*Rankings: UNA is No. 3 in the D2Football.com poll and No. 7 in the AFCA Coaches poll. The Lions are No. 1 in the Super Region 2 poll.

*UWF Coach Pete Shinnick: Shinnick was hired as the first coach in program history on Feb. 6, 2014. He has a 108-50 career record in 14-plus years, which includes a 50-24 mark at UNC Pembroke (07-13) & 53-22 at Azusa Pacific (99-05).

*UNA Coach Bobby Wallace: Wallace is in his 15th season at UNA after returning to take over for a second time in 2012. He is 166-151-1 in his 28th season as a head coach, with stops at Temple (1998-2005), West Alabama (2006-10) and North Alabama. He is 121-50-1 at UNA (1988-97, 2012-Pr.)

• UWF is ranked 28th in total offense with 464.8 yards per game. The Argonauts are third in passing offense at 383.0 ypg and 144th in rushing offense at 104.8 ypg.

• UWF's defense is 69th in the NCAA after yielding 369.9 ypg. It ranks 12th in rushing defense, allowing just 91.1 ypg.

• The place kicking unit has had its up and downs, making 38-of-43 PATs and 7-of-12 field goal attempts this year - including five of their last six. UWF ranks 35th in KO returns at 23.6 yards per return and 13th in KO defense, allowing just 16.6 yards per return.

• UWF is 2-1 after a loss this season.

• UWF will be wearing white jerseys & white pants. The Argonauts will also have blue helmets and blue shoes.

OFFENSE AS GOOD AS ADVERTISED

    When he was at UNC Pembroke, Pete Shinnick's offenses were always high-powered. That fast-paced, high-octane style has continued at West Florida, and in a big way thanks to veteran signal caller Kaleb Nobles.

    UWF has scored at least 36 points in all five victories and at least 21 in every game, while averaging 464 yards of total offense - a figure that ranks 28th in the NCAA and second in the GSC. Additionally, the 363 passing yards per game is third and the scoring offense is 28th.

QUICK STRIKE OFFENSE 

    UWF has scored on 47 offensive possessions this season, making six field goals and 41 touchdowns. Of the 41 TD scoring drives, 21 have come in 5 plays or less, including 10 of three or less and two on one play.

    On the flip side, the Argonauts have nine scoring drives of 9 plays or more. The longest scoring drive in terms of plays came at MC with a 16-play, 5:27 third quarter drive that resulted in a 26-yard Andrew Bogaenko FG. Two weeks ago against Shorter, the Argos ate up 8:20 on the clock in the second quarter before making a Peffers field goal.

NOBLES AMONG NATIONAL PASSING LEADERS

    Without question, QB Kaleb Nobles has been the perfect signal caller for the UWF football team. A graduate transfer from Valdosta State, the Florida native who went to high school in Fitzgerald, Ga., gives the offense a leader and proven winner in the Gulf South Conference.

    He currently ranks fifth nationally in passing yards (2,948) and passing ypg (327.6), 6th in passing TDs (28), along with being 11th in completions per game (24) and 35th in passing efficiency (148.4). But possibly the most important stats is where he ranks in points responsible for - 8th with 180 on the year and 10th in points responsible per game at 20.0.

    He had completed at least 20 passes in every game prior to last week against UWA, with a season-high of 30 against Shorter two weeks ago. His 503-yard passing performance against Missouri S&T was a career-high and is the eighth-highest single-game effort in GSC history. It is currently the fourth-highest in Division II this season.

MORROW BUSTING OUT AS GSC's TOP RECEIVER

    Junior WR Ishmel Morrow wasn't what he describes as a highly-recruited athlete as a sophomore at Mississippi Gulf Coast CC. And the UWF coaches weren't recruiting the Miss. JUCOs as hard as some areas closer to the UWF campus.

    In nine games, the Ocean Springs, Miss. (located just east of Biloxi across the Biloxi Bay) native has proven to be one of the top targets for UWF QBs Kaleb Nobles and Grey Jackson, hauling in 57 catches for 974 yards - both No. 1 at UWF and in the GSC. He also averages 108.2 yards per game (8th in NCAA) and 7.0 receptions per game (14th in NCAA).

    He has five 100-yard games and a TD in six of seven this season. He has caught at least seven passes in five of the last six games.

HASIC GOES FROM CROATIAN REFUGEE TO TOP GSC TALENT

    Through seven weeks of play, senior WR Anas Hasic has proven to be one of the top big play targets for UWF. Overall, the Phoenix native is fifth in the Gulf South Conference in receiving yards per game, averaging 83.4 ypg and tied for first with eight TDs. He also has 118.6 all-purpose ypg, ranking him fifth in the conference and 66th in the country.

    The native of Croatia - dubbed the 'Croatian Sensation' by some local fans - has one of the more remarkable stories in college football. He and his mother fled Croatia during the civil war (officially the Croatian War of Independence) for Germany when he was five. Three years later they were forced to move again, landing in Phoenix when the U.S. granted them asylum. Hasic didn't speak English and had to spend an hour after school each day, learning the language. While he speaks it fluently now, he still speaks and texts his mother in Croatian.

