JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – After a disappointing close loss to a top-25 team, the ETSU Buccaneers are shifting their focus to safeguarding their home ground as they get ready to face Elon this weekend.

The Bucs held the lead for the majority of Saturday night’s match against No. 25 West Georgia, but a late rally from the Wolves secured them a 35–31 victory in the final moments, dropping ETSU’s record to 1–2 this season.

Head coach Will Healy expressed on Monday his determination to look ahead and improve. “Mondays are a turning point coming off a loss, as I’m eager to progress,” Healy remarked. “How can we prevent our defense from balancing 93 plays while our offense only takes 63? How can we perform better in the crucial moments? What’s the situation with our quarterback? Those are the areas we need to address.”

Despite the setback, there were significant highlights. Quarterback Jacolby Criswell contributed three touchdowns and passed for 108 yards, while defensive back William Wells achieved 11 solo tackles. However, penalties and West Georgia’s late push were too much to overcome.

Tight end Cole Keller celebrated his first touchdown reception as a Buccaneer on Saturday. However, despite this personal success, he remains discontent with the overall outcome. “The key takeaway is we need to finish strong. We must not take anything for granted,” Keller noted. “We played well and dominated, but we got too comfortable. Learn from this now and don’t repeat it—that’s all there is to do.”

“We’re evaluating what we can improve,” Wells added. “We’re pushing and reminding each other that this isn’t the end. We have high ambitions. Our goal is to be 1–0 this week. Focus on each day, tackle the week, and that’s our plan.”

Healy emphasized that while the outcome was disappointing, it didn’t change his impression on how this team matches up to strong opponents. “We went on the road and played a top 25 team, and we didn’t do what we needed to do to finish the game,” Healy said. “We controlled the game until a minute was left on the clock. Our guys played hard. I don’t have a concern about their response. I don’t think this team needed something to say, ‘We can play with anybody.’ I hope they felt that way already.”

After two straight road games, ETSU returns home this Saturday to William B. Greene Jr. Stadium, where they’ll take on the Elon Phoenix. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.