PETE SHINNICK // HEAD COACH MIKE BEAUDRY // QB ANTOINE GRIFFIN // WR JOHN WILLIAMSON // DL REGGIE BARNES // LB WESTWESTVS. FLORIDAFLORIDA TEXAS A&M COMMERCE // DECEMBER 16, 2017 // CHILDREN’S MERCY PARK WEST2017 UWFFLORIDA FOOTBALL WEST FLORIDA vs. TEXAS A&M-COMMERCE2017 • DECEMBER FOOTBALL 16, 2017 • 5:00 PM • CHILDREN’S MERCY PARK • KANSAS CITY, KAN. WEST FLORIDA vs. TEXAS A&M-COMMERCE • DECEMBER 16, 2017 • 5:00 PM • CHILDREN’S MERCY PARK • KANSAS CITY, KAN. UWF CONTINUES MAGICAL JOURNEY UWF WINS FOUR ROAD GAMES EN IN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME ROUTE TO CHAMPIONSHIP GAME * No. 4 seed (No. 6 in Super Regional 2) West * UWF is 4-0 all-time in postseason play, winning Florida meets No. 2 seed Texas A&M-Commerce four-consecutive road games to reach Saturday’s in the 2017 NCAA Division II National Champion- contest. Since the tournament field expanded to #4 West Florida (11-3) vs. ship game on Saturday, Dec. 16 at 5:00 p.m. CT 24 teams in 2004, they are just the third school at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kan. to accomplish that feat, joining Wayne State in #2 Texas A&M-Commerce (13-1) * Playing in just its 26th game in program history, 2011 and Northwest Mo. in 2005. Date: Dec. 16, 2017 Time: 5:00 PM CT UWF is making its first championship game ap- Location: Kansas City, Kansas pearance. Facility: Children’s Mercy Park (18,467) UWF JUST THIRD UNRANKED TEAM Television/Streaming Video: ESPN2/ Watch ESPN - Kevin Brown (Play-By-Play), UWF BRINGS 6-GAME WIN STREAK TO REACH THE DII TITLE GAME Tom Luginbill (Color), Paul Carcatera (Side- * Delta State in 2010, Wayne State in 2011 and West Florida this season are the only three un- line). TO CHAMPIONSHIP GAME ranked teams to ever reach the NCAA Division II UWF Sports Network (Ticket Sports * UWF’s 6-game win streak is tied for the fourth- Radio: National Championship Game. Network 97.1 FM Pensacola) - Tommy Thrall longest active streak in the country. A&M Com- (Play-By-Play), Jamie Smith (Color), Brian merce holds the longest at nine. Both of the fi- * Delta fell to Minnesota-Duluth, 20-17, and nalists snapped the two longest streaks in their Wayne State lost to Pittsburg State, 35-21. Henry (Sideline). semifinal victories (IUP was at 13 & Harding was GoArgos.com/Live Streaming Audio: at 11). The streak is the longest in the Gulf South Records: UWF is 11-3 after knocking off Conference this season. previously undefeated & #1-ranked Indi- WEST FLORIDA IS RARE THREE LOSS * UWF is outscoring its opponents 167-88 - an ana (Pa.), 27-17, on the road in the national average of 27.8-14.7. Additionally, the squad has semifinals. exasT A&M-Commerce moved TEAM IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME outgained the opposition by an average of 96 * West Florida is just the fifth team to ever reach to 13-1 with a 31-17 victory over Harding in yards per game. the NCAA Division II Football Championship its national semifinal contest. * The Argonaut defense has totaled 31 sacks dur- Game with three losses. Rankings: A&M-Commerce is #8 in both ing that period (16 in previous 8 games) and held * In 1996, Northern Colorado became the first the AFCA & D2Football.com polls. UWF is opponents to 32 pct. on 3rd Down and 2-of-10 school to ever reach the title game with three receiving votes (4) in the AFCA listing. on 4th Down. losses. The Bears were 11-3 entering the title UWF Coach Pete Shinnick: Shinnick was * The defense has collected 12 tunovers (6 INT/6 game and defeated Carson-Newan to win a Na- hired as the first coach in program history fumbles), which have resulted in 44 points for tional Championship. They remain as the only on Feb. 6, 2014. He is 16-9 in 2 seasons at UWF - 26.3 pct. of its 167 points. three-loss team to win the Division II National UWF and has a 119-55 career record in 15 Championship. years, which includes a 50-24 mark at UNC * Northwest Missouri State also had an 11-3 re- Pembroke (2007-13) & 53-22 at Azusa Pa- cific (1999-2005). A&M-Commerce Coach Colby Carthel: Car- WEST FLORIDA (11-3, 5-3 GSC) TEXAS A&M COMMERCE (13-1, 7-1 LSC) thel is in his fifth season as the Lions’ head coach and has a 48-15 record. Commerce DATE OPPONENT TELEVISION TIME DATE OPPONENT TIME won three LSC titles from 2014-16. He spent Sept. 2 at Missouri S&T W, 20-16 Sept. 1 at #6 North Alabama W, 8-7 the previous seven seasons at West Texas SEPT. 9 #16 MIDWESTERN ST. BLAB TV CANCELLED Sept. 9 WILLIAM JEWELL W, 59-6 A&M as the defensive coordinator. SEPT. 16 CHOWAN BLAB TV W, 51-23 