 21-7. The bottom fell out to start the third quarter when, first, Candler and Williams linked up again for a 32-yard scoring strike on the opening drive. After a 3-and-out for Miles, J.J. Jones returned a punt 59 yards for a score that pushed the UWG lead to 35-7 with 8:16 left in the third quarter.
Cordier was 9-of-16 passing for 69 yards and rushed for another 43 yards. Justin Hardy had 55 yards rushing on 15 carries. Antonio Lee led the Golden Bears with 24 yards receiving. Austin Stephens had a game-high 16 tackles (six solo), Michael White, Maxel Wells and Anthony Hardy each had nine tackles, N'Ktavious Floyd had eight tackles, and Kaelon Bonds had six tackles and a sack for Miles, which next plays at Fort Valley State on Sept. 16. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m.