No. 16 UWF Stuns No. 5 Delta State

October 22, 2023

Since the start of summer, UWF knew Saturday’s game at Delta State would be a defining one for the entire football season.

After another remarkable, second-half comeback at DSU’s McCool Stadium, the Argos now have a signature win they needed.

Trailing 21-10 at halftime and struggling from their own mistakes, the 18th ranked Argos rallied with a pair of touchdowns and had their defense play lights out in the second half to pull off a stunning 24-21 upset of the No. 5 ranked, previously unbeaten Statesmen.

Another magic act at this stadium, another big-time comeback in UWF’s impressive road history, and a win that first-year coach Kaleb Nobles can cherish in his new role.

“I challenged them at halftime and told them, ‘Hey it’s a 60-minute game, okay? We have every reason to believe in ourselves and play at a high level.’ And I am proud of these guys because they answered the call. I am really proud of them,” said Nobles, who was part of some of UWF’s big upsets as a player, then assistant coach.

Think about this: In their last three games at Delta State, the Argos trailed 30-10 in 2021, 24-10 in last year’s NCAA Division II playoffs, then Saturday’s 11-point deficit.

And UWF won them all.

“That is testament to our players and how well they have played in these games and how well they played (Saturday),” Nobles said.

The comeback, pressure-packed win Saturday put the Argos (6-2, 4-1 in Gulf South Conference) in a position to control their destiny in the conference championship race. They can win the league by winning out in the final three games, beginning with next Saturday’s showdown with rival Valdosta State (7-1, 4-1) in Pensacola at Pen Air Field.

UWF would own the tiebreaker against Delta State (7-1, 5-1) if both win out. The same holds true against West Georgia (5-2, 4-1). That could also bring a home-field playoff game in mid-November.

UWF’s defense, which entered ranked No. 8 nationally in D-2 in scoring defense, 18th in total defense, held a Delta State team averaging 46.6 points to less than half of that output.

That is what essentially won the game, after the Argos followed a late third quarter touchdown with the go-ahead score on their next possession early in the fourth quarter.

Five of Delta State’s six offensive possessions in the second half either resulted in a punt or stop on downs.

“Our defense played well in the first half,” Nobles said. “I don’t know how many plays we played on offense, but a lot of this was testament to our defense and how well they played.”

The Argos overcame 15 penalties for153 yards, along with a fumbled punt in the first half that contributed to Delta State’s lead.

UWF quarterback Peewee Jarrett, who was sacked four times and under duress on other plays, completed 13 of 21 passes for 205 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed an astonishing 27 times for a net 63 yards.

C.J. Wilson led UWF with 70 yards on 19 carries as Nobles crafted a gameplan that was heavy on ball-control and knowing Delta State’s defense was set on trying to prevent big plays from UWF star receiver John Jiles.

But in the second half, Jiles made a terrific catch on a 19-yard TD pass from Jarett with 1:18 left in the third quarter that completed a 56-yard drive and trimmed the Statesmen lead to 21-17.

“We knew we had to come out and execute and that’s what we had to do in the second half,” Jiles said. “The offense did give an internal (halftime) speech, because we knew our backs were against the wall.”

When UWF got its next chance, the Argos drove 65 yards on 10 plays, capped by another 19-yard pass from Jarrett to Jiles into the corner of the end zone.

“I really just wanted the ball,” Jiles said. “I saw (Delta State) was in a cover two (defensive formation) and Peewee and I just did what we have done all season – make plays.”

The game-sealing sequence came when UWF got the ball at its own 33 with 3:49 left. The Argos had a pivotal third-down conversion pass from Jarett to Caden Leggett near midfield and were able to run out all but the final six seconds of the clock following a punt.

The Argos trailed 21-10 at halftime, after a first half where penalties and a fumbled punt led to 14 of Delta State’s points.

This first quarter began well for the Argos.

After going three plays and punt on their first possession, the Argos’ offense had its best sequence and finish the next time the group got the ball.

An 80-yard, 8-play drive ended with Leggett catching a short throw from Peewee Jarrett, breaking a tackle and diving into the end zone on a 26-yard scoring pass. It gave UWF a 7-0 lead midway through the quarter.

But from that point, the Argos had self-inflicted mistakes that proved costly.

On a Delta State punt that Virgil Lemons chose to try and catch inside his 10, the ball bounced off his shoulder pads and right into a diving Delta State defender at the Argos 8.

Two plays later, Statesmen quarterback Patrick Shegog connected with Jaylen Green on a 7-yard score with 1:06 left in the quarter.

That emotion turning moment led into another. On a third-down Delta State play that would have been an incompletion, the Argos were flagged for rouging Shegog on the pass.

With new life, Shegog then hit Jaylen May in stride on a deep route and with a UWF defender trailing, May finished a 56-yard touchdown play.

The Argos missed a chance to tie the game late in the quarter. Jarrett connected with Jiles for a 29-yard gain to the Statesmen 10. But on a second down play, the Argos committed a holding penalty. That led to Griffin Cerra’s 34-yard field goal, cutting the deficit to 14-10 with 3:43 left.

Both teams exchanged possessions. After failing to convert, UWF punted. Delta State took over at its 20 with 1:14 left.

In less than 60 seconds, Delta State was in the end zone. A 44-yard completion from Shegog to Green set up a play where tight end Tycen Gray was left wide open in the end zone for 4-yard touchdown pass with 22 seconds left.

At that point, all of the emotion, all the game’s future seemed in Delta State’s favor. The Statesmen got the ball to start the second half, but UWF’s defense produced one of its many stops.

That was a moment that helped changed the game’s direction.

“A lot of self-inflicted wounds and that’s a really good team we just played,” Nobles said. “There was a reason they were undefeated.

“We know we have a lot of work left to do…a lot of football left… and we still haven’t’ played our best. But I know if it’s in our heart we can do it.”

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News, Sports, TOP sports