* Records: UWF is 11-3 after knocking off previously undefeated & #1-ranked Indiana (Pa.), 27-17, on the road in the national semifinals. Texas A&M-Commerce moved to 13-1 with a 31-17 victory over Harding in its national semifinal contest.
* Rankings: A&M-Commerce is #8 in both the AFCA & D2Football.com polls. UWF is receiving votes (4) in the AFCA listing.
THE COACHES
* UWF coach Pete Shinnick was hired as the first coach in program history on Feb. 6, 2014. He is 16-9 in 2 seasons at UWF and has a 119-55 career record in 15 years, which includes a 50-24 mark at UNC Pembroke (07-13) & 53-22 at Azusa Pacific (99-05).
* A&M-Commerce Coach Colby Carthel: Carthel is in his fifth season as the Lions' head coach and has a 48-15 record. Commerce won three LSC titles from 2014-16. He spent the previous seven seasons at West Texas A&M as the defensive coordinator.
UWF CONTINUES MAGICAL JOURNEYIN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
* No. 4 seed (No. 6 in Super Regional 2) West Florida meets No. 2 seed Texas A&M-Commerce in the 2017 NCAA Division II National Championship game on Saturday, Dec. 16 at 5:00 p.m. CT at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kan.
* Playing in just its 26th game in program history, UWF is making its first championship game appearance.
UWF BRINGS 6-GAME WIN STREAK TO CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
* UWF's 6-game win streak is tied for the fourth-longest active streak in the country. A&M Commerce holds the longest at nine. Both of the finalists snapped the two longest streaks in their semifinal victories (IUP was at 13 & Harding was at 11). The streak is the longest in the Gulf South Conference this season.
* UWF is outscoring its opponents 167-88 - an average of 27.8-14.7. Additionally, the squad has outgained the opposition by an average of 96 yards per game.
* The Argonaut defense has totaled 31 sacks during that period (16 in previous 8 games) and held opponents to 32 pct. on 3rd Down and 2-of-10 on 4th Down.
* The defense has collected 12 tunovers (6 INT/6 fumbles), which have resulted in 44 points for UWF - 26.3 pct. of its 167 points.
UWF WINS FOUR ROAD GAMES EN ROUTE TO CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
* UWF is 4-0 all-time in postseason play, winning four-consecutive road games to reach Saturday's contest. Since the tournament field expanded to 24 teams in 2004, they are just the third school to accomplish that feat, joining Wayne State in 2011 and Northwest Mo. in 2005.
UWF JUST THIRD UNRANKED TEAM TO REACH THE DII TITLE GAME
* Delta State in 2010, Wayne State in 2011 and West Florida this season are the only three unranked teams to ever reach the NCAA Division II National Championship Game.
* Delta fell to Minnesota-Duluth, 20-17, and Wayne State lost to Pittsburg State, 35-21.
WEST FLORIDA IS RARE THREE LOSS TEAM IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
* West Florida is just the fifth team to ever reach the NCAA Division II Football Championship Game with three losses.
* In 1996, Northern Colorado became the first school to ever reach the title game with three losses. The Bears were 11-3 entering the title game and defeated Carson-Newan to win a National Championship. They remain as the only three-loss team to win the Division II National Championship.
* Northwest Missouri State also had an 11-3 record entering the Championship Game in 2005 but the Bearcats lost to Grand Valley State. Delta State was 11-3 when the Statesmen played in the 2010 Championship Game but lost to Minnesota-Duluth. Then Wayne State was 12-3 when it lost to Pittsburg State in 2011.
Reached THE ChampIONSHIP Game
with three losses
1996 Northern Colorado, 11-3
defeated Carson-Newman, 23-14
2005 Northwest Missouri State, 11-3
lost to Grand Valley State, 21-17
2010 Delta State, 11-3
lost to Minnesota-Duluth, 20-17
2011 Wayne State, 12-3
lost to Pittsburg State, 35-21
2017 West Florida, 11-3
vs. Texas A&M-Commerce
GSC IN THE POSTSEASON
* Four GSC teams qualified for the NCAA Division II Championship, including the GSC Champions from West Alabama, who earned the top seed. Delta State was the fifth seed, making the field for the first time since 2014. West Florida is the sixth seed, earning the spot in just its second year of existence. After one year away, West Georgia got back in the playoffs for the third time in four years, earning the seventh seed.
* It is the fourth straight year that the league has had at least three teams make the NCAA Playoffs, and the second time in four years that four teams have qualified.
* The last two seasons, seven different GSC teams have made the NCAA Championship.
* A GSC school has now won the NCAA Division II Super Region 2, formerly the Southeast Region, crown 14 times in the last 16 seasons.
* Since Division II went to regionalization in 1990, a GSC school has advanced to the national semifinals 21 times in 28 seasons.
GSC IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
* Of the current 16 NCAA Division II football conferences, only six have produced a football national champion. The Gulf South Conference leads with 10, going 10-7 in title contests. The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association is second with eight.
* The last Division II Football National Champion from the Lone Star Conference was Southwest Texas State (now Texas State University) in 1981 and 1982.
* The only other Championship Game appearance by a Lone Star Conference team was Texas A&M-Kingsville in 1994 when the Javelinas lost to North Alabama, 16-10.
Current Division II Conference's
National Titles
10 Gulf South Conference
8 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Assoc.
4 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conf.
2 Lone Star Conf., Northern Sun Inter. Conf.
1 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
0 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association
0 Great American Conference
0 Great Lakes Valley Conference
0 Great Midwest Athletic Conference
0 Great Northwest Athletic Conference
0 Mountain East Conference
0 Northeast-10
0 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
0 South Atlantic Conference
0 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
ABOUT UWF
UWF is 11-3 overall having secured a winning season in its second year of competition after its 30-7 win over North Alabama six weeks ago. Since then, the Argonauts have claimed road wins at #18 West Georgia, #16 Wingate, at #24 West Georgia (again), at #17 West Alabama for the Super Regional 2 championship and last week at #1 Indiana (Pa.). UWF finished in a 5-way tie for second in the Gulf South Conference with a 5-3 record.
