Rain, a delay and a season-best rushing performance by Mississippi Valley State weren’t enough to stop the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff on homecoming.
UAPB defeated MVSU 35-21 at Simmons Bank Field on Saturday for its third home victory this year.
Head coach Alonzo Hampton said this was a big win for the program, especially being able to outscore Valley 14-0 in the fourth quarter.
“We preach about finishing the game the right way,” Hampton said. “A couple of times, we didn’t do it. Nobody panicked. We got a stop on defense. We was back on our heels. We got the stop, and I’m being honest. With the offense that we have, … once we got a stop, I knew we could kind of put our foot on the gas a little bit, and we made two big-time plays in the fourth quarter.”
Entering the fourth quarter, MVSU (0-8, 0-4 SWAC) had the ball at the UAPB 9-yard line facing a third-and-3, looking to take the lead in a game tied at 21.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Valley quarterback Ty’Jarian Williams and running back DePhabian Fant mishandled an exchange. Williams fell on the loose ball to keep possession, but the Delta Devils had to settle for a field goal, which kicker Marko Jovisic missed.
UAPB (3-5, 2-2) took over and marched down the field, with quarterback Mekhi Hagens connecting with wide receiver JaVonnie Gibson for a 33-yard go-ahead touchdown.
The Golden Lions’ defense, which had struggled to stop the Delta Devils, got a key fourth-down stop on the next drive, and Hagens went on to find Daemon Dawkins on a 30-yard touchdown to put UAPB in control with 5:32 remaining.
UAPB linebacker Jaylen White covered MVSU receiver Cameron Nelson on the fourth-down play, then helped safety Quintin Sterling make a fourth-down tackle on MVSU’s next drive.
White said on the pass play, he focused on rerouting Nelson.
“My coaches were on me all week about getting the reroute,” White said. “It really made me focus on getting reroutes, because in the Grambling game, I didn’t get the reroute on somebody, and I caused the … touchdown that lost us the game. So, I had my teammates and my coaches tell me to get the reroute.”
Offensively, the Golden Lions went into the locker room at halftime with just 59 passing yards. After the break, Hagens and his receivers finally started connecting downfield. In addition to the touchdown passes, Hagens hit Gibson for a 50-yard gain, Donovan Giles for 18 yards, Johness Davis for 19 yards, and BJ Curry for 14 yards and 10 yards.
Hagens finished with 204 yards and two touchdowns after completing 13 of 16 passes. He also led the team in rushing with 78 yards on 11 carries and two touchdowns.
Hagens said he felt comfortable throwing in the second half after the weather made it difficult in the first.
“First half, just a lot of rain,” Hagens said. “Just gotta adapt to it. Just gotta play how the game going. Then second half, came out doing what we doing best, throwing the ball and running the ball. We just gonna keep getting better each week.”
Backup quarterback DJ Stevenson got one possession in the second quarter after a lengthy weather delay and completed two of three passes for 17 yards before rushing for a touchdown.
On the other side of the ball, Mississippi Valley State rushed for 184 yards. The Delta Devils had 151 after the third quarter, which was already a season high.
Williams, Fant and running back Jakobe Thomas each rushed for touchdowns. Williams led the team with 127 yards on 19 carries. He completed 15 of 21 passes for 159 yards.
Valley scored touchdowns on three of its first four possessions, not counting the kneel down to end the first half. After the missed field goal early in the fourth, UAPB stopped the Delta Devils on fourth down twice before running out the clock.
Hampton said the Golden Lions knew entering the game Williams’ power runs would be challenging to stop.
“They kept us off balance,” Hampton said. “We’d hit him, then he’d fall forward. … We just kept trying to make adjustments. Obviously, we got the fourth down stop in the (fourth) quarter, and then our offense, it kind of gave them an extra boost to say, ‘Hey man, let’s go ahead and put this thing away.'”
As much success as Valley had running the ball, UAPB rushed for 201 yards, a season high against a Division I foe.
This was UAPB’s first homecoming win since 2019, a 45-38 victory against Lane College.
UAPB running back B.J. Curry is stifled on a carry by Mississippi Valley State defensive end E’Javious Jackson (98) and defensive back Brandon Williams (3) in the second quarter. (Pine Bluff Commercial/I.C. Murrell)
Fans take shelter under the home bleachers at Simmons Bank Field during a second-quarter weather delay. (Pine Bluff Commercial/I.C. Murrell)
Rain at the start of the second quarter chases homecoming game attendees into the breezeway behind the home bleachers. (Pine Bluff Commercial/I.C. Murrell)
Mississippi Valley State defensive back Brandon Williams reacts after a tackle. (Pine Bluff Commercial/I.C. Murrell)