• Following a tough 48-21 loss to seventh-ranked Valdosta State in the home finale last week, the UWF football team will wrap-up its third season with a road game against defending GSC Champion West Alabama.
TOP STORYLINES
• UWF may be playing the role of spoiler if they defeat UWA as the Tigers are fifth in this week's regional rankings. Last year, UWF defeated West Georgia on the final day to jump from 10th to sixth and qualify for the postseason. The Wolves dropped from fourth to seventh with the loss.
• UWF is expected to employ a multi-QB system again this week, with its top three signal callers from the start of fall camp out with injuries. Nick Belz is again listed at the No. 1 QB spot on the depth chart.
• After a record 3-0 start in Gulf South Conference, the Argos are 4-3 and looking to move up into third place with a win. A loss would slot UWF in fourth or fifth depending on the FIT-Shorter outcome.
• UWF is 12-11 all-time in GSC regular-season games, with a 5-7 record at home and 7-4 on the road.
THE COACHES
• UWF coach Pete Shinnick was hired as the first coach in program history on Feb. 6, 2014. He has a 125-60 career record in his 16th season as a head coach, which includes a 50-24 mark at UNC Pembroke from 2007-13 and 53-22 at Azusa Pacific from 1999-05. He was named the AFCA and D2Football.com National Coach of the Year last season.
• West Alabama coach Brett Gilliland is in his fifth season as the Tigers' head coach and has posted a 36-20 record. Earlier this season he became the winningest coach in UWA history with the Limestone win. The Pensacola native and Escambia HS grad starred at UWA from 2000-03, finishing as the Tigers' single-season (3,213) and career passing yards (6,689) record holder. He started his coaching career at Georgia Tech (2006-09), at Georgia Southern (2010-12) and Kennesaw State (2013).
ABOUT UWF
UWF is 6-4 on the season and tied for third place in the Gulf South Conference at 4-3. The Argos fell from the No. 8 spot in the latest NCAA Super Region 2 rankings, which help determine the seven teams that advance to the NCAA Division 2 Playoffs.
The Argonauts are averaging 235.7 passing yards and 135.1 rushing yards on the season. Their 370.8 yards per game are fourth in the GSC and 80th nationally.
The running back group of Chris Schwarz, Anthony Johnson, Jr., Jervon Newton and Quaide Weimerskirch have combined for 1,355 yards (132.1 ypg) on 260 carries.
Senior Ishmel Morrow has 38 receptions for 550 yards and four touchdowns. Junior Tate Lehtio has 515 yards and 37 receptions, along with a pair of touchdowns. Ezra Saffold has four TD receptions, which ranks as the fourth-highest total in the GSC with Morrow.
The defense allows 393.8 yards per game and has forced 25 total turnovers - good for eighth in the country and first in the GSC. UWF's 15 fumble recoveries rank first in the country.
Graduate LB Gavin Burford ranks tied for second in the GSC in tackles (78) and in tackles per game (7.8) - both are tied with Terry Samuel of UWA. LB Andre Duncombe, Jr. is sixth in tackles for loss with 9.0. DB Jamel Jackson is tied for fourth in the league with three interceptions. His 83-yard pick-6 two weeks ago at North Greenville was a school record and the second-longest in the conference this season.
Both UWF and West Alabama have 10 interceptions to rank tied for fifth in the GSC.
ABOUT WEST ALABAMA
UWA is 7-3 on the season and ranked fifth in the Super Region 2 rankings this week.
The Tigers average 367.8 yards of total offense, just behind the Argos' 370.8. UWA is third in passing with 241.4 ypg.
Senior QB Harry Satterwhite is in third place on the school's career passing chart with 6,729 yards. He has 60 career TD passes, good for third all-time at UWA.
The UWA offensive line has allowed just one quarterback sack in the last three games and 13 on the season, good enough for fourth in the GSC - just behind UWF's 12.
SERIES HISTORY
West Alabama leads the series 2-1 after the teams split last season's two games in Livingston. UWA defeated UWF 45-21 in 2016 in Pensacola during UWF's inaugural season.
A year ago, the Tigers clinched the GSC title with a 35-18 win in Livingston. Five weeks later, UWF claimed a 28-21 victory in the Super Region 2 title game. The Argos trailed 14-7 at the half before scoring 21 unanswered to secure the win.
WE'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE
UWF enters the game on Saturday at 6-4 overall and 4-3 in GSC play.
