MEMPHIS — When quarterback Mekhi Hagens had time, he made plays Saturday night.
Unfortunately for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, he often didn’t have time as the Tennessee State pass rush gave the Golden Lions issues all night in UAPB’s 41-28 loss in the Southern Heritage Classic at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.
TSU (2-1) sacked Hagens seven times. Defensive lineman Keandre Booker led the Tigers with three sacks. Three other players sacked Hagens, and two others were credited with quarterback hurries.
Hagens gained 30 yards running the ball, but the sacks dropped his rushing total for the game down to minus-32 yards.
UAPB (1-2) finished with 53 rushing yards on 28 attempts, an average of 1.4 yards per rush. UAPB Coach Alonzo Hampton said an inability to run the ball allowed the Tennessee State pass rush to be more aggressive.
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“Obviously, they had some good players on the D-line, and our offensive line had a little trouble once we got behind the chains,” Hampton said. “So, if we stayed ahead of the chains, we’d have been OK.”
Hagens completed 15 of 31 passes for 276 yards and three touchdowns. He opened the game by leading the Golden Lions 75 yards for a touchdown to take a 7-0 lead, completing five passes in the process.
The redshirt junior from St. Louis said the Golden Lions started well but needed to keep it up the rest of the game.
“We just came out, started playing fast, executed the small things,” Hagens said. “Just doing what our coach told us to do. Start fast, play hard and ended up with a touchdown first drive.”
Hagens managed to make some Memphis magic a few times while evading the pass rush. On the opening drive, when the Tigers were ready for a called quarterback run, he instead threw the ball at the last moment to running back Johness Davis for a first down.
In the second quarter, he fled the pocket and found a diving Daemon Dawkins in the end zone for his second touchdown pass of the night. In the third quarter, he rolled out to his right to avoid the rush, set his feet, and fired the ball to the far side of the field. He slipped it over the hands of a defender to JaVonnie Gibson for a 49-yard gain.
Hampton said Hagens is seeing things at a different level this season.
“I think the game is starting to slow down for him, and even when people rushing, he’s still able to keep his eyes down the field,” Hampton said. “We give him the ability to check out of some things, and now, he just gotta be able to fine tune. Continue to meet with his coaches, and he’s only going to get better.”
Hagens and Gibson have been a solid combination so far this season. Gibson, an Arkansas-Monticello transfer, already led the team in receiving yards entering the game. He added five catches for 149 yards and a touchdown against Tennessee State.
Though three games, Gibson has compiled 353 receiving yards. Only one Golden Lion exceeded 200 yards last season.
Despite this being their first year together, Gibson said he and Hagens alreadyhave a great connection.
“He call me his little brother; I call him my big brother,” Gibson said. “We stay after practice, throw routes, because I know if I mess up in practice, he gonna get on me. I know if he mess up in practice, I’m gonna get on him. We want each other to win.”
UAPB wide receiver JaVonnie Gibson runs for a first down after a catch against Tennessee State. (Pine Bluff Commercial/I.C. Murrell)