A dominant rushing attack allowed the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff to overcome three turnovers Saturday night.
UAPB defeated Lincoln (Calif.) 34-8 for its first win of the season in its home opener at Simmons Bank Field.
Junior running back Jaylen Jennings rushed 26 times for 226 yards and four touchdowns. He tied Taeyler Porter’s 2018 game against Grambling State for the fourth-most rushing yards by a UAPB (1-2) player in a single game.
Jennings said he felt good after receiving just over half of his team’s 51 carries.
“I’m glad that my team can trust in me enough that they can give me the opportunity,” Jennings said. “It’s all down to my linemen and my guys blocking on the edge. It’s all to them. I can’t do nothing behind them without them. They my work horse.”
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Jennings scored his first touchdown on UAPB’s second drive with a 21-yard run on a fourth down and two, giving the Golden Lions a 13-0 lead. He went on to score touchdowns on UAPB’s first three drives of the second half.
He was pressed into service after Za’Marion Webber went down with injury in the first quarter. Webber rushed three times for 11 yards before his injury, which came with UAPB still missing its preseason second team All-SWAC selection BJ Curry, who has yet to play this season.
Jennings’ efforts ensured not having those two didn’t matter. UAPB finished with 324 rushing yards and averaged 6.4 yards per carry.
UAPB coach Alonzo Hampton said Jennings proved the running back room is deeper than two players.
“It was good to see Jaylen when his number was called,” Hampton said. “He never complains. He’s on special teams, kind of like BJ was the year before. It was good to see him run downhill and give us a physical presence, kind of what people been doing to us the first couple of games. It was good to kind of turn it back on somebody else. So, I’m happy for him. He’s earned it.”
True freshman Bryant Sanchez finished second on the team behind Jennings with 10 carries for 52 yards.
The Golden Lions leaned on Jennings in the second half after benching starting quarterback Christian Peters at halftime with a 13-8 lead against non-NCAA foe Lincoln (0-3). UAPB rushed for 49 yards in the third quarter and 135 in the fourth.
Peters completed 14 of 23 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown in the first half but threw three interceptions.
He started his day with a 53-yard touchdown pass to Kareem Burke on his first pass attempt. After Jennings’ touchdown on UAPB’s second drive, Peters threw interceptions on three of the next four drives.
Senior quarterback DJ Stevenson replaced Peters for the second half and completed 2 of 4 passes for 19 yards. He finished as the team’s third-leading rusher with five carries for 23 yards.
Hampton said Peters needs to protect the football.
“We gotta be able to understand it’s OK to take a sack sometimes,” Hampton said. “You don’t gotta just throw the ball up just because the guy’s rushing down, breathing on your neck. DJ deserved to play, and he was going to play, anyway. We kinda had a plan going in knowing that DJ would play some, and obviously, I just thought after that last interception, it would be good (to play Stevenson).”
Lincoln scored its only points of the game on special teams. Defensive back Rodney Washington had a free run at UAPB punter Zach Wieder and blocked his punt with 2:34 remaining in the half. He scooped it off the turf and ran it back for a touchdown. Lincoln quarterback Rob Brazziel completed a 2-point conversion with a pass to Seth Maldanado.
It was the second blocked punt UAPB has allowed in its first three games.
Outside of the special teams mishap, the UAPB defense pitched a shutout. The Golden Lions held the Oaklanders to 181 yards of offense including 36 rushing yards on 23 carries.
Lincoln starting quarterback Rob Brazziel completed 11 of 19 passes for 130 yards and an interception, while backup Jay Carney III completed 2 of 6 for 15 yards.
UAPB edge rusher Tylan Cole, who made three tackles with a 7-yard tackle for loss, said Saturday’s performance is a confidence-booster entering the bye with the SWAC opener against Alcorn State looming in two weeks.
“We looking to do the same thing to Alcorn,” Cole said. “Shut them out. Don’t let them do nothing. Not at all.”