A year ago, the Argonauts were not in the first NCAA Super Region 2 rankings and collected wins over North Alabama and at West Georgia to springboard into the postseason for the first time in program history.
After not appearing in the initial 2018 rankings, UWF moved into the No. 8 spot after a road win over North Greenville. They fell out after last week's loss to Valdosta State and will need to win and get some help if they want to return to the playoffs.
NCAA SUPER REGION 2 RANKINGS
Rk. School SR 2 Rec. D2 Rec. LW
1 Valdosta State 9-0 9-0 1
2 West Georgia 10-0 10-0 2
3 Lenoir-Rhyne 9-1 9-1 3
4 Bowie State 7-1 8-1 4
5 West Alabama 7-3 7-3 5
6 Florida Tech 7-3 7-3 6
7 Albany State 7-3 7-3 7
8 Wingate 7-3 7-3 9
9 Virginia Union 7-2 7-2 nr
10 Fayetteville St. 6-2 6-2 10
Dropped out
-- WEST FLORIDA 6-4 6-4 8
Last year, none of the bottom four teams in the initial rankings made the playoffs.
33 ARGOS HONORED ON SENIOR DAY
The 2018 season marks the fourth fall season of football student-athletes at the Univesity of West Florida. With tat being said, the program recognized 33 players last Saturday for their devotion and commitment to the early stages of the UWF football program.
The group below includes two players who suffered career-ending injuries, eight graduate transfers who will exhaust their eligibility after this season, 11 who transferred into the program, the first 3-year graduate in program history, eight players from the inaugural recruiting class and the only three remaining players from the original nine that joined in the spring of 2015.
Part of the Original 9
Marvin Conley, Antoine Griffin, Anthony Ryals.
Part of the Inaugural Signing Class
Alex Condor, Austin Dukes, Asante Griffin, Mark Harris, Bruce Holloman, Austin Johnson, Josh Lindsey, Malik Williams.
First to Graduate in 3 years
Chris Schwarz.
Players who transferred into the program
Sam Adams, Ben Antoine, Johnathan Coleman, Clifton Flemming, Jamel Jackson, Aleden McClellon, Ishmel Morrow, Kalu Onumah, TJ Stokes, Prince Thomas, Hiram Velez.
Graduate Transfers
Glen Bethel, Damarius Brinson, Gavin Burford, Andre Godfrey, Ezra Saffold, Tyler Threatt, Jefferson Vea, Quaide Weimerskirch.
Players who suffered career-ending injuries
Leroy Taylor, Reggie Turner.
UWF VERSUS RANKED TEAMS
The week 2 game against #10 Midwestern State was the eighth-consecutive contest against a ranked opponent for UWF. It was also the 10th in a stretch of 12 games for the Argonauts.
UWF and Ashland were the only schools in Division 2 to play two ranked teams in the first two weeks to start the 2018 season.
After the loss to No. 7 Valdosta State, the Argonauts are now 7-7 all-time against ranked teams.
UWF went 5-3 against ranked teams in 2017, with all five wins coming on the road in consecutive weeks, including four during the NCAA postseason run.
• Prior to the Shorter game, UWF had played 12 games (out of 28) against teams ranked in the top 25 - meaning that 43 percent of the program's games in its history have been against ranked opponents.
UWF AMONG GSC VICTORY LEADERS SINCE 2016
Even before they played a game in 2016, coaches, administrators and fans across the Gulf South Conference footprint had a feeling UWF could be a major player in the league and region really quick. In their three seasons of football, the Argonauts have won 12 GSC contests, ranking them fourth in the league.
RECORD IN GSC REGULAR-SEASON
TEAM 2016 2017 2018 TOTAL
Valdosta State 6-2 5-3 7-0 18-5
West Alabama 6-2 7-1 4-3 17-6
West Georgia 4-4 5-3 7-0 16-7
WEST FLORIDA 3-5 5-3 4-3 12-11
Florida Tech 5-2 3-5 4-3 12-10
RUSHING ATTACK CONTINUES TO MAKE PROGRESS
Dating back to the 2015 season when UWF fielded a team of redshirts with five intrasquad scrimmages, head coach Pete Shinnick has continued to praise the improvement of the offensive line.
That improvement was on display in week three against Shorter with 195 yards rushing on 41 attempts and again three weeks ago with a school-record 268 rushing yards on 36 touches at Delta State.
