Finally familiarity for Golden Lions
The Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions return to familiar territory today.
Last Saturday, UAPB of the FCS Southwestern Athletic Conference lost 63-7 at No. 8 Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Okla., in the first meeting between the schools in football.
UAPB (2-1, 0-0 SWAC) is set to play the Alcorn State Bravehawks (1-2, 0-0) today for the 44th time. Kickoff at Spinks-Casem Stadium in Lorman, Miss., is scheduled for 6 p.m. Central.
UAPB Coach Doc Gamble made clear his disappointment with his team’s last result, but he said it included a few fine performances.
“We had some guys who played well,” Gamble said. “The moment wasn’t too big for them. You know, [senior linebacker] Isaac Peppers, he did himself well. [Junior quarterback] Skyler Perry, the numbers don’t show it, but the moment wasn’t too big for him either.
“[Senior offensive lineman] Mark Evans had played in this sort of game before. He held his own, but we didn’t have enough of those guys, and it showed.”
Perry completed 11 of 27 passes for 70 yards and 1 touchdown with no interceptions against Oklahoma State. For the season, he has completed 56.9% of his passes for 504 yards and 4 touchdowns. He has been intercepted once.
“UAPB does a lot of things with the football,” Alcorn State Coach Fred McNair said. “They run with it well, and they really throw it well. We have some work to do to contain Perry.”
Today’s game is not only UAPB’s first SWAC game of the season but is also its first game against an FCS opponent. UAPB opened the season with a 48-42 victory over NCAA Division II Lane College, and it next defeated North American, an NAIA independent, 76-3.
“You just want to keep getting better from Week 1 to Week 2 to Week 3, and I think we did,” Gamble said. “I didn’t show it on the scoreboard at Oklahoma State, but we did. Playing in that environment is going to help us with all of our other games.”
Alcorn State’s offense relies on a running game led by senior Jarveon Howard. He has rushed for 287 yards, 2 touchdowns and has averaged 5.7 yards a carry this season. Junior running back Niko Duffey has averaged 4.8 yards on 32 attempts for 155 yards and 1 touchdown.
Alcorn State junior quarterback Aaron Allen has completed 30 of 63 passes for 363 yards with 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.
“Howard is a workhorse,” said McNair, an older brother of the late Steve McNair, a star quarterback at Alcorn State and in the NFL. “He’s our bell cow.”
Gamble said games at Spinks-Casem are never easy.
“They got one of the toughest places to go to try to get a win,” he said. “They’re stingy at home.”
In five previous seasons under McNair, Alcorn has won four SWAC East Division championships and two overall SWAC championships.
“We have to know it’s going to be a four-quarter game,” Gamble said. “It’s going to go down to the wire as far the effort. They’re not going to give up. They’re going to fight, and we are, too.”