The Argonauts are fifth in the GSC in scoring offense (28.2) and third in scoring defense (20.5). UWF ranks sixth in total offense with 346.8 yards per game and fourth in total defense, allowing an average of 330.1 per contest. UWF's passing attack is third in the league at 232.8 yards per game, just behind West Georgia at 235.4 and West Alabama at 281.8.
Redshirt freshman Mike Beaudry has thrown for 2,963 yards and 28 touchdowns while completing 56 percent of his passes. The Canadian-born signal caller from Oviedo, Fla. was named the GSC Offensive Freshman of the Year. He has also rushed for 102 yards and two scores.
Sophomore Chris Schwarz, senior Leroy Wilson and freshman Anthony Johnson, Jr. have led the Argos ground game, which has averaged 122.1 yards per game and collected 13 touchdowns. Schwarz has six scores and 813 yards on 199 carries for 49.1 per game. Wilson has 330 yards on the season with 270 coming in the last seven contests before suffering a broken hand three weeks ago at West Georgia. His 5.1 yards per rush lead the team and rank tenth in the GSC. Johnson has 405 yards on 95 carries, including the two longest runs of the year - a 39-yarder vs. UNA and a 40-yarder at UWA two weeks ago.
Reggie Barnes, Marvin Conley and Trent Archie all have at least 88 tackles and rank in the top 15 in the GSC. Barnes' and Conley's 7.1 stops per game rank sixth in the league. First Team All-GSC pick John Williamson leads the conference with 13.5 sacks and is second with 18.0 tackles for loss.
PETE SHINNICK IN THE POSTSEASON
With last week's national semifinal victory, Pete Shinnick improved to 4-2 as a head coach in the Division II Championships with both losses coming while he was at UNC Pembroke in 2009 and 2013.
The 2009 team was ranked 13th before losing to Arkansas Tech, 41-13 on the road in Russellville, Ark. In 2013, the 8th-ranked and 2nd-seeded Braves had a first-round bye but fell to 16th-ranked and 3rd-seeded North Alabama, 37-13, in Pemboke, N.C.
He also went 2-5 in the NAIA Playoffs while at Azuza Pacific from 1999-2005. The Cougars reached the national semifinals in 1999 & 2004.
SHINNICK NAMED AFCA
REGION 2 COACH OF THE YEAR
UWF head coach Pete Shinnick was named the Region 2 Coach of the Year as announced by the American Football Coaches Association last week.
Shinnick has led UWF to a 11-3 record and a berth in the NCAA Division II National Championship game in just the second year of the program's history. The Argonauts have gone 8-1 away from Pensacola this season, tieing for the most road wins in the country.
Shinnick was hired at UWF on February 6, 2014. After 18 months of building the program from scratch, UWF opened play in 2016 and went 5-6, marking the most wins by a first-year Division II program in a decade. The Argonauts also collected the school's first win over a ranked opponent, defeating No. 16 Florida Tech at home before a sellout crowd on national television. UWF played before capacity crowds at Blue Wahoos Stadium three times and ranked 18th in the NCAA with a 6,328 average.
2017 has been even more impressive. UWF went 7-3 in the regular season and tied for second in the Gulf South Conference at 5-3. The team earned votes in the top 25 on two occasions for the first time ever and became the fastest Division II start-up program to qualify for the postseason when the Argonauts grabbed the No. 6 seed in the Super Regional 2 bracket. Since that announcement, UWF has won three-consecutive road games over ranked opponents to win the Super Regional 2 Championship, and added a fourth road win in the national semifinals last week at IUP.
This marks the first time he has won the award. Shinnick has a career record of 119-55 and is 16-9 at UWF. He spent eight years - seven playing seasons - starting the program at UNC Pembroke prior to arriving in Pensacola and seven years as the head coach at Azusa Pacific.
The AFCA will announce the 2017 National Coaches of the Year winners in FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III and NAIA at the American Football Coaches Awards, presented by Amway, broadcast live on the USA TODAY Sports Facebook page on Tuesday, January 9, at 8 p.m. EST. The Regional winners in each division are finalists for the National Coach of the Year.
ARGOS ADDING TO 2016 WIN TOTAL
Last season, UWF had five victories with three games remaining and struggled in its final games - all losses to UWA, North Alabama and West Georgia and was unable to finish with a winning record.
The 2016 team appeared to hit a wall at that point last season and that need for improvement physically and mentally was a point of emphasis for the coaching staff and strength & conditioning staff coming into the 2017 campaign.
Seven weeks ago, UWF entered the same final 3-game stretch with the same win total. The 2017 edition played well at West Alabama and, despite losing 35-18, trailed just 14-12 entering the fourth quarter. UWF got over the 5-win hump with a 30-7 victory over North Alabama. And the 34-29 come-from-behind win at #24/18 West Georgia in the regular-season finale propelled the squad into the playoffs for the first time ever.
UWF WITH ANOTHER SHOT
AT A RANKED OPPONENT
This week's game against #8 Texas A&M-Commerce marks the eighth ranked opponent for UWF in the last 10 weeks.
The Argonauts are 4-2 against ranked teams in 2017, winning all four postseason contests against top-25 programs.
UWF collected its second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth-ever wins over a ranked opponent in the last five weeks, with a road win over #24/18 West Georgia, 34-29, to snap the Wolves' 6-game home winning streak, a 31-0 shutout win at #16/18 Wingate in the NCAA First Round to end the Bulldogs' season at 9-2, a 17-14 win at #24 West Georgia in the regional semifinals, a 28-21 win over #17 West Alabama in the regional championship and last week's 27-17 win at #3/1 Indiana (Pa.) in the national semifinals that snapped the Crimson Haws' 18-game home win streak.
In their inaugural 2016 campaign, UWF upset #16 Florida Tech, 42-39 at home, before falling to #3 North Alabama, 51-3 in Florence.
Earlier this season, UWF was scheduled to host then-#16 Midwestern State but the game was canceled due to the threat of Hurricane Irma.
RECAPPING THE NATIONAL
SEMIFINAL WIN AT INDIANA (PA.)
The UWF Football team continues to author up new ways to amaze the college football world. Saturday it was a dominating 27-17 performance at top-seeded and previously unbeaten Indiana University of Pennsylvania in the NCAA Division II National Semifinals.
The win put the Argonauts into the national championship game for the first time in program history – a history that is still just 25 games old. UWF improved to 11-3 on the season and ended IUP's 18-game home winning streak that began in 2015 – 11 months before UWF even played its first-ever game.