Junior RB Chris Schwarz has posted two of his three 100-yard games this season, and with his 107 yards on 14 carries at North Alabama, he is the first player in program history with consecutive 100-yard games.
He ranks 24th in the country with 6.31 yards per carry.
INDIV. SINGLE-GAME RUSHING YARDS
175 Chris Schwarz at IUP, 12/9/17
171 Chris Schwarz at Delta St., 9/29/18
118 Chris Schwarz Valdosta St., 11/3/18
114 Chris Schwarz at UNA, 10/6/18
101 Tim Bellinger at Ave Maria, 9/3/16
98 Chris Schwarz Shorter, 9/15/18
94 Chris Schwarz at UWG, 11/11/17
TEAM SINGLE-GAME RUSHING YARDS
268 at Delta State, 9/29/18
264 at Ave Maria, 9/3/16
222 at Indiana (Pa.), 12/9/17
195 Shorter, 9/15/18
182 at North Alabama, 10/6/18
170 at Mississippi College, 10/8/16
TEAM RUSHING YARDS PER GAME
Year Net Rush Yards Yards Per Game
2016 1091 99.2
2017 1734 115.6
2018 1351 135.1
WHICH RECEIVER IS IT GOING TO BE THIS WEEK?
UWF has one of the deepest receiving groups in the country. The Argos regularly dress around 10 and have 8-10 catch at least one ball each game.
A total of seven different players have at least 10 receptions and nine have caught a TD pass.
Last season, a total of eight players had 10 or more receptions and 11 reached the end zone.
ARGOS HAVE FORCED TURNOVERS IN 33 OF 36 GAMES
The UWF defense forced a school-record five turnovers earlier this season at Mississippi College and four more at Delta State and again last week against Valdosta State.
UWF has 15 fumble recoveries to rank first nationally and 10 interceptions - including a pick 6 by David Richardson against FIT and another by Jamel Jackson two weeks ago at North Greenville, extending it's active streak of games with at least one turnover to 12 games.
Further inspection shows the Argonauts have gotten at least one turnover in 33 of their 36 all-time games. UWF is 21-10 when getting a turnover and 1-4 when unable to force a sudden change.
GRIFFIN FINALLY BREAKS ONE, GETS FIRST PUNT RETURN TD
For all of the 'firsts' that have occured in UWF history over three seasons of football, the team had not returned a punt of kickoff for a score... until three weeks ago against Florida Tech.
Antoine Griffin weaved his way through the FIT punt coverage unit for a 61-yard TD return early in the second quarter. Following a solid day last week at North Greenville where he had three returns of 10 yards or more, he is 12th in the country and second in the GSC with 16.1 yards per return.
For the record, the Argonauts do have two scores on punt returns but both came on blocked punts.
AUSTIN WILLIAMS BREAKS INTO GSC ALL-TIME FG TOP 10
UWF PK Austin Williams made three field goals against Delta State and was named the Gulf South Conference Special Teams Player of the Week for the third time in 2018 and sixth time in his two years in Pensacola.
He went 1-for-3 a week later at UNA, seeing his consecutive field goals made streak end at eight.
His 1.3 FG per game rank eighth nationally. He is 65th in total points scored (62) and 73rd overall and third in the GSC in points per game (6.9).
The junior from Phelan, Calif. made a GSC-record 27 field goals in 2017 and now has 39 career field goals, moving into a tie for eighth place on the Gulf South Conference career list.
GSC CAREER FIELD GOALS MADE
51 Will Rhody, Valdosta St. 2002-04
James Knowles, UNA 1982-85
48 Ted Clem, Troy State 1984-87
46 Coy Nance, Harding 2000-03
43 Ki Tok Chu, UT-Martin 1986-89
40 Jason Williams, Southern Ark. 1997-00
Nelson McMurrain, UNA 1978-82
39 Austin Williams, UWF 2017-PR
Zach Wright, OBU 2005-08
37 Daniel Andersen, Valdosta St. 2009-12
He has also kicked off 49 times this year with 23 touchbacks and is 1-for-1 in on-side kicks.
PUNT UNIT PROVING TO BE VERY STINGY
UWF freshman punter Dawson Hamlin enters the Valdosta State game with a 38.6 yards per punt average over 40 kicks.
While his gross yardage ranks seventh in the GSC, the UWF coverage unit has limited teams to attempt a return six times for a total of nine return yards - that's a 0.86 yards per return avg! That is first in the country.
