Game Notes | Live Stats | Live Video
 
Opponent: #1 West Florida
Time: Saturday, September 11; 6:00 PM
Location: Pen Air Field | Pensacola, FL
 
Pensacola, Fla. - The Bearcats hit the road for the first time in the 2021 season, taking on the 2019 National Champions in West Florida. In the latest polls, the Argonauts were ranked #1 following their 1-0 start to the year. 

Scouting The Bearcats
Robert Clardy will be entering his seventh season (2021-22) as the Head Football Coach and his 14th season overall on the Bearcats Football coaching staff. In 2016, Coach Clardy earned GLVC Coach of the Year honors after leading the Bearcats to their first ever conference title and NCAA National Playoff appearance after finishing the season 10-2 (7-1 GLVC). Clardy's Bearcats were ranked as high as 17th in the NCAA Division II AFCA poll, finishing 22nd in the final NCAA Division II AFCA poll, while earning their first ever regional and national rankings. Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, the 2020-21 football season took place in the spring of 2021. The spring season was a shortened, three game, conference opponents only, season. Truman State visited Bolivar, taking the first game after a very tight first half. SBU nearly defeated Missouri S&T on the road the next week, but fell short late in the game. The final game finished with a high scoring victory over William Jewell.

The fall 2021 season began a week earlier than expected for the Bearcats, scheduling a home contest last minute against Texas Permian Basin. The Falcons' strong defense held off the potent Bearcat offense, taking the week one matchup 24-16. In that contest, Coleton Smith recorded the third-most tackles in a single game in SBU history, bringing 20 Falcons to the ground. His performance went on to earn him GLVC Defensive Player of the Week. The spring's GLVC Offensive Player of the Year, Cooper Callis, returns to lead the SBU offense. After leading the conference in nearly every passing category in the spring, Callis completed 30 passes for 289 yards and a touchdown in the season opener. Curtis Cuillard, a First Team All-GLVC selection last spring, was Callis's primary target with 9 receptions for 103 yards and a score. Preston Carson had a strong performance as well, catching 7 passes for 108 yards. Eric Knight, Bryce Cabrera, Abel Carter, and Alan Worsham will all take reps at running back. SBU's group of linebackers is strong, led by upperclassmen in Aaron Harris, Taylor Jones-Morgan, and Coleton Smith. Last week, Harris and Smith combined for 32 tackles, 2 quarterback hits, and 1 sack. The secondary will be led by of Chris Fuzeme, Bryton Lewi, Troy Landon, and Brenden Smith. The breakdown of the roster consists of 10 seniors, 13 juniors, 17 sophomores, and 48 freshmen.

Scouting The Argonauts
The University of West Florida is seen as the best NCAA Division II football team in the nation, receiving #1 rankings in both polls. In the fall of 2019, the last full season, the Argonauts won the National Championship as the 20th-ranked team. They upset #1 Valdosta State, #6 Lenoir-Rhyne, #2 Ferris State, and #4 Minnesota State in the championship. The 2021 season is just the program's 5th season of intercollegiate play. Week one saw the Argonauts defeat NCAA Division I FCS McNeese State, 42-36. Doing the quarterbacking for UWF is sophomore Austin Reed. He led the Argonauts to the National Championship in 2019, throwing for 4,084 yards and 40 touchdowns. Last week against McNeese State, Reed threw for 380 yards and 4 touchdowns, earning GSC Offensive Player of the Week. On the receiving end, David Durden caught 6 passes for 172 yards and a touchdown. Shomari Mason did a majority of the carrying for UWF, rushing 10 times for 55 yards and a score. The tackling was really divided up amongst the defense, as five Argonauts recorded 5+ tackles in the season opener. D'Anthony Bell led the team with 7 tackles and also recorded 2 pass break ups. UWF is coached by Pete Shinnick, leading the program since it began.

Saturday will mark the first meeting between the teams.