• UWF begins its fourth season of intercollegiate football with a road game against Super Region 2 foe Carson-Newman on Thursday night. Kickoff at Burke-Tarr Stadium in Jefferson City, Tenn. is set for at 7:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. CT
• This marks the third time in four years the Argonauts have started with a road game. UWF is 3-0 in season openers and 2-0 in openers on the road. It is also the second-consecutive year UWF will play a game on Thursday. The program is 2-0 all-time in non-Saturday contests (def. Mississippi College on a Friday prior to Tropical Storm Nate in 2017; def. C-N on a Thursday to open last season).
• UWF is 14-7 all-time on the road and 7-2 in non-conference games The Argos are 2-2 in regular-season road contests with wins over Ave Maria and Missouri S&T, and losses to Chowan (2016) and MSU Texas (2018).
• UWF head coach Pete Shinnick is 13-4 in season-openers, going 5-2 at both Azusa Pacific from 1999-2005 and at UNC Pembroke from 2007-13.
ABOUT UWF
• UWF went 6-5 in 2018 and finished fifth in the Gulf South Conference at 4-4.
• The Argos return 58 letterwinners and 22 redshirts from a year ago. They also welcome back seven offensive starters, three defensive starters and both kickers.
• UWF averaged 24 points per game and 361.9 yards of total offense in 2018 The squad established a school record 132 .3 rushing yards per gamewhile passing for 229.6 ypg in a year where the quarterback position saw four players under center after a myriad of injuries.
• UWF was picked to finish fourth in the GSC Preseason Coaches Poll and received one first-place vote.
SERIES HISTORY
• UWF won the only meeting between the teams, 19-9 at Blue Wahoos Stadium in Pensacola, in last year's season opener. The Argos are 2-0 against South Atlantic Conference teams all-time (def. Wingate in 2017 NCAA 1st Rd; def. C-N last year).
• Pete Shinnick-coached teams are 3-2 against C-N. In addition to last year's UWF victory, his UNC Pembroke squads were 2-2 from 2009-12, going 1-1 at home and on the road.
• The Argos led 6-0 after the first quarter thanks to a pair of Austin Williams field goals (35 & 39 yds). C-N came back in the second with scoring drives on consecutive possessions - a 68-yard Sherron Jackson TD run and a 35-yard field goal by Drew Eudy. UWF scored the final 13 points of the game with a Sam Vaughn-to-Lee Walker 4-yd TD pass on the opening drive of the third quarter, before Williams made two more field goals, including a 39-yarder with 2:04 left in the game to extend the lead to a 2-possession margin.
• Williams tied his own school record with four field goals.
• Sam Vaughn came off the bench at the end of the first quarter and threw for 218 yards on 17-of-29 with a TD in his first career game as a transfer from Georgia.
• C-N's rushing attack was as advertised and piled up 330 yards on 55 attempts, although it was the first time in six season openers they didn't reach 400 yards or 35 points. The Eagles were 3-of-10 with two interceptions for a season-low 14 passing yards.
• UWF did recover two fumbles that they converted into three points and forced C-N to punt on its final four possessions.
NEW SIGNAL CALLER FOR UWF
• Last season, UWF was hit hard buy the injury bug at nearly every position. But none was more obvious than at quarterback. The Argos played six players at the position, including a converted linebacker and wide receiver.
• Graduate student Sam Vaughn played the majority of the season before injuring his right elbow that eventually required 'Tommy John' surgery. He ended the season throwing for 2,201 yards with 20 TDs and 11 interceptions in nine games. After sitting out the Spring, he returns for his final season. The Georgia transfer came on in the second quarter of last year's Carson-Newman game and was 17-for-29 with a TD and 218 yards passing.
• Fellow graduate student J.C. Robles (roe-bliss) transferred from Colorado State in January and was the primary QB during Spring ball. The multi-sport athlete from Visalia, Calif. played in four games in his career for the Rams with no statistics.
• The third player in the mix is redshirt freshman Austin Reed. He spent the 2018 campaign at Southern Illinois but did not play for the Salukis. Reed was the Florida Class 6A Player of the Year as a senior in 2017 after throwing for 2,925 yards and 34 TD.
RUNNING BACK LOOKS DIFFERENT AS WELL
• The Argonaut backfield also has a different look and feel at the start of 2019. Gone are bruising backs Chris Schwarz and Quaide Weimerskirch who combined for 164 carries and 970 yards on the ground. Schwarz graduated in three years as the school record holder in rushes (420), yards (2,027), yards per carry (4.83) and rushing TDs (14).