The Argonauts turned in their most productive rushing show of the season with 224 yards behind an offensive line that pushed around the Crimson Hawks with regularity. Chris Schwarz established school records with 29 carries and 175 yards, with 141 by halftime.
Mike Beaudry was a very efficient 15-of-23 for 152 yards with a pair of touchdowns.
The Argonauts took the opening kickoff and chewed up more than seven minutes of time, with its offensive line sending the message that it would be the more physical unit. While that series didn't yield any points, UWF did score on its next two possessions – with both scores coming on short fields. The defense held the Crimson Hawks to minus-three yards on a three-and-out in the first series, before Andre Duncombe intercepted the Lenny Williams on their fourth play of the game.
A 7-yard Schwarz run started the scoring for UWF and Austin Williams set the Gulf South Conference record for field goals in a season when he connected on a 30-yarder – his 24th in 2017.
Tate Lehtio grabbed a short pass from Beaudry with 26 seconds left in the half to send the unranked Argos into the locker room with a 17-0 lead. UWF had outgained IUP 122-63 at that point.
The Argonauts continued to capitalize on Hawks mistakes, taking over deep in IUP territory early in the third following a bad punt snap. Beaudry needed just seven plays to pilot another scoring drive, finding Kevin Grant just inside the side of the end zone from 15 yards out.
IUP came charging back and cut the UWF lead to 24-17 with three scores, ending on a Dillon Sarka 19-yard field goal early in the fourth.
Again, UWF went back to the ground game and compiled a 7-minute, 39-second drive with another Williams field goal to extend the margin back to two possessions and 4:37 remaining in the game.
The defense forced the Crimson Hawks to turn the ball over on downs twice to complete the neutralizing of one of the top offenses in the country. UWF held IUP to 242 yards of offense – 229 below their season average. The Hawks' sixth-ranked rushing attack managed 156 yards after posting 263 per game.
RECAPPING THE SUPER REGIONAL 2 WIN AT WEST ALABAMA
The Argonauts erased a 7-point deficit with a dominating 25-minute stretch of play on both sides of the ball before stopping a late push by the 17th-ranked and top-seeded West Alabama for a 28-21 win in the NCAA Division II Super Regional Two Championship.
UWF won its fifth-consecutive game in just its 24th all-time game.
Freshman QB Mike Beaudry threw for 247 yards on 18-of-29 passing with two touchdowns. He was particularly effective in the second half, totaling 134 yards on 9-of-12 with both scoring strikes.
As it has done during the entire postseason, the UWF defense turned up the intensity when it mattered most, holding UWA to 20 yards in the third quarter and a combined three 3-and-outs and a 4-and-out while building the 14-point lead.
The Argos held the Tigers to a season-low scoring total, well below their average of 38.3 points per game. Johnathan Coleman led the defense with a career-high 16 tackles. He has 50 stops with six sacks in the last five games.
Freshman Ka'Ron Ashley had a career-high game, finishing with six receptions for 138 yards and a touchdown. His two biggest plays came on the fourth quarter drive that put UWF ahead 28-14. He out-jumped his man on a 26-yard third-and-11 play to keep the drive alive before grabbing a 43-yarder a play later that put the ball at the two. Chris Schwarz scored a play later to give the Argonauts a cushion with 6:27 to play.
For his part, Schwarz ran down hill for much of the second half, picking up 53 yards on 14 carries after the intermission. He ended the game with 68 yards on 20 rushes. UWF had 133 yards on the ground and a 3.8 yards per rush.
Freshman RB Anthony Johnson had 59 yards on eight carries. He sparked the comeback with a 40-yard touchdown run on UWF's first offensive play of the second half. Earlier in the game, his 2-yard run in the first quarter tied it at 7-7.
RECAPPING THE WIN AT WEST GA.
The UWF defense has been getting better and better over the last three weeks but turned in one of the gutsiest performances in program history Saturday as the sixth-seeded Argonauts defeated seventh-seeded West Georgia, 17-14, at University Stadium to advance to the NCAA Division II Championship Super Regional 2 finals.
UWF held West Georgia to a season-low 244 yards of total offense, including just 117 on the ground in defeating the Wolves at home for the second time in 14 days. The Argos had four sacks, forced three fumbles and Marvin Conley picked off Willie Candler to ice the game with one second remaining.
The Argos finished with 337 yards as Mike Beaudry threw for 194 yards on 19-of-33 with a touchdown. He also had four interceptions, including three in the first quarter. Fortunately, the defense held the Wolves to just 17 combined yards on their three ensuing possessions.
Johnathan Coleman had three sacks and eight tackles up front for the Argonauts. Asante Griffin led the team with nine stops. Andre Duncombe forced a fumble and made five tackles as well.
RECAPPING THE WIN AT WINGATE
UWF got a dominating performance from its defense en route to a 31-0 win over Wingate in the NCAA First Round, becoming the youngest program to win a Division II postseason game.
From the third play of the game when Jalen Spencer intercepted Wingate QB Dylan Williams and returned it 23 yards for a touchdown, the UWF defense announced it was going to be the focal point of the day. Spencer got his second interception on the Bulldogs' next drive returning it 15 yards to the UWF 30, eventually leading to an Austin Williams 51-yard field goal – tying his own career-long.
By the end of the game, the Argonauts held 16th-ranked Wingate to a season-low 205 yards of total offense, sacked Williams a school-record nine times, picked him off three times and did its part to put all four Gulf South Conference teams into the Super Region 2 semifinals.
Marvin Conley, Reggie Barnes and Johnathan Coleman each posted double-digit tackles. The Argos have combined for 21 sacks and 38 tackles for loss over the last three contests.
UWF ended with 289 yards of total offense –129 on the ground and 160 through the air. Mike Beaudry was 18-for-31 with three passing touchdowns and an interception.
RECAPPING THE WIN OVER WEST GEORGIA THAT GOT THE ARGOS INTO THE PLAYOFFS
UWF scored 24 unanswered and got an outstanding effort from its defense over the final 45 minutes to end the regular-season tied for second in the final league standings. UWF's 395 yards of total offense was its third-highest this season and helped the squad finish 4-1 on the road in 2017.
