FLORENCE, Ala. – Chris Schwarz posted his second-consecutive 100-yard rushing game to help lead the 11th-ranked UWF football team to a 24-19 road win over North Alabama at Braly Stadium Saturday night.
 
UWF (5-1) closed its road swing with three wins, including two in come-from-behind fashion, and ran its win streak to four games.
 
Schwarz finished with 107 yards to lead all rushers as the Argos totaled 182 yards on the ground. Quaide Weimerskirch carried the ball 10 times for 41 yards.
 
Sam Vaughn threw for 172 yards on 16-of-28 with two touchdowns. He connected with seven different receivers. Ezra Saffold had four catches for 56 yards and a touchdown to lead the receiving corps. 
 
The victory was the first over a Division I opponent for UWF and the first for a Gulf South Conference school since 2016 when Florida Tech defeated Presbyterian – snapping a four-game skid for the league.
 
The Lions got out to a 7-0 lead with a 6-play drive that covered 79 yards when Christian Lopez connected with Cortez Hall from 12 yards on their first possession.
 
After the Argos turned the ball over on their first play from scrimmage on an interception, they held the Lions and took over on their own two yard line. Eight minutes and 35 seconds later, Austin Williams made his eighth-consecutive field goal, connecting from 22 yards to pull within 7-3.
 
UNA got a field goal if its own seven minutes later when Chandler Carrera capped a 55-yard drive with a 41-yard field goal.
 
UWF struck before the half and tied the game at 10 when Vaughn found Saffold streaking down the left sideline from 38 yards.
 
UNA took advantage of a UWF fumble on the second half kickoff and regained the lead on a 30-yard Carrera field goal.
 
The Argos bounced right back riding the legs of Schwarz for 49 yards before Vaughn scrambled in from the two to put UWF ahead for the first time, 17-13, with 8:05 to play in the third.
 
Anthony Johnson, Jr. took center stage on UWF's next drive, rushing for 20 yards and catching a 12-yard ball on 3rd-and-11 before Vaughn hit Quentin Randolph in the back of the end zone from 18 yards and a 24-13 lead.
 
The Lions got a touchdown but were unsuccessful on the 2-point conversion, leaving the margin at 24-19.
 
After making two field goals but having the attempts negated by penalties on both teams, the Argos missed a third attempt with 39 seconds left, allowing the Lions one more possession with zero timeouts.
 
UNA got four first downs and moved the ball to the UWF 26 with one second remaining. Lopez's desperation pass went out of the back of the end zone, setting off a jubilant celebration among the UWF players, many of whom suffered through a 51-3 defeat on the same field two years prior.
 
UNA (3-3) outgained UWF 423-354 and ran nine more plays. Lopez was 25-of-31 for 261 yards and a touchdown. He was also sacked three times. Damon Cox had 94 yards rushing on 14 carries with a score.
 
UWF will now play three of its next four games at home, beginning with a Homecoming contest next week against No. 5 West Georgia (6-0, 3-0). Kickoff at Blue Wahoos Stadium in downtown Pensacola is set for 6:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast on Watch ESPN/ESPN app and on the UWF Sports Network, ESPN Pensacola 94.5 FM.
 
Tickets can be purchased by visiting GoArgos.com/FootballTix or calling 850-474-ARGO.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:Ezra Saffold's 55-yard kickoff return is the longest by an Argonaut this season … UWF had more rushing yards than passing yards for the second-straight game and just the sixth time in 32 all-time contests … The Argos are now 12-6 all-time in road games and 4-2 in regular-season non-conference road games … UWF tied its season high with three quarterback sacks. The Argos have sacked UNA quarterbacks 10 times in the last two meetings … UNA was penalized 13 times for 128 yards – the second most yards by a UWF opponent in program history … Austin Williams went 1-for-3 on field goals and saw his streak of consecutive makes end at eight. He now has 39 career field goals, moving into a tie for eighth place on the Gulf South Conference career list … The Argos' first scoring drive lasted 8:35, the longest in program history by 33 seconds over a 20-play, 80-yard 8:02 drive against Shorter in 2016 that also ended with a field goal.