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Argos Defense Makes Statement In Road Win Over Southeast Missouri
September 27, 2026
Jolted by adversity, UWF’s football team found a way on Saturday night to create another memory.
The Argos defense made sure of it.
Playing without starting quarterback Ty’Ray Davis and top running back TJ Lane, the No. 20 ranked Argos got an astounding performance from their defense, which forced six turnovers, including the game-sealing one in the final minute Saturday to beat Southeast Missouri State 20-17 and continue UWF’s history as road warriors.
The Argos defense scored one touchdown on Christian Ware-Terry’s fumble recovery that was forced by Patrick Hisatake, then set up 10 other UWF points with turnovers.
This kind of gritty win likely made a 593-mile, all night bus ride back to Pensacola go a lot easier and sweeter. UWF is now 3-1 as first-year Division I FCS members.
“Playing a couple guys down, our guys are resilient,” said UWF coach Kaleb Nobles, speaking to SportsRadio Pensacola on the field moments after the win. “They played really well, did a lot of really good things to win the game. Man, I’m just proud of how these guys played and excited to get another win in the win column.”
UWF knew prior to the game that Davis could not be risked, so backup Donovan Leary, a senior transfer from Tulane, who played in the fourth quarter last Saturday against Austin Peay, made his first start. Davis was in uniform and entered for one play, a failed third-down conversion run in the third quarter, his only snap in the game.
The Argos had just 88 yards total offense in the first half and minus-four yards rushing. They finished the game 1-for-13 on third down conversions.
But each time after short possessions, UWF’s defense under coordinator Kavell Conner, a former NFL linebacker, kept responding to keep the Argos in the game. They finished with 12 tackles for lost yardage.
“Resilient, opportunistic,” said Nobles, when asked on the post-game radio interview for words to describe the group. “They do a good job of forcing turnovers and giving us short fields and giving extra possessions to the offense. They did a lot better job of stopping the run versus a really good team.”
Leary had passes dropped and some miscommunication with receivers but got more in sync as the game progressed in the second half. He produced what became the game-winning play when lofting a perfect 20-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jake Robinette, who made a terrific, leaping catch with defenders on him in the corner of the endzone for a 20-10 lead on the first play of the fourth quarter.
Leary finished 16-of-36 passing for 155 yards and one interception.
“Give a shout out to Donovan Leary,” Nobles said. “First win as starting quarterback at UWF. Played phenomenal. Just excited about him. We did some good things with pass protection in the second half and he was really smart with the football.”
Southeast Missouri (2-3) an Ohio Valley Conference member and Division I program since 1991, scored the game’s first points on its first possession on a 42-yard field goal by Justin Keller. On that drive, UWF’s defense recorded the first of its four sacks to thwart a first down and possible touchdown drive.
After UWF’s Byron Puryear forced a fumble and 12-yard return by Will Fennema, the Argos tied the game on Reid Grek’s 32-yard field goal. The Argos’ longest first-half drive – 8 plays, 44 yards – ended with another Grek field goal form 44 yards out and a 6-3 lead with 6:39 left in the first half.
The Redhawks answered with a seven-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to take a 10-6 lead at halftime.
In the second half, after a holding penalty moved the Redhawks to their own 10, Hisatake sacked quarterback Braylen Ragland and forced a fumble that Ware recovered and ran five yards into the end zone to give UWF a 13-10 lead.
Midway through the fourth quarter, the Redhawks used 14 plays to go 75 yards, capped by a 2-yard touchdown pass from Ragland to cut the lead to 20-17.
The Argos defense then forced turnovers on the Redhawks’ final two possessions. The first was a fumble recovery by Cherron Holt Jr. right before he went out of bounds with 3:54 left. Carson Ratliff forced the fumble on a big hit after a short pass play.
The Argos ran off clock, but Grek missed a 38-yard field goal with 1:55 remaining that gave the Redhawks another chance.
Ragland was sacked by Ratliff on the first play, pushing the Redhawks to their 9. Two plays later Kenyan Hunter intercepted a pass after Ragland was hit and he knelt down at the 41 for the game-sealing play.
It was a road win resembling so many UWF had during its nine-season tenure as an NCAA Division II team. During both seasons when UWF reached the DII national title game, the Argos had comeback road wins during the regular season and playoffs.
WHAT’S NEXT – The Argos will take their longest road trip, this one by plane, however, to face Abilene Christian on Saturday Oct. 3 in Abilene, Texas. Kickoff is 7 p.m. It will be UWF’s third United Athletic Conference game.
written by Bill Vilona, Argos correspondent
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