QB Mike Beaudry threw for 236 yards on 19-of-35 with four touchdowns against the top-rated defense in the league which was seventh nationally allowing just 268.8 yards per game. The Argonauts also rushed for 159 yards and averaged 4.7 yards per carry.
Sophomore RB Chris Schwarz had a career-best 94 yards on 17 rushes, while senior Leroy Wilson and freshman Anthony Johnson, Jr. combined for 55 yards on 15 plays.
Senior TE Austin Blake-Smith had a great game, hauling in five catches for 32 yards, including a pair of touchdowns.
Defensively, UWF was in the UWG backfield 14 times on the 62 plays with five sacks and nine additional tackles for loss. The defense held the Wolves to minus-2 yards rushing over the final three quarters.
UWG finished with 398 yards of total offense but just 199 after the first quarter. Willie Candler completed 19 passes for 295 yards, with scoring plays of 72 and 41 yards.
UWF PLAY MUCH IMPROVED
DURING 6-GAME WIN STREAK
While UWF has played solid football all season long, it has really come into its own over the last six games in wins over North Alabama, at West Georgia twice, at Wingate, at West Alabama and at Indiana (Pa.) last week.
First 8 Last 6
Offense games games Diff.
Rushing ypg 101.4 149.8 48.4
Yards per carry 3.1 4.0 0.9
Sacks Allowed 20 (2.5) 6 (1.0) -1.5
Defense
Rushing yds allowed 141.4 109.5 -31.9
Yds per carry allowed 3.5 3.0 -0.5
Sacks 16 (2.0) 31 (5.2) +3.2
Opp. 3rd Down Pct 39% 32% -7%
Total Off. allowed 368.5 258.2 -110.3
General
Punt Return Avg. 10.6 19.7 +9.1
Turnover Margin -5 +5 ---
UWF BECOMING ROAD WARRIORS
UWF has played very well on the road this season, going 8-1 with five-consecutive victories on its resume, The Argonauts are now 10-5 all-time away from Pensacola.
DIVISION II ROAD VICTORIES IN 2017
8 WEST FLORIDA, Harding
7 Texas A&M-Commerce
6 Central Wash., Findlay, Minn.-Duluth,
Minnesota State, Virginia State
5 Ashland, Assumption, Bowie State,
Delta State, Fort Hays, Indiana (Pa.),
Shepherd, Shippensburg, Tuskegee,
West Chester, Winona State.
UWF SACK COMPANY
UWF's defense has made tremendous strides this season, but the past six games have been the catalyst for the postseason run.
Led by a defensive line that has taken up residence in the opponent's backfield, UWF has totaled 47 QB sacks and an additional 23 tackles for loss on the year, with 31 sacks in the last six games.
UWF now ranks 9th nationally with 3.36 QB sacks per game and 10th in total sacks. Junior DE John Williamson is 17th in the NCAA with 0.89 QB sacks per game.
GSC SINGLE-SEASON QB SACK LEADERS
13.5 John Williamson, UWF 2017
Dylan Donahue, West Georgia 2016
Michael Eubanks, Delta State 2005
13.0 Darrius Caldwell, West Georgia 2014
Dylan Donahue, West Georgia 2015
Michael Eubanks, Delta State 2007
Tommy Edwards, Arkansas Tech 2002
T.J. Bingham, Ouachita Baptist 2001
11.5 Michael Eubanks, Delta State 2006
Dewayne Smith, Valdosta State 2002
11.0 Joey Sylve, Delta State 2003
Jamall Johnson, Delta State 2000
10.5 Darius Ellis, West Alabama 2016
SECONDARY CONSISTENTLY
CREATING HAVOC
While the front seven are doing their part to contain opposing offenses, the UWF secondary is quietly becoming one of the tougher units to attack.
With Jalen Spencer's pick-6 on the third play of the game at Wingate, that gave UWF four defensive scores this season, ranking them 15th in the NCAA and first in the GSC.
The Argos have 15 interceptions on the year to rank second in the GSC and 21st nationally.
WINNING VERSUS LOSING
* UWF is 11-0 when attempting fewer than 40 passes and 0-3 when throwing 40 or more.
* UWF is 10-1 when running for at least 100 yards and 1-2 when rushing for fewer than 100 yards.
* UWF is 9-2 when recording an interception.
UWF EARNS FIRST EVER
TOP-25 VOTE
UWF received one vote in the AFCA Division 2 Top-25 poll last month, marking the first-ever vote for the second-year program. The Argonauts would be tied for 35th if the numbered listing continued past 25.
After the NCAA Playoff selection, UWF was the beneficiary of four votes, effectively putting the team at 35th entering the playoffs.
FIVE ARGOS NAMED ALL-GSC
The UWF Football team had six players recognized on the end-of-year all-Gulf South Conference teams, highlighted with quarterback Mike Beaudry being named Offensive Freshman of the Year as announced by the league.
PK Austin Williams and DE John Williamson were voted onto the first team, while WR Antoine Griffin, LT Samuel Antoine and LB Trent Archie were chosen for the second team.
Williams has been one of the biggest difference-makers from last year's inaugural season. The sophomore out of Phelan, California leads the league with 9.2 pts per game and is second with 92 total points. He has made 21 field goals which is tied for first in the NCAA this season and third in the GSC single-season record book. He has made four field goals in a game three times. He is 9-of-9 inside 32 yards and 16-of-17 up to 43 yards. Williams has also handled 55 kickoffs with a GSC-leading 19 touchbacks – 10 more than the next closest kicker.
Antoine has started all nine games at tackle, moving from right to left tackle for the final six contests. He graded out at *0 percent or higher in nine games and reached 86 percent in six. The second-year player from Weston, Florida has helped UWF rank sixth in GSC with 345.2 yards of total offense and third in with 237.2 passing yards per game.
Griffin has built upon last year's totals and finished the 2017 regular-season with team highs of 566 receiving yards and 41 catches. The redshirt junior out of Tampa ranks third in the GSC in receiving yards, yards per game (56.6) and receptions per game (4.1). He had a career-best 109 yards against Valdosta State, along with 94- and 99-yard games on the road against Shorter and West Alabama. He leads the team with eight catches of at least 20 yards.