• Junior Anthony Johnson, Jr. returns following a 323-yard season and 4.5 yards per carry. He has 407 yards on 167 carries and four scores in two seasons.
• Redshirt sophomore Jervon Newton also saw time in 2018 after transferring from Marist, finishing with 102 yards on 23 carries in six contests.
• Two players who will also figure heavily in the ground game are true freshman Shomari Mason and redshirt sophomore Jaden Gardner (nicknamed 'Turbo.' Mason totaled 2,230 all-purpose yards and 18 TD as a senior at North Ft. Myers HS in 2018, while Gardner - who spent two seasons at Coffeyville (Kan.) CC - rushed for 2,000 yards over his final two seasons at Pine Forest HS in Pensacola in 2015-16.
OFFENSIVE LINE LOADED WITH EXPERIENCE
• For as much inexperience exists behind the line of scrimmage, the UWF offensive line is one of the more mature units in the country. The group features four returning starters and a fourth-year senior among the lead group which have a combined 107 starts and 139 total games played.
• Redshirt senior LT Samuel Antoine is a 2-time all-GSC selection and a preseason choice this year. Senior Joe Wintrick has locked down the LG spot for the past 23 games since transferring as a redshirt sophomore in 2017. Senior Devin Gibson has been the starter at Center since the fourth contest of the inaugural season in 2016 - a streak of 33-consecutive games. Junior Mike Dilla broke into the rotation as a true freshman in 2017 and grabbed the starting RG slot in the NCAA Second Round and hasn't relinquished it in the last 13 outings. Senior Ethan Cruz was a starter in 2016 and has appeared in 21 games in his career.
DEFENSIVE FRONT AS BIG AS EVER
• The defensive line is the largest in the four years of the program as well. The Argos used faster rushing ends the previous three seasons but are expected to use multiple 300-pounders to clog the middle in 2019.
• All four players at the Nose Guard position are all at least 310 pounds, led by returning starter Daryl Wilson who has 52 tackles, 11 for loss and two sacks in 35 of UWF's 37 all-time games.
• On the edge, UWF is expected to have still have speed but has beefed-up there with Ian Bush, a graduate transfer from Georgia Southern who is 6-0, 280 and Matthew Gotel a JUCO transfer from Snow College who is listed at 6-3, 305. All four backups at the spot are also at least 260 pounds as well.
DUNCOMBE, ARCHIE LEAD EXPERIENCE LINEBACKING CORPS
• Fifth-year seniors Andre Duncombe, Jr. and Trent Archie lead the linebacker group ion both tackles and experience. Duncombe is the vocal leader of the defense and has 169 tackles and a school-record 33 tackles for loss, while Archie ranks second all-time at UWF with 185 stops in just 26 career games.
• The Argonauts brought in transfers Chanler Ferguson (Tyler JC) and Kedrick Bradley (grad transfer from Liberty) to help fill the gaps left by the departures of 3-year standouts Sam Adams (163 career tackles) and Martes Wheeler (147 career tackles).
SPECIAL TEAMS STILL SPECIAL
• The kicking positions remained steady with senior Austin Williams at place kicker and sophomore Dawson Hamlin at punter. Williams has scored a school-record 192 points in two seasons and ranks among the GSC all-time leaders with 39 field goals made (12 shy of being the career record holder). Hamlin averaged 39.2 yards per punt and led the GSC with 19 fair catches.
• UWF led the nation in net return yards, allowing -0.33 yards per return (minus 3 yards on 9 total returns)
• The Argonauts will be using a new long snapper for the first time in three seasons following the graduation of Austin Johnson. He was the only player publically given a starting spot following the redshirt season of 2015 and spring 2016 segments and held it for three years. True freshman Wyatt Adams won the job in camp and has a 0.67 snap time.
• While the kickoff return spot again goes to Marcus Clayton, the punt return position will be new for the first time in program history. Antoine Griffin graduated after returning 65 of the 80 all-time punts over the last three seasons. Griffin has the only punt return for a TD in program history, doing that last year against Florida Tech.
115 PLAYERS IN FALL CAMP, 5 WITH BACHELOR'S DEGREE
• UWF currently has 115 student-athletes on its roster entering the opening week of play. Since the program started filling out the roster in the Spring of 2015, the maturation levels have continued to rise throughout the program.
SENIORS/
GRADUATES JUNIORS
2016 5 14
2017 16 15
2018 27 40
2019 30 30
• Additionally, UWF has 5 players who have earned their undergraduate degree and are working towards a second. That places them fifth in Division II in 2019. They led the nation with 11 graduates playing a year ago.
