Lions use bye week to recover

The bye week couldn’t have come at a better time for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.

The first half of the season hasn’t been kind to the Golden Lions, who’ve dropped four games in a row and 11 of their past 12 overall dating back to last season. But all doesn’t appear to be lost for UAPB.

Two of the Golden Lions’ losses have been by a total of seven points, while two others were to teams that were heavily favored. The one setback the Golden Lions can point to as a head-scratcher was the 49-point drubbing to Prairie View A&M. The Panthers, whose roster is dotted with Division I transfers, are the only team that hasn’t lost a Southwestern Athletic Conference game and have the inside track to representing the West Division in the league title game after beating twotime defending champion Grambling State two weeks ago on the road.

Injuries have also decimated the Golden Lions during their four-game skid. Transfers Shannon Patrick and Josh Wilkes were leading the SWAC in several passing and receiving categories before both went down with injuries before Week 3. UAPB has also played without starters on the defensive side, which has forced UAPB Coach Cedric Thomas to shuffle on the fly.

“Always fundamentals, but you want to get healthy,” Thomas said. “We want to see can Shannon throw it around next week when he gets back. [Backup quarterback] Skyler [Perry] is really playing on one shoulder. And we’ll get a chance to get the wrecking ball in [running back] Taeyler Porter off that ankle a little bit.

“But we also want to develop some kids with this four-game redshirt deal down the stretch. You get a chance to look a kid like Omar [Allen], Detavion Turner, Isaiah Singleton and some of the guys who might not have played a bunch to see if you can bump them into a more demanding role. But the biggest thing is health.”

Thomas confirmed that Wilkes is out for the season after suffering a leg injury against South Dakota State, but he is hoping that Patrick and others can return, preferably next week at Mississippi Valley State. If not, others like Perry, Porter and freshman wide receiver Dejuan Miller will lead the way for UAPB, which will play four of its final five games on the road.

“These kids will know during this off week that technically, it’s not an off week as it relates to the preparation part of it,” Thomas said. “It’s just we’ll take bits and pieces, and we’ll use this week to really get ahead. So next week, we’re just kind of cleaning up some of the schematics.”

No regrets

Jackson State’s Malik Hamner has been accustomed to making things hard on opposing ballcarriers from his defensive end position, but the senior made life miserable Saturday for UAPB on special teams.

Hamner denied the Golden Lions a chance at six potential points by blocking two field goals to help the Tigers escape Simmons Bank Field with a 30-27 victory.

He nearly got his hand on another field goal attempt, but teammate Eric Bowie was credited with deflecting that one.

The blocked kicks not only cost the Golden Lions’ points, but they also forced UAPB to change its way of thinking on its final drive. The Golden Lions faced a fourth and 10 at the Tigers’ 28, but instead of trying a game-tying 45-yard field goal with 59 seconds left, UAPB elected to fake an attempt. Kicker Jamie Gillan eventually was tackled for a 6-yard loss.

UAPB Coach Cedric Thomas said the blocked kicks influenced his decision.

“It was something we had seen in weeks prior with the field-goal look, and [Jackson State] did a good job of preparing their guys on the edge to get a little wider than expected,” Thomas said of going for the fake. “Normally those guys are in tight from the boundary. But there was no confidence at all from a kicking standpoint.

“It was my call, and I take full responsibility for it. But if I had to do it again, I’d do it again.”

Tackling the issue

Poor tackling has been an Achilles’ heel for UAPB this season, but Coach Cedric Thomas is starting to see changes there.

“Just to see the improvement in the tackling,” Thomas said. “We went from 35-39 missed tackles against Prairie View to 21-22 against FIU and now we’re down to 8 or 9 tackles being missed [vs. Jackson State]. We’ve just got to continue to build on that through preparation.”

Defensive back Shawn Steele and linebacker Je’Kevin Carter continue to lead the team in tackles with 42 and 41, respectively. They also grabbed UAPB’s first two interceptions of the season last week. Steele has a team-leading 33 solo tackles while defensive lineman Jalen Steward has 6.5 stops for loss.

Thomas