UAPB blows 14-point lead to winless opponent

PINE BLUFF — Freshman quarterback Dewayne Betts completed 16 of 24 passes for 265 yards and three touchdowns to power Mississippi Valley State to a 38-31 victory over the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff on Saturday night at Golden Lion Stadium.

Junior wide receiver Steven McIntosh had five catches for 125 yards and two touchdowns for the Delta Devils (1-4, 1-1 SWAC), who snapped a sixgame skid and won for just the second time in their past 17 games — both against UAPB.

Backup quarterback LeEarl Patterson went 20 of 39 for 255 yards and 1 touchdown for UAPB (2-4, 1-2).

The Delta Devils trailed 17-14 at halftime but tied the game on sophomore kicker Nicolas Jacquemin’s 42-yard field goal with 12:23 to go in the third quarter, then they grabbed their first lead on Betts’ 12-yard touchdown pass to freshman tight end Tyron Hundley at the 6:49 mark.

UAPB would tie it at 24-24 on its next offensive play when junior running back KeShawn Williams ran 74 yards for a touchdown.

But Betts, who replaced fellow freshman Christopher Fowler in the second quarter, guided Mississippi Valley State right back on what turned out to be the game-winning score. The Delta Devils drove 75 yards in 11 plays, with Betts hitting junior wide receiver Quinn McElfresh for a 7-yard score.

UAPB appeared to have tied the game on senior running back Dante McDonald’s 24-yard run, but he was hit just before crossing the goal line. The Delta Devils recovered the ball in the end zone for a touchback and tacked on another score on Betts’ 61-yard touchdown pass to McIntosh.

Patterson threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to freshman wide receiver Tyrin Ralph with 58.4 seconds left in the game, but the Delta Devils recovered the Golden Lions’ onside-kick attempt and ran out the clock.

UAPB got a boost from its defense to get on the board first. Junior defensive back Shufon Alcorn picked off a pass by Fowler and returned it 52 yards to the Delta Devils’ 26. Two plays later, Williams broke through the middle of the line and sprinted 24 yards for a touchdown to give the Golden Lions a 7-0 lead.

The Golden Lions extended their lead on their next possession. The Delta Devils turned the ball over on downs at the UAPB 28, and the Golden Lions moved 72 yards in seven plays, getting a 2-yard touchdown run from McDonald to open up a 14-point advantage.

Mississippi Valley State got just its fourth touchdown of the season on its next series. Betts hit McIntosh in stride for a 25-yard score with 7:36 left in the second quarter to finish off a nine-play, 73-yard drive. The Delta Devils later tied the game at 14-14 after UAPB was stopped at its own 30 with less than three minutes left in the half. The Delta Devils needed just two plays to score, with McIntosh catching a backwards pass from Betts before tossing a 31-yard score to junior wide receiver Darrion Harper.

SOUTHLAND CENTRAL ARKANSAS 27, HOUSTON BAPTIST 7

Senior quarterback Hayden Hildebrand threw for 293 yards and a pair of first-quarter touchdowns and ran for another score to lead the University of Central Arkansas (4-1, 3-0 Southland) over Houston Baptist (1-4, 0-3) at Husky Stadium in Houston.

Hildebrand found senior Roman Gordon for a 26-yard touchdown, then followed it up with a 39-yard score to freshman Brandon Myers as the Bears won their fourth game in a row.

Hildebrand added a 1-yard touchdown run to cap a 6-play, 72-yard drive with 4:12 left in the third quarter to give the Bears a 21-7 lead.

Junior kicker Matt Cummins added a pair of fourth-quarter field goals for UCA.

The Bears had 407 yards of total offense to the Huskies’ 281. UCA’s defense limited Houston Baptist to 41 yards on the ground.