UWF PICKED 4th IN GSC PRESEASON POLL, THREE ARGOS NAMED PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE
• A year removed from a 6-5 season that saw the team miss the NCAA Playoffs, the UWF football team was picked fourth in the 2019 GSC Preseason Coaches Poll as announced by the league office.
• Additionally, three Argonauts – Samuel Antoine on offense, Trent Archie and Andre Duncombe, Jr. on defense – were named to the preseason all-GSC team by the league's nine head coaches.
• Antoine has been named All-GSC each of the last two years and returns for his senior season at tackle. The third-year player from Weston, Fla. has helped anchor an offensive line that averaged 351.4 yards of total offense over the past two seasons.
• Archie, who sat out the 2018 season, has averaged 93 tackles in his two previous stints on the field as a safety and nickelback. The Mobile Ala. product was the 2016 GSC Defensive Freshman of the Year and a Second Team All-Region selection.
• Duncombe is a preseason honoree for the second-consecutive year and has 169 career tackles as an Argo. The linebacker from Miami, Fla. has a school-record 33.5 tackles for loss and 15.5 quarterback sacks.
UWF RECEIVING VOTES IN AFCA PRESEASON TOP 25
The UWF football team will open the 2019 season as the sixth team receiving votes in the preseason top 25 poll that was announced by the American Football Coaches Association.
The Argonauts received 42 total poll points and are one of five Gulf South Conference teams listed. Defending national champion Valdosta State at No. 1, West Georgia at No. 15, West Alabama at No. 24 and Florida Tech also received votes.
ARGOS HAVE FORCED TURNOVERS IN 33 OF 37 GAMES
• The UWF defense forced a school-record five turnovers last season at Mississippi College and four more at Delta State and against Valdosta State.
• UWF finished with 15 fumble recoveries to rank first nationally and 10 interceptions - including a pick 6 by David Richardson against FIT and another by Jamel Jackson at North Greenville. The Argos did not get a turnover in the finale at West Alabama, ending their streak of games with at least one turnover at 12 games.
• Further inspection shows the Argonauts have gotten at least one turnover in 33 of their 37 all-time games. UWF is 21-10 when getting a turnover and 1-5 when unable to force a sudden change.
UWF VERSUS RANKED TEAMS
• While UWF may not play a ranked team early in the 2019 season, that doesn't mean the Argos haven't faced their share of top competition through 37 all-time games.
• Last season's week 2 game against #10 MSU Texas was the eighth-consecutive contest against a ranked opponent for UWF. It was also the tenth in a stretch of 12 games for the Argonauts.
• Additionally, UWF had played 12 games (out of 28 up to that point) against teams ranked in the top 25 - meaning that 43 percent of the program's games in its history had been against ranked opponents.
• After the loss to then-No. 7 Valdosta State last season, 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.
UWF ON THE ROAD
• UWF made its magical run through the postseason two years ago with some of the best road play in the country. The Argonauts went 8-1 in 2017 with five-consecutive victories heading into the neutral-site National Championship Game. They were again strong away from Pensacola a year ago, fashioning a 4-2 record.
• The Argonauts are now 14-7 all-time away from Pensacola, 3-2 in regular-season non-conference road games and 2-1 in road openers.
WIN OVER UNA WAS ONE OF 3 BY D2 TEAM OVER FCS IN 2018
• The win over North Alabama on Oct. 6 marked the first-ever over a Division I program for the Argos in their first-ever game against D1. It also snapped a 4-game losing streak by GSC schools against D1 schools.
• The win was just the third in 2018 by a D2 team over a D1. Morehouse defeated Arkansas-Pine Bluff in week one and Truman defeated Valparaiso in week three.
ARGOS OVERCAME 15-POINT DEFICIT AT DELTA STATE IN 2018
• Last season, UWF found itself trailing Delta State 21-6 at halftime before scoring 24 unanswered for a 30-21 victory. That 15-point deficit proved to be the second-largest overcome for a victory in UWF's brief 3-year history. In the 2017 regular-season finale at West Georgia, the Argos trailed 16-0 after the first quarter before claiming a 34-29 win that vaulted the Blue & Green into the NCAA Playoffs.
• The largest deficit overcome by a UWF team was at Valdosta State in the fourth game in program history when the Argos spotted the Blazers a 20-0 lead 8:46 into the game. UWF took a 28-27 lead late in the third quarter before falling 40-28.
