Post Game Notes

By Bill Vilona
GoArgos.com Senior Writer
 
Quarterback Austin Reed dropped to his knees, overcome by the anticipation and emotion.

The play call was perfectly changed, receiver Kevin Grant broke open, his throw was a strike, the catch was made, a touchdown signaled and delirium ensued on the UWF sideline. 

All of this simultaneously, of course, in the Argos first-ever, walk-off, overtime thriller of a 27-21 victory against Mississippi College at Blue Wahoos Stadium. 

Memories? UWF (3-1) just created another one. A crowd of 4,909 saw quite an ending in the first overtime game in UWF's four-year history. 

"I haven't been Gatorade-dumped except in the (2017) playoffs, so our players obviously thought it was a big moment," said UWF coach Pete Shinnick, laughing.  "I had to change shirts, my pants are soaking wet… but what a fun deal."

From gloom to glee, too. 

After fired-up Mississippi College (2-2) took a 14-0 lead in the second quarter, then tied the game on a fourth-down, final play in regulation, the Argos prevailed with their grit. 

They got a defensive stop in the first possession of overtime. It forced the Choctaws into a 51-yard field goal attempt that sailed far left. 

With their chance to win in OT, the Argos made it happen on a 3rd-and-16 situation from the Mississippi College 18. 

In the few seconds allowed to decide on a make-or-break play call, Reed knew he had a run or pass option. Senior receiver Quentin Randolph, the Navarre High grad, who wasn't in on this play, urged Shinnick to have Grant run a slant pattern across the middle of the end zone. 

Shinnick said, "Yeah, let's do it."

Reed, 19, a redshirt freshman transfer and St. Augustine native, saw the defense alignment. He changed the running play into a pass.

"If we see (man-to-man) coverage, kill it, let's go pass play," said Reed, repeating what the team discussed. "We saw man. I thought Kevin was able to get behind their safety on a slant. And knowing how good Kevin is, I said. 'Let's just give our guy a shot.'

"Right when I let go of it, I just had the feeling, Kevin is coming down with this. I threw it and just dropped. I just started praying. A lot of people would look at a 19-year old kid and say is he not ready for this."

He was. Grant made the big catch. And UWF won.

"I'm sitting there going, 'Ok, it's covered, good job Austin. Oh, he may have… Oh yes!' KG snagged that thing with tremendous confidence," Shinnick said.

All of this drama transpired after UWF had rallied with three touchdowns, including two in the second half to take a 21-14 lead on the first play of the fourth quarter with Jervon Newton's 2-yard TD run. Newton, a sophomore from Clearwater, finished with 100 yards on 19 carries as UWF compiled 196 yards rushing.

But UWF was unable to get a game-sealing score and Mississippi College drove 89 yards on 15 plays in the final 3:39 of the fourth quarter. On fourth down and five seconds left, Choctaws' quarterback Detric Hawthorn rushed in from the 5.

The Argos won the overtime coin toss and chose to play defense first with the ball at the 25. 

"I think our defense did everything they could," Shinnick said. "(Choctaws) had to score on the last play. I thought we did a lot of really good things and that's one of the reasons I felt comfortable putting them right back out there."

A chop block penalty on first down from the UWF 15 – only the third penalty called on MC in the game – pushed the ball to the 30. The Argos defense responded with a third down sack to force the long field goal. 

"Go get the ball is all that is," said linebacker Gael Laurent, who started for injured senior Andre Duncombe and forced a fumble, got a sack and had six stops. "Put our offense back on the field, because they feed off our energy."

When the offense produced, the Argos raced the field, then ran down to the first-base end zone section to celebrate with the band, cheerleaders and students. 

"Just pure excitement and joy. To be honest, I probably blacked out," said defensive back Trent Archie, who led UWF with eight tackles, including two sacks. "I ran all over the place. I didn't know which way to go.

"Just great moment with the team and I will never forget it."

The Argos showed their resiliency after Mississippi College scored off second quarter touchdowns. One was a 65-yard interception return from an errant Reed pass.

But Reed also made some big throws, including a 32-yard TD pass to Kenneth Channelle with 2:13 left before the half for UWF's first points. 

"We are seeing that guy grow up, seeing him mature," Shinnick said. "He is a redshirt freshman and he is learning how to put all this stuff together. 

As he grows and learn, he knows what needs to take place."
 
ARGOS GAME NOTES: 
The National Anthem was performed by the Christian choir, "One" from Destin United Methodist Church. One of the Mississippi College players, linebacker Gavin Green, is the son of one of the singers and he left the locker room early to stand near the field and watch his mother sing.
The UWF softball team, which reached the NCAA Division II Women's College World Series last year, was honored at halftime.