| West Florida (2-0, 0-0) vs. Valdosta State (0-2, 0-1) |
| Date | Time |
Saturday, Sept. 23 | 6:00 p.m. CT |
| Location |
Pensacola, Fla. | Blue Wahoos Stadium | 351 Cedar Street, Pensacola, FL |
| Tickets |
Limited Availability | Purchase Online Here | Call 850-474-ARGO |
| Live Video |
BLAB TV | Coverage Map & Channel Lineup | Watch Online |
| Live Audio |
Choice 106.9/WRNE 980 AM | Listen Online |
| Live Stats |
Live Stats |
| Social Media |
UWF Athletics - Twitter: @GoArgos | IG: GoArgos | FB: GoArgos | #GoArgos
UWF Football - Twitter: @UWFFootball | IG: @UWFFootball | FB: UWFFootball |
| Game Day Timeline |
12:00 pm: Maritime Park opens
3:00 pm: Argo Village & Argies Kids Zone opens (closes at 9:30 pm)
3:45 pm: Argo Walk (on DeVilliers Street)
4:00 pm: Autograph session with UWF sports teams (Argonaut Village)
4:00 pm: Stadium gates open
6:00 pm: Kickoff |
TAILGATING GUIDELINES / MARITIME PARK INFO
ALUMNI TAILGATE INFO
Alumni, Argonaut Athletic Club members, family and friends are invited to join the Alumni Relations tent in Argo Village. Enjoy great food provided by Sonny's BBQ, giveaways and your favorite tailgate games for the entire family.
Click here for more info and to purchase a meal
* Records: UWF is 2-0 following last week's 51-23 home win over Chowan. Valdosta State is 0-2 overall and 0-1 in Gulf South Conference play. The Blazers lost at Albany State to open the season and dropped a close game, 30-24, to then-No. 11 North Alabama at home last weekend.
* Rankings: Neither team is ranked.
THE COACHES
* UWF coach Pete Shinnick was hired as the first coach in program history on Feb. 6, 2014. He has a 110-52 career record in 15-plus years, which includes a 50-24 mark at UNC Pembroke from 2007-13 and 53-22 at Azusa Pacific from 1999-05.
* Valdosta State coach Kerwin Bell is in his second season with the Blazers and is 8-5 overall. He guided the team to an 8-3 mark a year ago and hosted an NCAA First Round Playoff Game. He spent the previous nine years at Jacksonville University where he went 66-35 with a pair of Pioneer Football League titles.
ABOUT UWF
UWF is 2-0 on the season following last week's 51-23 home win over Chowan. The Argonauts finished with 305 yards of total offense, split fairly evenly with 133 on the ground and 172 through the air.
Sophomore Mike Beaudry has completed 58 percent of his passes and averaged 170 yards per game. He showed some mobility against the Hawks, carrying the ball six times, highlighted by an 11-yard run at the end of the third quarter.
The running game has steadily improved, led by sophomore Chris Schwarz. He has 92 yards on the ground over 33 carries, including 58 last week - just three shy of his career best. As a team, UWF finished with 133 yards rushing - its most in five games and fourth-highest all-time.
Senior Reggie Barnes has led the defense with 18 tackles in two games, while he, junior John Williamson and sophomore Josh Smiley have two sacks apiece. UWF has 12 sacks to rank fifth in the nation.
ABOUT VALDOSTA STATE
Valdosta State comes into tonight's game with an 0-2 record, losing at Albany State, 29-12, in the opener and dropping a 30-24 game to 11th-ranked North Alabama last week. The Blazers game with Fort Valley State the week of Hurricane Irma was canceled.
VSU has presented a very balanced offensive attack this season, averaging 151 yards on the ground and 168 through the air for a 319 per game avg. They are allowing 312 yards of total offense and 29.5 points per game.
Freshman Rogan Wells has completed 55 percent of his passes while throwing for an average of 98 yards per game. He was injured on the final play of the third quarter last Saturday, allowing junior Adam Robles to lead the Blazer offense for the final six drives of the game. Robles was the team's starting QB a year ago and averaged 205 passing yards per game with 18 touchdowns.
The defense is led by linebackers Malik Slater and Sharmaine Washington, along with safety Brandon Roe - all of whom have 14 tackles thus far.
CLAYTON NAMED GSC SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
UWF sophomore Marcus Clayton was named the Gulf South Conference Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance against Chowan.
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.
His 28.7 yards per return average currently leads the GSC and ranks 28th in the NCAA.
MARSHALL MAKING HIS MARK
UWF graduate transfer Josh Marshall has made an immediate impact on the Argonauts since joining the program as a transfer from Troy in August.
The Lawrenceville, Georgia product ranks second on the team with 13 tackles and is fourth in the country with two interceptions. He had an interception in the opener at Missouri S&T and started the scoring for UWF last week with a 31-yard interception return for a touchdown.
UWF 4-2 ALL-TIME IN BLUE WAHOOS STADIUM
UWF has played well at home in six games since starting the program last season, going 4-2 entering tonight's contest. The squad has averaged 33.0 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.
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 Griffinwere 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.
NORTHWEST FLORIDA PLAYERS MAKE UP NEARLY 25 PERCENT OF THE 2017 ROSTER
The influx of local talent has been more evident this season, with 23 players out of 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.
POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE
UWF has three members of its team who earned their bachelor's degrees in 2017. K Luke Jackson graduated from Missouri with a degree in sports administration; DB Josh Marshall graduated from Troy with a criminal justice degree; and DB Jalen Spencer graduated from South Florida.
