PENSACOLA, Fla. — It couldn’t have been a happier homecoming for West Alabama head football coach Brett Gilliland. The Tigers’ 35-year-old head coach walked into scenic Blue Wahoos Stadium on Pensacola Bay with his Tiger team Saturday and walked out with a 45-21 Gulf South Conference football win over West Florida.

A Pensacola native and former Escambia County High School quarterback, Gilliland brought arguably the hottest team in the Gulf South Conference to the Florida Panhandle and guided them to a fifth consecutive win, this one over the upstart Argonauts.

“Pensacola is a special place for my family and me,” Gilliland said. “In addition to a lot of UWA alumni in this area, there are so many great high school coaches who have been great to me and my family, even ones I didn’t play for. I hope we gave them something to be proud of today.”

This West Alabama (6-3, 6-1) team is the first to win five straight since the 2011 squad and the first to win six Gulf South Conference games in a season since the 1975 team. In their first season to field a team, West Florida (5-4, 3-3) lost for the first time at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

West Alabama scored early and often, building a 28-7 lead by halftime, thanks mainly to quarterback Austin Grammer and receivers Barnard McGhee and Donta Armstrong. Grammer and McGhee hooked up for three touchdown passes in the first 30 minutes. Armstrong had 11 first-half receptions.

“You have to give it up to Austin (Grammer) and the offensive line,” McGhee said. “This group of receivers competes with each other every day and we feed off each other. It’s fun playing with them.”