UWF Football: Jarrett overcomes first-half turnovers to lead Argos in road conference win
Yet again, the West Florida football program made itself right at home in Carrollton, Georgia.
The No. 10-ranked Argos put up 28-second half points en route to a 42-28 Gulf South Conference win over No. 16 West Georgia on Saturday from University Stadium. The two teams have met seven times since 2017, with the visitor claiming victory on each occasion.
After stumbling through the first half, West Florida quarterback PeeWee Jarrett flipped the script following halftime.
The junior from Des Moines, Iowa went 6-for-9 passing for 130 yards and two touchdowns in the second half. That effort came after completing just 7 of 15 passes for 105 yards through the first 30 minutes. He tossed two interceptions - one of which was returned for a touchdown - and lost a fumble.
"He was on fire," UWF head coach Pete Shinnick said of Jarrett's second-half performance. "He took his (first-half troubles) personally. We want the ball in his hands. Our offense I think is very close to just taking this thing to the next level."
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With the game tied 14-14 to start the second half, the two teams exchanged early scores before Jarrett gave the road team a lead it would not relinquish.
He hit redshirt junior wide receiver Caden Leggett on a 62-yard pass to put the Argos ahead 28-21 with 6 minutes, 8 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Then, moments into the fourth, UWF extended to a 14-point advantage when David Durden made a leaping catch in tight coverage for a 20-yard touchdown.
The senior wide receiver from just outside Atlanta finished with eight receptions for 142 yards. His longest grab was a 52-yard reception late in the second quarter. That catch set up a 5-yard Jarrett run that knotted the score entering halftime.
Leggett finished with four catches for 74 yards.
Meanwhile, Harrison Frost was held in check one year after the UWG quarterback sliced and diced the Argos defense in Pensacola.
Frost went 26 of 36 passing for 248 yards and two scores in a 30-26 Wolves win at Blue Wahoos Stadium last season. This time around, the quarterback completed just 28 of 53 passes for one touchdown and one interception.
West Florida redshirt junior linebacker Gael Laurent got to Frost for a strip-sack on the second play of the second half. The fumble was recovered by redshirt junior defensive lineman Aidan Swett.
On the ensuing play, Argos junior running back Shomari Mason raced into the end zone on a 22-yard scamper.
"Oh my God. … That was unbelievable," Shinnick said. "We were hoping to right the ship just a little bit. ... We turned the ball over three times in the first half. To get that (turnover) and have Shomari take it to the house on the next play, that was unbelievable."
Like it has all season, UWF's running game carried the team in the first half. They rushed for 91 yards on 16 attempts, including by a 1-yard score from junior back C.J. Wilson for the team's opening score. The running game put the game on ice as well.
The Wolves pulled within 35-28 when Carson Jaxton netted his third touchdown of the night midway through the fourth. The Argos responded with a nine-play, 65-yard drive that took 3:57 off the clock. Mason capped the possession with a 21-yard rush for the final points of the game.
West Florida improved its record to 2-1 in conference play and 4-1 overall. The win vaulted UWF to a second-place tie in the GSC standings with West Alabama and Mississippi College.
Here are three takeaways from the Argos' victory on Saturday.
Jarrett continues to play big in the second half
It may not be the exact formula for future success, UWF, and Jarrett in particular, have found ways to respond after a less-than-stellar opening half.
The quarterback has totaled three touchdowns and five turnovers in the first half over the past three weeks. That's compared to six touchdowns and just two giveaways in the second half.
Jarrett knows he needs to cut down his turnovers, but it doesn't hurt to have a short memory.
Banner night
Finishing with 70 yards on 12 carries, Mason became UWF's all-time career rushing leader with 2,016 yards, breaking the mark set by Chris Schwarz (1,992) during the program's first three seasons of existence.
With his two scores Saturday, Mason also set the school mark for career rushing touchdowns with 21. That record was previously set by Pace High School graduate Anthony Johnson Jr., who had 20 in four seasons (2017-19 and 2021).
The Argos finished with 199 yards on the ground. Ra'veion Hargrove had seven carries for 66 yards while Jarrett had 10 carries for a team-best 71 yards.
The quarterback has been utilized more in the run game over the last few weeks for the Argos, especially in short yardage situations. The 6-foot-3, 245-pound junior has been a load to bring down..
Back end of the defense steps up
The UWF defense had relinquished big numbers through the air in the past two weeks, but the secondary played much better against a West Georgia team that went 6-for-16 on third down.
The return of redshirt senior free safety Shannon Showers was a boost a defensive backfield that helped hold Frost below 60 percent passing. Showers was injured and removed from last week's game against North Greenville last week.
Redshirt senior De'Mareyae Givens made the biggest play in the secondary, intercepting Frost early in the fourth quarter.
Greg Hollis is a sports reporter for the Pensacola News Journal. He can be reached at ghollis@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: UWF Football: Jarrett overcome first half turnovers to lead the Argos in conference road win
