The fourth game in UWF's inaugural season in FCS Division I football already presents some familiarity.

The 20th ranked Argos (2-1) embarked on another long road trip Friday – a 593-mile bus trek to Cape Girardeau, Missouri – for a first-time meeting Saturday night (6 p.m.) against Southeast Missouri State (2-2), an Ohio Valley Conference member with a 35-year history at this level.  

It is a travel time and matchup scenario resembling UWF's first road journey three weeks ago to Central Arkansas.

"It's almost a copy and paste road trip," said UWF coach Kaleb Nobles. "A 6 o'clock kickoff. We'll make a very similar route… just split off after lunch Friday (during the trip to Missouri). We'll do the walkthrough here (at UWF) Friday before we take off, then have meetings when we get off the bus Friday night. A very similar trip which is exciting for us, something we have just done and played well with it, so we just have to get ready to do it again in a different state."

To add more connection, the teams have played two of the same opponents – Southern Illinois and Central Arkansas. Southeast Missouri lost to Southern Illinois 34-20 on Sept. 12, then beat Central Arkansas 27-9 last Saturday.

The Redhawks are celebrating their annual family weekend, which is expected to attract a sizeable crowd at 8,000 seat Houck Field which also has an artificial surface like UWF's Pen Air Field.

"You see a lot of similarities in game plan type stuff," said Nobles, referring to how each team can glean from a scouting report by watching the same opponents. "They are a good team and we've got to be ready to play hard in every facet of the game. We are expecting a good crowd there, maybe a packed house, so we got to stay together for 60 minutes."

UWF starting quarterback Ty'ray Davis, injured in the second half of last Saturday's loss to 11th-ranked Austin Peay, is expected to be at full speed for Saturday's game.

"He should be good to go," Nobles said. "He's a tough kid, he's a competitor and he's excited to get back on the field."

Davis, a sophomore from Orlando, has thrown for 454 yards and six touchdowns in three starts. He's also the Argos leading rusher with 182 yards and three scores.

Less certain is the status of running back TJ Lane, who also was injured last week against Austin Peay. But in that game, junior transfer Markel Townsend, who formerly played at Western Carolina, stepped up to be the Argos' top offensive star that night with 93 yards on nine carries. He would become the featured back if Lane is unavailable.

"(Townsend) is really the first guy who committed to us when we transitioned to Division I in April," Nobles said. "He's someone we recruited out of the transfer portal. A really good player. He's a great kid and competitor and just wants to help the team. It was exciting to get him some plays and show what he can do when he gets the ball in his hands. We had seen that a lot in practice, but he showed and confirmed with us what he has ---very explosive with the football in his hands. He made a couple plays on third and long situations (against Austin Peay) that were drive extenders."

Nobles said his team's locker room mood after that loss revealed a good sign. The Argos fell behind 21-0 early in the second quarter, then 28-7, before having possession with a chance to cut the deficit to five points early in the fourth quarter of an eventual 38-16 loss at Pen Air Field.

"I learned even more that our guys really care and they want to make it known they're frustrated by how we competed and played," Nobles said. "We didn't stop playing, we didn't stop fighting. With 12 minutes to go we had a chance to cut it to five. I learned our guys have got fight to them. It's something that we talk about a lot… when we are at our best we can play with anybody in the country. When we're not at our best, we know what can happen. I think our guys have seen that now. It's a tough lesson to learn after a loss, but they know the margin for error is very thin at this level."

The Redhawks are led offensively by quarterback Braylen Ragland, who is second in the Ohio Valley Conference in passing yards per-game (225.5 yards).

"He's another guy that can run around and move," Nobles said.  "I feel like we are playing against guys that are just top players for the last four games. You got to keep him in the pocket, you can't let him get loose."

UWF faced three FCS ranked opponents in its first three D-I games, and will now face a team with a veteran coach, Tom Matukewicz, who is in his 13th year at SEMO with three OVC championships at the helm and three FCS post-season appearances.

"I think you would be hard pressed to find somebody (in Division I) who has played three ranked teams in three weeks, especially transitioning in April," Nobles said. "But nobody cares about that. When that ball is spotted you have to be ready to go. We have expectations around here. It doesn't matter whether the team we're playing is ranked or not ranked, we need to be at our best. You only get 11 or 12 opportunities in football and so when you have that chance to go play, all the training you've put in during those other days, you've got to make it work."
 
WANT TO WATCH/FOLLOW?
WHO: UWF Argos vs. Southeast Missouri Redhawks
WHEN: Saturday, 6 p.m.
WHERE: Houck Field, Cape Girardeau, Missoui
LIVESTREAM TV: ESPN-Plus.
RADIO: SportsRadio Pensacola (99.1 FM and 1330 AM).