UWF Football: Argos' defense dominate in 45-14 win over Wingate, advance to Final Four

The University of West Florida football program met Wingate on Saturday for the third time in the NCAA Division II playoffs.

And just like the previous two matchups, UWF got the upper hand.

The Argos' defense had a record-setting performance with six turnovers and four scores, including three interception return touchdowns en route to a 45-14 quarterfinal victory from Pen Air Field.

"We told ourselves (the Wingate) defense is good, but they haven't seen an offense or defense like ours," Argos' head coach Pete Shinnick. "Playing in the Gulf South (Conference) prepares you for these types of games because it is such a hard conference to play in. I am confident that going through our conference prepares us for these playoffs. We have been tested and tried through the process."

The Argos held a 10-7 lead with four minutes left in the second quarter when Anthony Johnson Jr. got his second pick-six in as many weeks.

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"I felt like that was a big play because we really needed it at the time," said Johnson Jr. said, who also collected a third-down sack in the first quarter. "We trust our offense but sometimes we are called upon to make plays and we did what we had to do."

Later, UWF quarterback PeeWee Jarrett found Jakobe Quillen for 5-yard touchdown as time expired in the first half to give the Argos a 24-7 lead entering the break.

West Florida and its defense gained separation in the third quarter thanks to three straight takeaways.

Kelvin Johnson had the first with a 37-yard scoop-and-score. Keon Voisin followed with a 64-yard interception return touchdown on the very next defensive series. Then, defensive back Kode Lowe had 31-yard pick-six to put the final nail in the coffin.

West Florida's offense possessed the ball for less than a minute in third, but frankly, that side of the ball wasn't needed much in a day when the defense stole the show.

The home team had a scoreless opening quarter, but tied the game at 7-7 moments into the second when PeeWee Jarrett found David Durden for 35-yard reception. The junior quarterback finished 12-for-23 passing with 149 yards.

Griffin Cerra made up for a early missed field goal with a 32-yard make midway through the quarter to give the Argos their first lead of the game and they would never look back.

West Florida advanced to the Final Four for the third time in six years. After winning Super Region II, UWF is seeded fourth in the semifinal bracket. The team will play top-seeded Ferris State at 11 a.m. CST Saturday from Top Taggart Field in Big Rapids, Mich.

Here's three takeaways from the day as the Argos improved this record to 12-1 this season.

Defense makes history

West Florida's offense struggled early in this game.

The team moved the ball well, but missed opportunities to put up points as Cerra was off on two field-goal attempts in the first half.

That's when the defense stepped up and shifted the momentum, just as it did in the fourth quarter of last week's win against Delta State. The Argos had three first-half turnovers and three consecutive turnovers in an difference-making third quarter.

The three pick-six scores tied an NCAA record for the most in a game at any college level and set the Division II mark. The last team to have three interception return touchdowns in a game was Colorado State in October 2019.

It also was the second time in school history that West Florida had two or more non-offensive touchdowns in one game. The last time that happen was in 2019 against Virginia Lynchburg.

"We knew we had to be physical at the point of attack," Argos' middle linebacker Will Breland. "Over the last few weeks, we've faced some good offensive lines that are able to pull guards and tackles. We didn't have a pads practice this week to give guys some rest. So, we were ready at kickoff and we hit them in the mouth to really shut them down."

Offense did enough

UWF's early offensive struggles were understandable considering the caliber of defense it was facing. Wingate entered the day only relinquishing 70.3 rushing yards and 216.4 total yards per game.

Still, the hosts created enough big plays.

In what seems like a weekly occurrence, Durden had a long touchdown reception while Quillen's score right before the half was huge. The rushing attack was limited compared to its normal production, but that wasn't damaging despite it being a major point of emphasizes heading into this matchup.

The Argos' backfield combined for 25 carries for 119 yards. The offense finished the day with 268 total yards. Although it committed six penalties, UWF had no turnovers.

"We knew it was a good defense coming in," Jarrett said. "They stopped us on the first drive and we were still trying to get our feet wet playing against this team. We know that our defense is always solid and Ant was the first person to say 'We got y'all, don't worry' after the struggles."

Second-half dominance

West Florida has owned the second half of games this season. Last week, the team outscored Delta State 28-10, with all 28 points scored in the fourth quarter.

On Saturday, the Argos outscored Wingate 21-7 in the second half. They were blanking their opponent until the Bulldogs a late, insignificant fourth-quarter touchdown.

Earlier this season, UWF scored 21 or more points in the second half against Delta State and North Greenville after trailing late in both games.

"We are going to get everyone's best. We know that and we talk about just staying the course," Shinnick said. "We are going to make sure we put our guys in the right spots and make sure they are the freshest team late. I have never won a game at half time and one thing we are big on is ending and starting halfs the right way."

This team has shown a never-quit attitude all season, which should help as they enter the Final Four. Their experience in late-game situations is a plus, especially after having mixed results in those situations this season.

Greg Hollis is a sports reporter for the Pensacola News Journal. He can be reached at ghollis@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: UWF Football: Argos' defense dominate in 45-14 win over Wingate