Sept. 16 EASTERN NEW MEXICO * W, 51-22 SEPT. 23 VALDOSTA STATE * BLAB TV L, 19-30 Sept. 23 at Texas A&M-Kingsville * W, 38-7 Sept. 30 at Florida Tech * ESPN3 W, 23-21 UWF ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS Oct. 7 at #10 Midwestern State * L, 42-47 OCT. 7 MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE * BLAB TV W, 28-14 Address: 11000 University Parkway Oct. 14 WESTERN NEW MEXICO * W, 52-3 OCT. 14 #20 DELTA STATE * (HC) BLAB TV L, 25-28 UWF Field House, Room 136 Oct. 21 ANGELO STATE * W, 34-20 Oct. 21 at Shorter * W, 42-29 Pensacola, FL 01003 Oct. 28 at West Texas A&M * W, 35-16 Website: www.GoArgos.com Oct. 28 at #23 West Alabama * ESPN3 L, 18-35 Nov. 4 UT PERMIAN BASIN * W, 52-0 Football SID: Brian Henry NOV. 4 NORTH ALABAMA * ESPN3 W, 30-7 Office/Cell: 850-474-2140/850-490-3434 Nov. 11 at #18 West Georgia * W, 34-29 Nov. 11 at Tarleton State * W, 33-21 E-Mail: [email protected] Nov. 18 at #16 Wingate ESPN3 W, 31-0 Nov. 18 at #12 Winona State W, 20-6 Assistant Director: Murphy Powell Nov. 25 at #25 West Georgia BLAB TV W, 17-14 Nov. 25 at #7 Central Washington W, 34-31 2ot Athletics Twitter/Instagram: @GoArgos Dec. 2 at #17 West Alabama BLAB TV/ESPN3 W, 28-21 Dec. 2 at #1 Minnesota State W, 31-21 /GoArgos Athletics Facebook: Dec. 9 at #1 Indiana (Pa.) ESPN3 W, 27-17 Dec. 9 HARDING W, 31-17 YouTube: Youtube.com/goargos Football Twitter/Instagram: @UWFFootball HOME GAMES IN BOLD AT BLUE WAHOOS STADIUM HOME GAMES IN BOLD AT MEMORIAL STADIUM Football Facebook: /UWFFootball ALL TIMES CENTRAL; * GULF SOUTH CONFERENCE GAME ALL TIMES CENTRAL; * LONE STAR CONFERENCE GAME 1 2017 UWF FOOTBALL WEST FLORIDA vs. TEXAS A&M-COMMERCE • DECEMBER 16, 2017 • 5:00 PM • CHILDREN’S MERCY PARK • KANSAS CITY, KAN. UNIVERSITY QUICK FACTS cord entering the Championship Game in 2005 CURRENT DIVISION II CONFERENCE’S Name University of West Florida but the Bearcats lost to Grand Valley State. Del- NatioNAL TITLES Location Pensacola, FL 32514 ta State was 11-3 when the Statesmen played in 10 Gulf South Conference Founded / Enrollment 1967 / 13,002 the 2010 Championship Game but lost to Minne- 8 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Assoc. President Dr. Martha Saunders sota-Duluth. Then Wayne State was 12-3 when it 4 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conf. Athletic Director Dave Scott lost to Pittsburg State in 2011. 2 Lone Star Conf., Northern Sun Inter. Conf. Nickname Argonauts 1 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Colors Royal Blue & Kelly Green Reached THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME 0 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Facility Blue Wahoos Stadium (6,288) WITH THREE losses Affiliation NCAA Division II 1996 Northern Colorado, 11-3 0 Great American Conference Conference Gulf South 0 Great Lakes Valley Conference defeated Carson-Newman, 23-14 Athletics Phone/Fax (850) 474-3003/3342 2005 Northwest Missouri State, 11-3 0 Great Midwest Athletic Conference lost to Grand Valley State, 21-17 0 Great Northwest Athletic Conference BLUE WAHOOS STADIUM 2010 Delta State, 11-3 0 Mountain East Conference Tenants Pensacola Blue Wahoos (AA-Reds); 0 Northeast-10 UWF Football lost to Minnesota-Duluth, 20-17 2011 Wayne State, 12-3 0 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Address 351 W. Cedar Street, Pensacola, FL 0 South Atlantic Conference Year Built 2012 lost to Pittsburg State, 35-21 0 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Surface Natural grass 2017 West Florida, 11-3 Baseball Capacity 5,038 vs. Texas A&M-Commerce UWF Football Capacity 6,188 Field orientation East/West; Home plate to left field ABOUT UWF GSC IN THE POSTSEASON UWF is 11-3 overall having secured a win- PROGRAM HISTORY * Four GSC teams qualified for the NCAA Divi- ning season in its second year of competition First Year of Football 2016 sion II Championship, including the GSC Cham- after its 30-7 win over North Alabama six weeks Program Announced Aug. 18, 2011 pions from West Alabama, who earned the top ago. Since then, the Argonauts have claimed Pete Shinnick Hired Feb. 6, 2014 seed. Delta State was the fifth seed, making the road wins at #18 West Georgia, #16 Wingate, at First signing class Feb. 4, 2015 field for the first time since 2014. West Florida #24 West Georgia (again), at #17 West Alabama All-Time Record 8-7 (H: 4-3; A: 4-4) for the Super Regional 2 championship and All-Time GSC Record 6-7 (H: 2-4; A: 3-3) is the sixth seed, earning the spot in just its sec- ond year of existence.