MONTGOMERY, Ala. – A strong start wasn’t enough for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff to pull a major road upset on Saturday.
Alabama State defeated UAPB 44-13 at ASU Stadium in Montgomery, Ala., in the Golden Lions’ final game of the year.
UAPB (4-8, 2-6 SWAC) scored on its opening drive and led 7-3 after the first quarter but didn’t score again until the third. It was the first time the Golden Lions scored in the first quarter of a road game and led after the quarter since the second game of the season against Central Arkansas.
Alabama State (9-2, 7-1) scored on each of its first seven drives before UAPB forced a punt in the fourth quarter.
The Hornets chipped away at UAPB’s early 7-0 lead with field goals before taking a 13-7 lead on a 50-yard touchdown run by Marcus Harris II.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
On the next drive, UAPB reached the ASU 1-yard line. A holding penalty negated a go-ahead touchdown, and the Golden Lions ultimately settled for a field goal attempt. Senior kicker Trey Glymph missed from 26 yards with 1:07 to play in the half.
The Hornets quickly moved the ball down the field looking for points before halftime. UAPB appeared to escape the end of the half unscathed after recovering a fumble and running out the clock attempting to return it, but the fumble was ruled an incomplete pass upon review.
That overturn put time back on the clock and allowed the Hornets to kick their third field goal of the first half, a 43-yard kick by Andrew Abu-Akel which sent ASU into halftime with a 16-7 lead.
UAPB coach Alonzo Hampton said not scoring despite reaching the 1-yard line changed the game.
“You’re still in the game, but you know you’re going to have to do a little work,” Hampton said. “You talk about the middle eight: the last four minutes of the (second) quarter and the first four minutes of the third quarter. We talked about it at half. We knew we needed to get a stop. We had them backed up, third down. It’s just making the plays at the critical moments.”
The Hornets got the ball to start the second half and scored a touchdown, then scored another one play after UAPB failed to convert a fourth down and 1 in its own territory to take a commanding 30-7 lead and put the game away.
UAPB true freshman quarterback Garrison Davis made his first career start in place normal starter Christian Peters and backup DJ Stevenson, who were both injured last week at Prairie View A&M.
The Jackson, Mississippi, native led a touchdown drive to open the game. UAPB leaned mostly on the run, and Davis kept it for a 3-yard touchdown to give the Golden Lions a 7-0 lead.
Davis said the offensive line and running backs Jaylen Jennings and Dae’Trell Cooper had a lot to do with that first drive.
“I just felt like this team was going to need an early start to be able to get some juice,” Davis said. “Last week, playing a tough opponent, guys maybe try and tap out, but this team, we rally to the occasion. The guys around me, they rallied around me and we was able to go down and score on that first drive.”
UAPB didn’t score again until Jennings scored late in the third quarter, trimming the deficit to 30-13 after ASU blocked the extra point.
Davis completed 13 of 20 passes for 86 yards while rushing 13 times for 48 yards and a touchdown.
Hampton said the Golden Lions had to be smart about how they used their freshman quarterback.
“He’s a leader, very intelligent, got a lot of confidence,” Hampton said. “It was good to see our offense just take that drive down. They moved the ball well pretty much the entire game, I thought. We kind of got behind the chains a couple times, but they did some good stuff.”
Jennings rushed for 133 yards, leading the Golden Lions to a 226-yard rushing day, a season high against SWAC opponents. Redshirt freshman receiver D’Avery Robinson led the team with seven catches for 63 yards.
ASU quarterback Te’Sean Smoot, playing in place of the injured Andrew Body, completed 20 of 28 passes for 271 yards and four touchdowns. ASU rushed for 203 yards.
UAPB finishes the season in fifth place in the SWAC West Division.