Williamson has continued to anchor the left side of the defensive line for the second-consecutive season. He leads the league with eight sacks – six in GSC play – and enters this week's postseason game with 45 total tackles. The redshirt junior from nearby Stockton, Alabama leads the Argonauts with 12 quarterback hurries, while forcing one fumble. He has 85 stops in 19 career games at UWF.
Archie earned his second season award from the GSC after being named Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2016. As a sophomore in 2017, he made the move from defensive back to the nickel spot in defensive coordinator Darian Dulin's scheme. The Mobile, Alabama native has 61 tackles to rank third on the team and 19th in the GSC. He also has nine tackles for loss, three sacks, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble. He is the program's all-time tackles leader with 151 in two seasons.
BEAUDRY NAMED OFFENSIVE
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
UWF quarterback Mike Beaudry was voted the Offensive Freshman of the Year by the league's head coaches.
Beaudry has thrown for 2,811 yards with 235 yards per game and 26 touchdowns. He ranks in the top four in the GSC in completions, attempts, passing yards, yards per game, touchdowns and passing efficiency – all of which place him first among freshman in each list as well. He has produced two 300-plus yard games and two additional 275-yard plus games – all against GSC teams.
The Canadian-born signal-caller from Oviedo, Florida has shown increased mobility as the season has progressed, leading to 90 net rushing yards. He earned four Freshman of the Week honors - all in the last five weeks of the regular-season - which are tied for the second-most in league history.
He gained notoriety as the first National Letter of Intent received during the Feb. 2015 Signing Day as UWF secured its first class of prep signees. He sat out the 2015 season as a redshirt, but then missed all of 2016 while rehabbing from a broken fibula that occurred during Spring 2016 camp - meaning his game action this season was his first since November 2014 - a span of 32 months.
FOUR ARGOS NAMED
ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT
For the second-consecutive year, the UWF football team had mulitple student-athletes named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team as announced last Thursday.
LB Reggie Barnes, RB Chris Schwarz, LB Josh Smiley and DE John Williamson were each honored for their work in the classroom and on the football field.
Barnes is a senior business major with a 3.60 GPA, Schwarz is a sophomore finance major with a 3.95 GPA, Smiley is a sophomore mechanical engineering major with a 3.47 GPA and Williamson is a junior supply chain logistics management major with a 3.45 GPA.
Barnes and Williamson were All-District honorees a year ago as well, along with former QB and current QB coach Kaleb Nobles.
UWF and Wingate (6 selections) led the way with 10 of the 28 student-athletes chosen in the district, which includes nominees from Division II institutions in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, Gulf South, South Atlantic, Southern Intercollegiate Conferences and two independent schools in the same footprint. They will now advance onto the Division 2 national ballot, with first-, second- and third-team All-America honorees announced in the coming weeks.
To be eligible, students have to carry a 3.30 cumulative grade point average, be an important starter or reserve who has competed in at least 50 percent of that season's games and spent at least one calendar year at their current institution.
BEAUDRY IN THE UWF RECORD BOOK
UWF QB Mike Beaudry is in his first season playing at UWF, following two years of battling injuries. That being said, the redshirt-freshman from Oviedo, Florida is now 6-3 as a starter and steadily improving each game, including throwing for over 300 yards in two of the last three contests. Below are where he ranks in the UWF record books thus far.
SINGLE GAME - PASSING YARDS
503 Kaleb Nobles Missouri S&T, 9/10/16
452 Kaleb Nobles at Delta State, 10/15/16
368 Kaleb Nobles at Chowan, 9/17/16
354 Mike Beaudry Delta State, 10/14/17
330 Kaleb Nobles Valdosta St., 9/24/16
327 Kaleb Nobles Shorter, 10/22/16
322 Mike Beaudry at Shorter, 10/21/17
SINGLE GAME - COMPLETION PCT.
.758 Mike Beaudry at Shorter, 10/21/17
.714 Kaleb Nobles at Ave Maria, 9/3/16
.688 Kaleb Nobles at Miss. College, 10/8/16
.645 Mike Beaudry at Mo S&T, 9/2/17
.609 Kaleb Nobles at Chowan, 9/17/16
KICK RETURN GAME STRONG
The Argonauts possess some of the most dynamic kick and punt returners in the country in the group of Marcus Clayton, Carlos Duclos, Antoine Griffin and Caleb Robinson. Clayton (24.2 ypr, 4th in GSC/57th in NCAA), Duclos and Robinson have combined for a 21.5 kickoff return average to rank fifth in the GSC and 56th in the country, while Griffin's 14.4 punt return average is 10th in the country and first in the GSC.
When combining the 30 yards from the blocked punt against Chowan in the home opener, UWF's season average of 14.7 leads the league and is 17th in the NCAA.
END OF HALF EFFICIENCY PAYING OFF
UWF has scored on its final possession of the first half in its first four games and 10 of 14 overall.
* Against Missouri S&T, the team went 79 yards in 7 plays over 1:45 to score on a 25-yard Beaudry-to-Rodney Coates TD with 6 seconds left.
* Versus Chowan, UWF, needed just 41 seconds and two plays to cover 64 yards as Ka'Ron Ashley hauled in a 9-ayrd pass from Beaudry with 32 seconds to play.
* After converting a pop-up kick and recovering it at the Valdosta State 33 with 15 seconds left, the Argos used three plays before kicking a school-record-long 41-yarder as time expired.
* At FIT, the Argos got an Andre Duncombe interception with 1:35 left in the half and turned it into a field goal from Austin Williams with 34 seconds to play.
* Against Delta State, the Argos actually scored on their final two possessions. Austin Williams made a school-record 51-yard FG with 1:38 left, before adding a 48-yarder as time expired to give the Argos a 19-14 lead.
* At Shorter, UWF compiled a 4:39 drive to stake a 35-6 lead with 1:21 to play in the half. Beaudry was 4-for-4 for 38 yards, including back-to-back 9-yard completions to Antoine Griffin to cap the 8-play, 44-yard drive.
* At West Alabama, the Argos got field goals on their final two possessions of the half, including a 39-yarder from Austin Williams as time expired.
* In the playoff opener at Wingate, Antoine Griffin returned a punt 35 yards to the UWF 47, setting up a 12 play drive that ended on a Beaudry to Tate Lehtio pass and leap into the end zone with 25 seconds remaining that put UWF ahead 17-0 at the break.
