LIVINGSTON, Ala. – West Alabama running back Matt Willis rushed into the record book as the University of West Alabama football team (8-3) closed out the regular season with a 30-23 victory over Georgia State (2-8) on Saturday evening.
 
In the win, Willis set three school records as the Collins, Miss., native stands as the single-season rushing leader (1,408), total touchdown (16) and rushing TD (15) holder. The junior finished the night with 171 yards and a pair of scores. His final score came with 2:12 in the contest as he summersaulted into the end zone to cap a nine-play, 86 yard drive.
 
UWA jumped out to an early 10-0 lead in the contest. The Tigers' first score came on a career-long, 40-yard field goal by Ryne Smith to cap a 10-play, 31-yard drive. Forcing a three and out on the Panthers' first drive, the Red and White took its second series with the ball and marched 69 yards on just eight plays with Kyle Caldwell finding Curt Amacker from 22 yards out for the first TD toss of the night.
 
GSU posted its first touchdown with two minutes to play in the opening quarter when Kelton Hill found Albert Wilson for a 33-yard strike to cut the UWA lead to 10-7.
 
The Tigers pushed their lead back out to a 10-point margin early in the second quarter as Willis scampered from 11 yards out to end a 64-yard drive.
 
The Panthers again answered back just two minutes later as Hill posted GSU's second score - this time with his feet as he scurried in from 53 yards out. The Blue and White drive covered just 69 yards on five plays.
 
The score would remain deadlocked at 17-14 much of the quarter, but a Smith 40-yard field goal pushed the Red and White's margin to 20-14 at the intermission.
 
GSU drove 78 yards on its opening drive of the second half, but the Panthers' drive stalled at the UWA 4-yard line as Hill was stopped on two consecutive rushes. The Blue and White however held the Tigers deep inside their own territory on the ensuing drive and on 4th and 10, the Panthers blocked Brock Sharp's punt out the back of the end zone for safety to cut the lead to 20-16.
 
The Tigers again extended its lead early in a quarter, this time to start the final quarter as Smith connected on his third field goal of the evening on a 23-yarder with 13:10 left. The field goal pushed the lead to 23-16.
 
GSU again drove deep inside UWA territory, but Hill coughed up the football stretching for the goal line and the Tigers recovered to stall another Blue and White drive. However the Tigers gave the ball back to the Panthers as Caldwell tossed his second INT of the game. GSU quickly capitalized to knot the game at 23-all as Hill scored from two yards out.
 
West Alabama awaits its fate on Sunday, Nov. 13 as the NCAA Division II Super 2 Region Committee will select the six teams to participate in the 2011 playoffs. The selection show will air on www.ncaa.com at 4 p.m. central.