DJ Phillips
Sophomore DJ Phillips tossed for 138 yards and a touchdown while adding a rushing score.
14
Limestone LC 0-2
42
Winner West Georgia UWG 2-0
Limestone LC
0-2
14
Final
42
West Georgia UWG
2-0
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
LC Limestone 7 0 7 0 14
UWG West Georgia 21 7 14 0 42

Game Recap: Football | | Ernest Meyers, Assistant A.D. for Media Relations

Saints Fall Behind Early in Road Loss to No. 13 West Georgia

CARROLLTON, GA. – The Limestone College football team fell behind 21-0 early in the first quarter and was never able to recover from the opening shock as the Blue and Gold dropped its second straight road game in a 42-14 loss to nationally 13th-ranked University of West Georgia on Saturday, September 8.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Score: No. 13 West Georgia 42, Limestone 14
Records: No. 13 West Georgia (2-0), Limestone (0-2)
Location: Ra-Lin Field at University Stadium
 
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
 
  • Sophomore QB DJ Phillips (Fayetteville, Ga.) went 12-of-22 for 138 yards and a TD
  • He added a rushing touchdown and a 19-yard reception on a trick play
  • Sophomore RB Jerko'ya Patton (Charlotte, N.C.) had only 26 yards on the ground, but finished with four catches for 60 yards and touchdown out of the backfield
  • Senior TE Andrew Hutto (Charleston, S.C.) hauled in three catches for 58 yards
  • Graduate student Joshua Simmons (Moncks Corner, S.C.) led the defense with nine tackles
  • Senior LB Dalton Yates (Easley, S.C.) posted seven tackles and two sacks
  • Sophomore LB D'Meko Pryor (Cincinnati, Ohio) also finished with seven tackles
  • Junior Thomas Cook (Moore, S.C.) averaged 46.1 yards per punt on nine punts
  • Junior DB Armonte Prioleau (St. Stephen, S.C.) recorded an interception
  • Limestone finished with 225 yards of offense, but would surrender close to 500 yards on defense
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
First Quarter
 
A turnover on Limestone's opening possession would give the home team great field position to start the day, and the Wolves capitalized two plays later on a 28-yard touchdown run by Devontae Jackson. West Georgia then put together a 6-play, 69-yard scoring drive to jump ahead 14-0 with 7:32 left in the first.   
 
The Wolves pushed the margin to 21-0 late in the first, but the Saints were able to get something working on their last possession of the opening quarter. After hitting Hutto for a 37-yard gain on a 3rd-and-3, Phillips would keep the ball himself on a two-yard TD run to cap a 9-play, 75-yard drive at the end of one.
 
Second Quarter
 
West Georgia reestablished its three-touchdown lead midway through the second as Willie Chandler hit Thomas Lester over the middle for an 11-yard TD strike to finish off an 8-play, 77-yard drive. The score remained the same over the rest of the half as the Wolves took a 28-7 advantage into the halftime break.  
 
Third Quarter
 
After the Limestone defense forced a three-and-out to start the third, senior Cody Rau (Litchfield, Minn.) returned the ensuing punt 46 yards to the UWG 29-yard line. Three plays later, Phillips hit Patton on a swing pass down the home sideline for a 25-yard touchdown as the Saints cut the margin in half, 28-14.
 
The Wolves countered, however, with a long 14-play, 75-yard drive, highlighted by a conversation on 4th-and-20 at the Limestone 26 before Jackson plunged in the end zone from two-yards out. West Georgia would put the game away late in the period as Candler and Lester connected once more to make it 42-14.
 
Fourth Quarter
 
On the ensuing possession, which started at the end of the third quarter, the Saints benefited from two UWG personal fouls to move the ball inside the redzone. It appeared Limestone had scored an 18-yard touchdown, but an offensive pass interference call would negate the Phillips-to-Rau score and then a false start would push the Blue and Gold out of its best scoring opportunity in the fourth.  
 
TURNING POINT
 
A turnover by Limestone on the sixth play from scrimmage would give West Georgia excellent field position to start the day. The Wolves scored just two plays later, making it 7-0, before the home team added touchdowns on its next two drives to open up a commanding three-touchdown lead in the first.
 
NOTABLES
 
  • A week after giving up 242 rushing yards, the Saints allowed 178 against the Wolves
  • On the flip side, Limestone gave up over 300 yards passing after surrendering just 164 last week
  • The Blue and Gold falls to 0-4 all-time against nationally ranked teams
  • It was Limestone's first meeting against a Gulf South Conference opponent
  • Freshman Tallon Campbell (Cheraw, S.C.) finished with six tackles, including one for loss
  • Freshman Christian Brantley (Dublin, Ga.) recorded his first career sack
  • Rau set a program record with the longest punt return (46 yards) in the team's short history
 
UP NEXT
 
Limestone will close out its season-opening three-game road trip when it travels to take on Tusculum University on Saturday, September 15 in the 2018 South Atlantic Conference opener.
 
Print Friendly Version