* Three weeks ago at West Georgia, the team needed just eight plays to cover 72 yards in 2:39 that led to a 3-yard Mike Beaudry to Tate Lehtio TD pass with 13 seconds left on the clock. That score was the only one of the first half as UWF led 7-0.
* And once again last week at IUP, Beaudry and company needed just eight plays and 2:00 to cover 76 yards before he and Tate Lehtio connected from 6 yards out and 26 seconds left to put the unranked Argos ahead 17-0.
SCHWARZ SHOULDERING THE LOAD AT RB FOR UWF
UWF sophomore RB Chris Schwarz had turned in his top two rushing performances in the last three weeks. In the win at West Georgia, he rushed 17 times for a then-career-high 94 yards, which included a career-long carry of 26 yards. Last week he broke off a number of big plays, setting the school record with 175 uards on 29 carries.
He currently leads the team with 813 yards on 199 rushes with 6 TD. He had 69 carries for 350 and 2 TD in 2016.
Against Valdosta State he registered his longest reception with a screen pass that went for 52 yards.
He has had on rushing TD each of the past two weeks, pushing UWF to 9-0 all-time when Schwarz scores a touchdown.
GRIFFIN LEADING WR CORPS
Redshirt junior WR Antoine Griffin has emerged as the top receiving target for the UWF quarterbacks, catching 55 balls for 786 yards in 2017. He is averaging 56.1 yards per game and 14.3 yards per catch.
The Tampa native who attended Cocoa HS (just north of Melbourne) before moving back to Tampa after graduation, is also averaging 15.8 yards on 27 punt returns this season with a 50, 40, 35 (2x), 33 (2x), 31 20 and 19-yard returns to his credit. He was named to the Preseason All-GSC team as one of two return specialists.
In 2016, he was third on the team in receptions (43), receiving TD (7) and reception yards (560). He also returned 18 punts 240 yards for a 13.3 return average, including a career-long 35-yarder at Valdosta State.
BARNES RELISHING FINAL SEASON
UWF senior Reggie Barnes is second on the team with 98 tackles. He also has 3 sacks to rank 11th in the GSC.
The Odessa, Fla. native finished last season as a senior but still had one semester of eligibility remaining. He made the decision to sit out the spring semester and come back this year for a final season of college ball. Barnes started his career at Air Force where he appeared in 21 games in 2012-13 before eventually transferring to UWF for the 2015 redshirt season.
A CoSIDA Academic All-District and GSC All-Academic selection last season, Barnes ranked third on the team in 2016 with 67 tackles and added six tackles for loss, six QB hurries and a pass break-up.
WILLIAMS TURNING HEADS WITH HIS RIGHT FOOT
Sophomore PK Austin Williams has been one of the biggest bright spots for the team this season. The sophomore out of Phelan, California is second in the Gulf South Conference with 8.4 pts per game and 117 total points. He has made 25 field goals which is second in the NCAA this season and first in the GSC single-season record book. He has made four field goals in a game three times.
He is 12-of-13 inside 32 yards and 20-of-23 up to 43 yards. Williams has also handled 76 kickoffs with a GSC-leading 24 touchbacks.
GSC SINGLE-SEASON FG MADE
25 Austin WIlliams, UWF 2017
23 Anthony Pistelli, Valdosta State 2014
22 Will Rhody, Valdosta State 2004
20 Jason Williams, Southern Arkansas 1998
NORRIS THRIVING IN PUNTER ROLE
In 2016, UWF battled a number of injuries and inconsistency with the punting position, finishing the year ranked 136th in the country with a 30.83 net punting average.
This year has seen true freshman Colton Norris step in and put up some booming kicks that have resulted in a 35.3 net punt average, which ranks 52nd overall and fourth in the GSC. The Niceville, Fla. native has a 38.6 yards per punt average and has put 19 inside the 20-yard line and 14 have been fair caught.
He boomed a 55-yarder at Florida Tech before flipping the field against Mississippi College with a 56-yarder a week later. He had another 56-yarder last week at Wingate.
UWF GETTING LOTS OF NATIONAL LOVE LATELY
With the rapid progression of the UWF Football program, national attention was bound to find its way to Pensacola.
UWF has had three different WR earn mention on ESPN Top Plays, College Football Final and Monday Night Countdown.
Redshirt freshman WR Ka'Ron Ashley turned heads against Chowan in Week 3 when he jumped and caught a 19-yard pass from Mike Beaudry by jumping high and coming down with a foot just inches inside the back corner of the end zone for a TD with 32 seconds to play in the half. That catch earned the No. 3 top play among NCAA Division II Football for Week No. 3.
In the regular-season finale at West Georgia, Rodney Coates' one-handed grab inside the left sideline of the endzone blew up on social media. That play took home No. 6 on SportsCenter's Top Plays and No. 1 on College Football Final. As a result, he said his Instagram followers grew by more than 1,300. The play also was included in the Home Depot College Football Awards Show among the 'Viral Videos' segment.
Earlier this week, Kevin Grant added his name to the celebrity list when his leaping grab at IUP in the national semifinals was praised by Randy Moss in his 'You Got Mossed' segment of the Monday Night Football pregame show.
And the College Football Live analyst duo of Trevor Matich and Greg McElroy were in awe of UWF's postseason success in just its second season, leading McElroy to say during the '3 & Out' portion, "This is not normal. This is hard to do by the way. Winning that quick is very hard."
UWF 6-4 ALL-TIME IN BLUE WAHOOS STADIUM
UWF has gone 6-4 at home in two seasons at Blue Wahoos Stadium. The squad has averaged 30.3 points per game when 'Balling by the Bay.'
The program won its first three games in the stadium in 2016 and is now 2-0 in home openers. UWF is 4-1 in night games at BWS.
NOTES FROM THE 30-7 WIN OVER NORTH ALABAMA
UWF turned in one of its most complete performances in program history, piling up 355 yards of total offense while holding North Alabama to a season-low 129 yards in a 30-7 Senior Day victory two weeks ago.
The second-year program secured a winning season for the first time, following a 5-6 mark in 2016. The Argonauts also closed the home portion of their season with a 3-2 mark for the second-consecutive year.