ARGOS FEATURE ONE OF THE TOP RECEIVING CORPS IN THE COUNTRY

    The UWF offense is one of the most potent in the country, due in large part by its leading receivers - led by leaders junior Ishmel Morrow, senior Anas Hasic, sophomore Antoine Griffin and freshman Tate Lehtio. Morrow and Hasic have combined for 1,667 yards receiving, ranking them fourth in the country in combined yards.

NCAA Division II Top Receiving Tandems

Brody Oliver (1197) & Ty Young (645)    Colorado Mines    1842

Matt Heller (1122) & Charlie Hayes (707)    Augustana    1829

Billy Brown (949) & CJ Davis (780)    Shepherd     1729

ISHMEL MORROW (974) & ANAS HASIC (693)    WEST FLORIDA     1667

Damon Gibson (1184) & Hunter Braaten (463)    MSU Morehead     1647

DEFENSIVE SPEED PAYING OFF
   As good as the offense has been, the UWF defense has really been a difference maker through four games. The Argonauts are 102nd in the country and fifth in the GSC in scoring defense at 30.0 points per game allowed.

    UWF ranks No. 69 nationally, allowing 369.2 yards of total offense per game. The Argos are fifth in the country in QB sacks with 4.0 per game.

    UWF has produced one of the stronger rushing defenses in the country. It currently ranks No. 12 in the country, yielding just 91.1 yards per game. The team has held two opponents to less than 40 yards in a game and five teams to 130 or less.

    UWF also ranks 19th in the NCAA and second in the GSC in tackles for loss with 8.7 per game.

ARGOS TOPS IN SACKS & INT

    UWF enters the UNA contest with a GSC best 31 sacks, while its 13 interceptions are tied for second.

    Marvin Conley, Leroy Taylor and Trent Archie have three each, while Blake Norwood has two to lead the secondary.

ARCHIE LEADS THE GSC IN TACKLES
   Freshman Trent Archie has 76 stops on the year to go along with three interceptions, both of which rank second in the Gulf South Conference. He is averaging 8.4 stops per game. He had a career-high 18 tackles three weeks ago at Delta State.

THREE ARGOS NAMED TO ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT

    UWF football standouts Reggie Barnes, Kaleb Nobles and John Williamson were each named to the Academic All-District team for Super Region 2, as announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America on Thursday.

    Barnes has a 3.73 grade-point average and is majoring in business, Nobles has a 3.30 graduate GPA in physical education and Williamson carries a 3.56 GPA in business management.

    Barnes is UWF's starting strong linebacker and ranks third on the team with 50 tackles. He also has 3.5 tackles for loss, a pass breakup and five quarterback hurries. The Odessa, Florida native spent two seasons at Air Force before transferring to UWF last fall.

    Nobles has been one of the top quarterbacks in the country this season, helping lead the first-year Argonaut program to a 5-4 record with two regular-season games remaining. He ranks fifth in the country with 2,945 passing yards, fifth in passing yards per game with 327.2, sixth in passing touchdowns with 28 and eighth in points responsible for with 180. He earned his undergraduate degree from Valdosta State – near his hometown of Fitzgerald, Georgia – before transferring to UWF.

    Williamson has been the team's starting left defensive end and compiled 32 tackles, along with a team-high 8.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss. He is 34th in the country in sacks per game. A redshirt sophomore from Spanish Fort, Alabama, he also has seven hurries and one forced fumbles.

UWF MAKING A SPLASH AT BLUE WAHOOS STADIUM

    Ask anyone who has attended one of the three games at Blue Wahoos Stadium this season and they almost all have the same reaction – it's one of the most amazing atmosphere's in college athletics and definitely the most unique in Division 2. The Argos have fed off the energy created by three sellout crowds with three victories. UWF ranks 19th in the country in avg. att. (6,388) and 10th in stadium capacity (6,388 avg in a 6,288 stadium for a 102%).

FIVE GSC TEAMS IN NCAA SUPER REGION 2 RANKINGS

    The NCAA released the second edition of the Division 2 Football Regional Rankings on Monday and five Gulf South Conference teams are represented.

1. NORTH ALABAMA    6-1

2. UNC Pembroke    8-1

3. Newberry    8-1

4. Tuskegee    6-1

5. WEST ALABAMA    6-2

6. FLORIDA TECH    6-2

7. VALDOSTA STATE    6-2

8. WEST GEORGIA    6-3

9. North Greenville    5-3

10. Wingate    7-2

TOUGH ROAD TO HOE

    There's no denying that UWF's final three games are against three of the toughest opponents in the region – West Alabama, at North Alabama and at home against West Georgia. Those three teams have a combined record of 15-5 for a .750 winning percentage. That ranks as the eighth-toughest stretch in the country.

Nation's Toughest Final 3 Games (entering last week)

School    Opp. Rec.    Win. Pct

1. Central State    12-2    .857

2. Missouri Western    20-4    .833

3. Urbana    19-4    .826

4. Delta State    9-2    .818

5. Wayne State    19-5    .792

6. Fairmont State    18-5    .783

7. Seton Hill    19-6    .760

8. West Florida    15-5    .750