Argos Advance To National Championship Knocking Off No. 1 IUP 27-17

December 10, 2017

The UWF Football team continues to author up new ways to amaze the college football world. Saturday it was a dominating 27-17 performance at top-seeded and previously unbeaten Indiana University of Pennsylvania in the NCAA Division II National Semifinals.

The win put the Argonauts into next week’s national championship game for the first time in program history – a history that is still just 25 games old.

UWF improved to 11-3 on the season and ended IUP’s 18-game home winning streak that began in 2015 – 11 months before UWF even played its first-ever game.

The Argonauts turned in their most productive rushing show of the season with 224 yards behind an offensive line that pushed around the Crimson Hawks with regularity. Chris Schwarz established school records with 29 carries and 175 yards, with 141 by halftime.

Mike Beaudry was a very efficient 15-of-23 for 152 yards with a pair of touchdowns.

The Argonauts took the opening kickoff and chewed up more than seven minutes of time, with its offensive line sending the message that it would be the more physical unit. While that series didn’t yield any points, UWF did score on its next two possessions – with both scores coming on short fields. The defense held the Crimson Hawks to minus-three yards on a three-and-out in the first series, before Andre Duncombe intercepted the Lenny Williams on their fourth play of the game.

A 7-yard Schwarz run started the scoring for UWF and Austin Williams set the Gulf South Conference record for field goals in a season when he connected on a 30-yarder – his 24th in 2017.
Tate Lehtio grabbed a short pass from Beaudry with 26 seconds left in the half to send the unranked Argos into the locker room with a 17-0 lead. UWF had outgained IUP 122-63 at that point

The Argonauts continued to capitalize on Hawks mistakes, taking over deep in IUP territory early in the third following a bad punt snap. Beaudry needed just seven plays to pilot another scoring drive, finding Kevin Grant just inside the side of the end zone from 15 yards out.

IUP came charging back and cut the UWF lead to 24-17 with three scores, ending on a Dillon Sarka 19-yard field goal early in the fourth.

Again, UWF went back to the ground game and compiled a 7-minute, 39-second drive with another Williams field goal to extend the margin back to two possessions and 4:37 remaining in the game.

The defense forced the Crimson Hawks to turn the ball over on downs twice to complete the neutralizing of one of the top offenses in the country. UWF held IUP to 242 yards of offense – 229 below their season average. The Hawks’ sixth-ranked rushing attack managed 156 yards after posting 263 per game.

UWF will face eight-ranked Texas A&M-Commerce in the national title game on Saturday, Dec. 16 in Kansas City, Kan. Kickoff at Children’s Mercy Park is set for 5:00 p.m. Central time.

Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Comments

4 Responses to “Argos Advance To National Championship Knocking Off No. 1 IUP 27-17”

  1. BG on December 10th, 2017 8:28 pm

    Yes SIR doing GREAT……Bring home the big one MEN

  2. Well on December 10th, 2017 11:31 am

    So cool !!!

    Way to go Argonauts.

  3. Lavett on December 10th, 2017 9:01 am

    Congratulations!

  4. sally on December 10th, 2017 8:37 am

    Watched the game. It was great!!!

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News