LIVINGSTON, Ala. – With a 38-10, Homecoming victory over Southern Arkansas, the University of West Alabama football program is 5-1 for the first time since 1982. The win improves the Tigers to 3-0 against Great American Conference members this season. SAU falls to 1-5 overall.

UWA – which garnered its first triumph over the Muleriders in the month of October in school history - totaled 446 yards of total offense – marking the third time this season that the Red and White has tallied 400-plus yards in of total offense. For the fourth time this season, Matt Willis posted a 100-plus yard performance with 114 yards. Gerald Worsham posted a season-high 121 receiving yards – eclipsing his previous total of 116 against Central State. Freshman signal caller Kyle Caldwell posted his first 200-yard passing night in a UWA uniform with 200 yards through the air including two TD tosses.

Deon Lacey continued to pace the Tigers defensively as for the third time during the campaign the Brighton, Ala., product totaled double digit tackles with 10 on the evening. Shontral Ford finished with nine, including eight solos. The Tiger defense held SAU to 304 yards of total offense – the third lowest total of the season.

“This is a big win for us,” UWA head coach Will Hall said. “We are starting to turn this thing around and do what great teams do when they play teams that they are more talented than. We are more talented than Southern Arkansas. They are starting to build that thing back up over at SAU. I was pleased with how we came out and took control of the game from the opening kick tonight.”

Special teams played a large part in the Tigers' early scoring. Ken May got the Red and White on the board first blocking a SAU punt and returning it 33 yards for a score. The scoop and score was the first since the Tigers returned a blocked punt for a TD since 1992 against Delta State.

The Riders pulled within 7-3 on a Taylor Symmank 27 yard field goal – capping a seven-play, 64 yard drive. UWA answered quickly on the ensuing kickoff as Gerald Worsham spun and diverted his way 83 yards to lift the Red and White to a 14-3 lead. The kickoff return marks the first since 2009 also against the Statesmen.

After tacking its first two scores on the board by way of special teams, the UWA took its first offensive possession at the 9:16 mark of the opening quarter. The Tigers took the drive and marched 53 yards on nine plays as May hauled in his third TD reception of the season on a 15 yard pass from Caldwell to end the drive.

The Blue and Gold posted their first TD of game at the 1:22 mark as Taylor Sykora found Caleb Patterson from four yards out to nip the deficit to 21-10 at the half.

The Tigers extended their lead to 24-10 as Ryne Smith capped UWA's opening drive of the second half with a 26 yard field goal. The field goal was the fifth of the season for the Madison, Miss., native.

The scoring didn't end there for the Red and White as the Tigers put two additional TDs on the board in the fourth quarter. Caldwell tossed his second score of the night on a 16 yard pass to Worsham and T-Ray Mitchell finished the scoring output with an 11 yard run with under two minutes two minutes.

West Alabama returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 15 as the Tigers open Gulf South Conference play at Valdosta State. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.