• The 20th-ranked UWF football opens play in the 2019 NCAA Division II Football Championship against No. 4 seed Wingate Saturday at 1 p.m. Eastern Time/Noon CT.
• The winner of the game will advance to the second round and face No. 1 ranked and defending national champion Valdosta State next Saturday.

ABOUT UWF
• UWF enters the game at 8-2 overall and finished second in the Gulf South Conference with a school-record of 8-1. The Argonauts have established school records for home wins (5), longest winning streak (7) and best start this season.
• The Argo offense is averaging 385 yards per game which ranks fifth in the GSC and 68th nationally. The 236.7 passing yards per game is fourth in the league and 52nd in the country.
• Not to be outdone, the UWF defense has been lights out all season and ranks 27th in the NCAA, allowing 293.3 yards per game. The scoring defense of 12.7 points per game is third nationally. The Argos are second in the country in red zone defense, sixth in fewest passing yards allowed and seventh in fumbles recovered with 12. The UWF defense has forced a at least one turnover in every game this season and in 43 of the 47 games in program history
• On special teams, UWF is second nationally in net punting - after ranking 12th in the country in 2018 - and 17th in punt return defense. They average 7.5 yards per punt return and 22.3 yards per kickoff return. Sophomore Dawson Hamlin was named Second Team All-GSC this week.

ABOUT WINGATE
• Wingate is 9-1 on the year and is ranked 16th in the AFCA poll and 17th by D2Football.com. The Bulldogs are the No. 4 seed in the region and finished second in the South Atlantic Conference at 8-1.
• On offense, WU has one of the most balanced attacks in the country, averaging 199.2 rushing yards and 208.5 passing. Running backs Domineke McNeill and Nijere Peoples lead the ground attack with 85.8 and 85.1 rushing yards per game, respectively, while combining for 19 rushing TDs.
• The Bulldog defense allows 20.5 points and 318.6 yards per game. Their rush defense is 25th in the country at just 103.5 ypg. They are also 21st nationally and second in the SAC in 4th Down Defense.

SERIES HISTORY
• UWF won the only previous game, 31-0, in the First Round of the 2017 NCAA Playoffs in Wingate.
• Mike Beaudry threw three TD and completed 18-of-31 passes for 160 yards, completing passes to seven different players.
• The Argo defense had four turnovers and nine sacks while holding the Bulldogs to 205 yards and 140 rushing. Jalen Spencer had a pair of interceptions, including a pick-6 on the third play of the game.

UWF MAKES NCAA HISTORY AGAIN
• By virtue of its bid to the 2019 NCAA Playoffs, UWF has become the first football team in NCAA history to earn a postseason bid twice in the first four years of the program's existence.
• Two years ago the Argonauts made history with their first-ever tourney appearance, becoming the fastest startup program to reach the postseason. They followed that up with four-consecutive wins - all on the road against Top 25 teams - to reach the NCAA D2 National Championship Game.

RECORD 11 ARGOS NAMED TO ALL-GSC TEAMS
• For the third-consecutive year the UWF football team had a record number of student-athletes recognized by the Gulf South Conference as all-league performers, including quarterback Austin Reed who was named the Offensive Freshman of the Year.
• First team representatives included running back Shomari Mason, wide receiver Tate Lehtio, offensive tackle Samuel Antoine, defensive lineman Ian Bush, nickelback Trent Archie and special teams utility player De'Marco Artis.
• Argos on the second team were Reed, wide receiver Quentin Randolph, offensive guard Joe Wintrick, linebacker Kedrick Bradley and punter Dawson Hamlin..

RANDOLPH, LEHTIO LEADING DEEP RECEIVER CORPS
• UWF has a strong group of receivers led by senior All-GSC selections Quentin Randolph and Tate Lehtio. Lehtio paces the team with 50 receptions for 63.6 yards per game and Randolph has 611 yards with five touchdowns and 61.1 yards per game.
• Randolph leads UWF with 12 20-plus yard plays. Kevin Grant is second with six , including three of those for TD.. Not to be outdone, Ka'Ron Ashley has three catches of at least 20 yards, with two of those going for TD.
• The Argos have tossed 15 of their 34 20-yard passes for scores and three of their five long play runs for a TD.