The UWF rushing game was as strong as its been in recent memory, finishing with 161 yards on 38 carries – the third-highest total in its 20-game history. Freshman Anthony Johnson had a career night with 88 yards on 11 rushes, including a team season-high 39-yard run that paved the way for UWF's go-ahead score late in the first half.
Redshirt freshman Mike Beaudry was 18-of-30 for 194 yards with three touchdowns as he connected with 10 different targets. Sophomore Tate Lehtio and junior Antoine Griffin caught four balls apiece and combined for 76 yards – Lehtio with 46 and Griffin with 30. Griffin also had six punt returns for 108 yards as he setup the offense in good field position four different times.
The defense did its part, holding UNA to a season-low 129 yards of total offense and zero offensive scores. Sophomore Trent Archie led all players with a game-high eight tackles, while junior John Williamson got into the Lions' backfield numerous times, finishing with 3.5 sacks while the team recorded a school-record tying seven sacks. The Argos had nine tackles for loss total.
12 ARGOS WENT OUT ON TOP
AT BLUE WAHOOS STADIUM
The 30-9 win over North Alabama marked the final appearance at Blue Wahoos Stadium for 12 members of the UWF program.
Joe Jean Baptiste Land O'Lakes, Fla.
Reggie Barnes Odessa, Fla.
Rakeem Battle Lake City, Fla.
Quadavis Battle Brookeville, Fla.
Ronald Bell Delray Beach, Fla.
Tim Bellinger Miami, Fla.
Austin Blake-Smith Fayetteville, Ga.
Mike Charles Homestead, Fla.
Luke Jackson Pensacola, Fla.
Josh Marshall Lawrenceville, Ga.
Blake McCall Century, Fla.
Austin Peffers Panama City, Fla.
Jalen Spencer Pensacola, Fla.
Leroy Wilson Homestead, Fla.
NOTES FROM THE 35-18 LOSS AT WEST ALABAMA
* UWF penetrated deep into UWA territory seven times but scored just one touchdown and four field goals while ending with 371 yards of total offense. The Argonauts totaled 100 yards on the ground with Leroy Wilson rushing for 64 on seven carries, including a 31-yarder in the third quarter.
* Mike Beaudry finished with 271 yards passing on 27-of-51 with a touchdown and two interceptions. Antoine Griffin had eight receptions for 90 yards and Rodney Coates finished with 70 yards on four balls.
* For the third time this season, Austin Williams tied his school record with four field goals. He now leads the GSC with 16 on the year.
* UWA clinched at least a share of the GSC title as it accumulated 410 yards of offense, with 220 on the ground. Lakendric Thomas had 106 yards on 18 carries, with a 26-yard touchdown run that came immediately following a Beaudry interception early in the fourth quarter.
* The loss was the first on the road for the Argos, who moved to 3-1 away from Pensacola in 2017.
CONLEY SAVES THE DAY IN WIN
OVER MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE
* UWF tied the school-record with three interceptions, including Marvin Conley's game-clinching 98-yard return for a touchdown with 2:38 to play.
* Sophomore Grey Jackson made his first career start and finished 10-for-21 with 101 yards. He also scored on a 6-yard run late in the third quarter that put UWF ahead for good at 21-14.
* Sophomore Chris Schwarz rushed for a career-high for the second-consecutive week, finishing with 83 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown.
* Mississippi College outgained the Argos, 322-244, but were held to just 51 yards in the third quarter, compared to 99 for the home team. The Choctaws had 210 yards on the ground and 112 through the air overall.
* The Choctaws led 14-7 early in the 2nd qtr when they scored 6-plays after a bad snap on a UWF punt.
RECAPPING THE WILD FINISH AT FLORIDA TECH
* In the wildest finish in program history, UWF got a 44-yard field goal as time expired from sophomore Austin Williams to defeat Florida Tech 23-21 and retain the Coastal Classic Trophy for the second year of the rivalry.
* The Argonauts were the beneficiary of an intentional grounding penalty on fourth down with time having appeared to have expired, only to gain possession on downs with one tic left and have Williams the school-record 44-yard field goal.
* UWF finished with 314 yards and got timely stops on defense numerous times in the second half.
* UWF had to overcome a strong effort from Florida Tech's Antwaun Haynes, who finished with 164 yards on 33 carries.
RECAPPING THE VALDOSTA ST. LOSS
* UWF reached the red zone five times but was only able to convert those chances into a school-record four field goals while falling 30-19.
* UWF outgained Valdosta State, 378-300, but fell behind 21-0 early in the second quarter. QB Mike Beaudry finished the night with a career-high 293 yards on 20-for-40 with one touchdown and one interception.
* Junior Antoine Griffin led all receivers with six catches for 109 yards, while sophomore Gage Krull hauled in the only touchdown for the Argos late in the fourth quarter.
* Sophomore kicker Austin Williams had a career night, setting three school records with four field goals, a long of 41 yards and 13 points by a kicker. He connected on field goals from 37, 23 and 41 yards in the final 6:49 of the second quarter to cut the deficit to 21-9 at the half. His 27-yarder 5:29 into the third pulled the Argonauts to within 21-12, but they wouldn't get any closer.
RECAPPING THE CHOWAN WIN
* UWF tied a school record with 51 points in the 51-23 win over Chowan.
* UWF scored 30 points after halftime, its highest second-half total in program history and the second-highest in a half (34 in 1st at Delta State in 2016).
* UWF scored a TD on offense, defense and special teams in the same game for the first time in program history.
OFFENSIVE LINE READY FOR HEAVY LOAD
Head coach Pete Shinnick has said the offense needed to improve its offensive line play after averaging just 100 yards rushing in 2016. Most of the players who saw action were in their first or second year of college and had limited experience going against a full GSC schedule. With a strong year of offseason conditioning and practice, the group will be looked upon to provide more strength in the trenches.
The offensive line returns almost completely intact, with starters LG Tomarick Collier, LT Christian Helsel, C Devin Gibson and RT Ethan Cruz returning to their spots on the line. All four were either true freshmen or redshirt freshmen in 2016. Clifton Flemming - the projected starter at RG, actually has the most in-game experience of the group after appearing in 22 games at Glenville State the past two seasons while earning All-Mountain East accolades in 2016.
