MONTICELLO – Kyle Shipp is no stranger to the University of Arkansas at Monticello.
Before becoming head coach at alma mater Arkansas Tech University in 2019, Shipp was offensive coordinator under Hud Jackson at UAM for five seasons, helping the Boll Weevils to their only winning regular season in the last 16 years (6-5 before a bowl loss in 2018).
Despite a 21-29 overall record in Russellville, Shipp is finding a measure of success with the Wonder Boys (4-2 overall and Great American), who will visit Willis “Convoy” Leslie Cotton Boll Stadium to take on the Weevils at 4 p.m. Saturday. KHBM-FM 93.7 and youtube.com/weevilnation will broadcast the game.
“Kyle sort of stepped back more into the head coaching role of it,” Jackson said of Shipp, who still coaches quarterbacks. “You can tell with what Kyle likes to do, they’re going to be balanced. It’s always a very competitive game between us as coaches.”
Jackson was 3-0 against Shipp before last season, when Tech beat UAM 24-10 in Russellville. That ended the Weevils’ 5-game winning streak against the Wonder Boys.
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Shipp boasts the top two receivers in the Great American Conference, senior Caleb Tanis (64.7 yards per game) and redshirt senior Joyrion Chase (49.3). The pair has accounted for more than three-fourths of quarterback Ethan Everson’s 882 yards and 3 of his 6 touchdowns passing.
Not only that; White Hall redshirt sophomore Jordan Jackson has been in on the scoring action for Tech. He caught 2 passes from 67 yards and a score in a 29-19 win over Southwestern Oklahoma State last week.
That poses a huge challenge in the secondary for UAM (2-4), which has lost its last 4 games but showed moments of defensive excellence last Saturday in holding Southeastern Oklahoma State scoreless until the final minute of the first half in a 29-0 loss.
“We took a look at our defense, and I thought our defense played outstanding,” Jackson said. “Overall, we didn’t play too many plays, but maybe too many series in a row because we couldn’t get anything going on offense. We can’t do that. Breaks we have, if we get them, we’ve got to take advantage of them.”
Jackson said Allen, Texas, sophomore Taylor Collins and Redding, Calif., junior Robert Jones have improved at the safeties. The Weevils have had to grow quickly at the corners, where Watson Chapel graduate and redshirt freshman Torren Jackson; Seale, Ala., freshman Tremarius Gray; Sherwood sophomore T.J. Jasper; and Sherman, Texas, redshirt freshman Aries Jones have seen plenty of action.
UAM senior Isaiah Cross is the third-leading receiver in the conference at 47.5 yards per game. Cross has 21 receptions for 285 yards and a touchdown.
UAM is already down two running backs for the rest of the season, after junior Tyler Reed broke an ankle and redshirt freshman Slade LeBlanc tore a pectoral muscle. Sophomore Glen Cage returned from an orbital bone injury in preseason camp last week and rushed 9 times for 20 yards.
Dontae Rhodes, a fourth-string quarterback from Plymouth, Pa., could get some looks at running back, Jackson said.
The hunger to turn around a season with 5 games to go has not gone away from a group trying to leave a legacy.
“These guys want to be successful,” Jackson said. “These seniors want to be successful for each other. They will have dinner once a week and talk about it. We have a group of seniors and a couple other guys that are younger but will be leaders in the future. Those conversations they have are important to each other. They want to leave a foundation to move forward.
“I’m all about this job. I’m all about us finding a way to be successful. Look, this program deserves that. This university deserves that. To be straight up honest, not to be selfish, this coaching staff deserves that. When that moment comes — when that moment comes — we’ve got to handle it well so we can keep moving in a positive direction.”