For openers, UWF’s football team produced a desired performance.
The nationally ranked Argos quickly jumped to a sizable lead, got a shutdown effort from their defense, shined on special teams and cruised their way to a 38-6 win Thursday night against the Mckendree Bearcats at PenAir Field in the season’s first game for both teams.
- A crowd of 4,305 got an early start with a massive turnout by students in a pregame tailgate and also featured UWF’s expanded marching band, which has doubled in size.
“Very excited about the team and what we did (Thursday),” said UWF head coach Kaleb Nobles, after starting his second season at the helm.
“Doing some really good stuff in all three facets of the game. I thought we played pretty well on offense… and defense? I thought we played lights out. I thought we finished the game really strong. I didn’t want to give up a touchdown there at the end. McKendree had the ball at the UWF 4, which we didn’t. But there are so many things to clean up. Obviously, as a head coach, I wrote a whole list of things down.”
The good news for UWF is there is plenty of time to shore up that list.
- The Argos, ranked No. 12 in American Football Coaches Association NCAA Division II coaches poll, No. 14 in the D2 Football.com poll, won’t play their next game until Sept. 21 when hosting West Alabama in their Gulf South Conference opener.
RECAP
Thursday’s game was a return half of UWF’s series with McKendree, located in Lebanon, Illinois, just east of St. Louis, and a member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference. The Argos traveled there in 2023 and got a 35-3 win in their second game of the season.
Part of the rematch intrigue was which UWF quarterback would start the game.
Redshirt freshman Marcus Stokes from St. Augustine-Nease High School, earned his way to the top of the depth chart and was solid in his first start. He completed 20 of 27 passes for 231 yards.
Both of his interceptions were on tipped passes and he was sacked twice. Backup Michael Rich Jr. made his only play count when he rushed on 4-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
“I thought he played very well, I thought he played pretty efficient,” Nobles said. “Two hundred some yards passing in his first college game win (start). I thought he handled himself very well. He was very calm, very composed. He’s a high energy guy, but he was very relaxed, very calm, which I think is great for him.”
The Argos first two touchdowns came on one-play drives, following outstanding punt returns by senior defensive back Virgil Lemons, who finished with 147 yards on two returns, one of those 86 yards to the 1-yard line that was advanced by teammate McGrew Fortune.
The first one of 61 yards midway in the first quarter resulted in Jamontez Woods rushing in from the 4-yard line. Woods then finished the second one on a hand off from the one. He finished as UWF’s leading rusher with 38 yards on 13 carries.
“We have iPads on the sidelines now and we get to watch (punt returns) what happens and I watched both of them and said, wow, this is phenomenal blocking. This is what it should look like,” Nobles said. “I told Virgil, if you can give me every offensive possession starting inside the (opponents) 5, I become the best player caller in the world. I’m excited about how we performed on special teams and think we have a lot of momentum moving forward.”
Said Lemons of his two returns, “Heart stopping. Thank God. I was just happy. I just had trust in my guys. This is my second year returning and I got two of my corners out there blocking.”
Three of UWF’s first four offensive possessions resulted in touchdowns. Jay Sharp’s 1-yard run in the second quarter finished a 13-play, 90 yard drive that was UWF’s best offensive sequence.
A 21-0 halftime lead was further expanded on Cade Lombardo’s 29-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter.
Rich’s touchdown run answered McKendree’s only score of the game on a short run that capped a 14-play 74 yard drive.
Linebacker Ralph Ortiz, one of the team’s best defensive players, had a big night. In addition to six solo tackles and a pass breakup, he returned an interception 27 yards late in the fourth quarter for the game’s final points.
Defensively, UWF kept forcing punts early in the game. The Bearcats longest play went for 35 yards. They were limited to just 49 rushing yards and 5-of-15 on third down conversions.
“We had a good start, but we still have a lot of work to do,” Lemons said.
WHAT’S NEXT?
WHO: West Alabama Tigers vs. UWF Argos.
WHEN: Sept. 21, 6 p.m.
WHERE: Pen Air Field.
GAME THEME: Family Weekend
TICKETS: www.goargos.com/tickets