SEVEN STARTERS RETURN FOR NEW DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR DARIAN DULIN
Led by a strong front seven, the UWF defense returns seven starters (2 DL, 4 LB, 1 DB) for first-year coordinator Darian Dulin. Of the four newcomers projected to start on Saturday, Austin Dukes split time at DE with Anthony Ryals a year ago, DB Malik Williams appeared in seven games off the bench, while Division I transfers Josh Marshall (senior transfer from Troy) and Jalen Spencer (graduate transfer from South Florida) have seven years of experience at the highest level of college football.
CLAYTON GSC SPECIAL TEAMS POW AFTER CHOWAN
UWF sophomore Marcus Clayton was named the Gulf South Conference Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance against Chowan in week 3.
The defensive back/kick return specialist from Gainesville had three kickoff returns for 121 yards that setup two first-half scores in the 51-23 victory. His first return was a 65-yarder where he appeared to have a lane down the sideline for a touchdown before the Chowan kicker tackled him high and grabbed his facemask, putting the Argonauts at the 20-yard line where they scored three plays later to go ahead 14-7. His second return went for 22 yards to the 36 where UWF scored two plays later for a 21-10 lead with 32 seconds left in the half. He ended the night with a 34-yard return following Chowan's final score with 4:28 to play.
Clayton is also on the UWF punt return unit, where he made a block in the third quarter that helped spring Antoine Griffin's 20-yard return to the Chowan 30 that the Argos added a field goal four plays later for a 24-10 lead with 3:35 left in the period.
WHEELER SAVES THE DAY; EARNS GSC DEF. POW
UWF LB Martes Wheeler was named the Gulf South Conference Defensive Player of the Week after the opening slate of games.
The sophomore from Jackson, Alabama made his first career start at Missouri S&T and posted a career-high 10 tackles with one for loss, while forcing a fumble in the final minute that helped clinch the 20-16 road victory.
Wheeler came up with the defensive play of the game when he forced a fumble inside the 1-yard line with 40 seconds to play that UWF recovered in the end zone and was able to kneel down for the win. He also had a key 2-yard tackle for loss at the 16-yard line on third down in the third quarter to hold S&T to a field goal and keep UWF ahead 13-10.
13 PLAYERS MADE UWF DEBUT IN OPENER AT MO. S&T
A total of 58 players earned playing time in the season opener at Missouri S&T. That included 27 on offense, 28 on defense and three on special teams.
The following 5 players played in their first-ever college games: QB Mike Beaudry, DL Ty Cox, OL Mike Dilla, RB Anthony Johnson, P Colton Norris. Dilla, Johnson and Norris were the only true freshmen that played.
Additionally, 8 transfers appeared in their first game for UWF: OL Samuel Antoine, TE Austin Blake-Smith, WR Carlos Duclos, DB Jamel Jackson, DB Josh Marshall, DB Jalen Spencer, K Austin Williams and OL Joe Wintrick.
ARGOS IN SEASON OPENERS
UWF improved to 2-0 all-time in season openers, defeating Missouri S&T, 20-16, on the road two weeks ago. Last year, the Argonauts defeated Ave Maria, 45-0, in Ave Maria - a town 20 minutes inland from Naples. The Argos are also now 2-0 in openers on the road and 3-4 all-time in road games.
POMP & CIRCUMSTANCE
UWF has three members of its team who earned their bachelor's degrees in 2017 and have transferred to UWF for their final season of eligibility. K Luke Jackson graduated from Missouri, DB Josh Marshall graduated from Troy and DB Jalen Spencer graduated from South Florida.
YEAR TWO OFFERS LARGE UPPERCLASS PRESENCE
After having just four seniors and 12 juniors on last season's inaugural team, the 2017 edition has 20 seniors and 14 juniors on the current roster.
NORTHWEST FLORIDA PLAYERS MAKE UP NEARLY 25 PERCENT OF ROSTER
The influx of local talent has been more evident this season, with 23 players from Northwest Florida's six county region from Escambia to Washington and Bay. An additional six student-athletes are within a 2-hour drive of Pensacola.
BARNES, DUNCOMBE & GRIFFIN NAMED TO GSC PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
A year after winning five games and finishing in sixth place in the Gulf South Conference in its first-ever season, the UWF football team was picked seventh in the 2017 Preseason Coaches Poll as announced by the league office in July.
Additionally, senior Reggie Barnes, sophomore Andre Duncombe and junior Antoine Griffin were selected to the preseason all-GSC team by the league's nine head coaches. Barnes and Duncombe were among the four linebackers on the team, while Griffin was one of two return specialists chosen.
Barnes ranked third on the team with 67 tackles and added six tackles for loss, six QB hurries and a pass break-up. Duncombe making 51 tackles and was second on the team with 12.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks a year ago. Griffin was a standout receiver for the Argos, finishing with 560 yards on 43 receptions and seven touchdowns. He also returned 18 punts for a 13.33 yard average and eight kickoffs for a 20.5 yard average.
UWF PICKED 7TH IN PRESEASON GSC COACHES POLL
A year after being picked eighth as a first-year program before winning three Gulf South Conference contests, UWF was chosen a spot higher at No. 7 in the preseason coaches poll.
Four-time defending GSC champion and last year's NCAA Division II national runner-up North Alabama earned seven first-place votes and was picked first. Valdosta State and West Georgia also tallied a first-place vote and were picked second and third, respectively. Florida Tech, West Alabama and Delta State came in at the middle three spots ahead of the Argonauts, with Mississippi College and Shorter picked eighth and ninth, respectively.
2017 GSC PRESEASON COACHES POLL
Pl. School – Points (First Place Votes)
1. North Alabama – 62 (7) 6. Delta State – 31
2. Valdosta State – 54 (1) 7. WEST FLORIDA – 25
3. West Georgia – 49 (1) 8. Mississippi College – 16
4. Florida Tech – 47 9. Shorter – 8
5. West Alabama – 32
UWF RANKED 18TH IN NCAA DIVISION II IN ATTENDANCE LAST SEASON
UWF averaged 6,328 fans over five home dates with three sellouts (6,288 capacity) in 2016, ranking 18th among NCAA Division II institutions and second in the Gulf South Conference (UNA was 12th with 7,670). The fan and student-athlete experience at both Blue Wahoos Stadium and at the adjacent Community Maritime Park has been one that is one of the most unique atmospheres in small college football, but nationally.
