UWF Football vs SEMO: Resilient Argonauts Secure Thrilling Road Victory

Last updated: September 28, 2026

The No. 20-ranked University of West Florida Argonauts football team leaned on an opportunistic defense Saturday night to overcome major offensive injuries and secure a gritty 20–17 road victory against Southeast Missouri State at Houck Stadium.

Playing without starting quarterback Ty’Ray Davis—who was limited to just one snap due to an injury—and missing leading rusher TJ Lane, the Argonauts weathered a difficult offensive outing by forcing six turnovers, including a decisive defensive score and a final-minute interception.

Key Takeaways

• Rebounding on the Road: The win elevates UWF to 3–1 in their inaugural NCAA Division I FCS season, successfully bouncing back from a 38–16 home setback against No. 14 Austin Peay.
• Defensive Resilience: Defensive coordinator Kavell Conner’s unit held firm while UWF’s offense managed just 88 total yards in the first half and converted 1-of-13 on third downs.
• Leary’s Starting Debut: Senior transfer quarterback Donovan Leary completed 16 of 36 passes for 155 yards, delivering the go-ahead touchdown strike on the first play of the fourth quarter.

How the Game Unfolded

SEMO struck first on its opening drive with a 42-yard field goal from Justin Keller. The Argonauts responded after linebacker Byron Puryear forced a fumble that Will Fennema returned 12 yards, setting up a 32-yard field goal by Reid Grek to level the score at 3–3 with 6:57 left in the opening period. Grek later converted a 46-yarder in the second quarter to give UWF a 6–3 edge.

Late in the first half, the Redhawks capitalized on a fake field goal from the UWF 6-yard line. Holder Teagan Cobb took the snap around the left edge for a touchdown, handing SEMO a 10–6 advantage at the break.

The Argos swung the contest late in the third quarter. With SEMO pinned back near its own goal line following a penalty, defensive end Patrick Hisatake stripped Redhawks quarterback Braylen Ragland. Defensive lineman Christian Ware-Terry scooped up the loose football and returned it five yards for a touchdown to give UWF a 13–10 lead with 1:29 remaining in the frame.

On the next drive, defensive back A’Khoury Lyde intercepted Ragland and returned it 36 yards to the SEMO 20-yard line. Leary capitalized immediately, lofting a 20-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jake Robinette in the corner of the end zone to widen the margin to 20–10 at the start of the fourth quarter.

SEMO trimmed the deficit to 20–17 on a 14-play, 75-yard drive capped by Ragland’s 2-yard touchdown pass to Jobe Bryant with 8:32 remaining. However, the UWF defense closed out the contest by forcing turnovers on SEMO’s final two drives: Carson Ratliff forced a fumble recovered by Cherron Holt Jr. with 3:54 left, and Kenyan Hunter intercepted a pressured throw inside the final minute to ice the win.

Postgame Reactions

Speaking on SportsRadio Pensacola immediately following the final whistle, UWF head coach Kaleb Nobles commended his squad’s grit:

“Playing a couple guys down, our guys are resilient. They played really well, did a lot of really good things to win the game. Give a shout out to Donovan Leary. First win as starting quarterback at UWF. Played phenomenal. We did some good things with pass protection in the second half, and he was really smart with the football.”

Program Context & Next Matchup

The win dropped Southeast Missouri to 2–3 on the season while cementing UWF’s competitive footing at the Division I FCS level. The Argonauts continue their road swing next Saturday, traveling to Abilene, Texas, to face Abilene Christian at 7:00 p.m.

Related: UWF Football Stuns No. 16 Southern Illinois 34-31 in Historic Division I Debut

Related: UWF Football Stuns No. 16 Southern Illinois 34-31 in Historic Pensacola Victory