The defense started and finished Saturday’s intrasquad scrimmage well, but University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Coach Alonzo Hampton credited the offense with the win.
“It’s been a lot of good back and forth, but it was good work today,” Hampton said. “If you ask me who won, I’d say it was 60-40 offense-defense, but it’s some good plays on both sides, and we’re trending in the right direction.”
Saturday marked the first of two scrimmages for the UAPB football team and was the team’s ninth practice this fall camp.
The defense got stops on each of the first six drives. Preseason All-SWAC kicker Trey Glymph connected on field goals of 37 and 40 yards on two of those drives, with the other four ending in punts.
Graduate transfer quarterback Christian Peters and Maryland transfer wide receiver Josh Richards finally broke through on the day’s seventh possession when the two connected on a touchdown pass.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
The defense got stops on the next two drives, but the offense answered with three straight touchdowns from there. The scrimmage, which Hampton said lasted roughly 90 plays, ended with five touchdowns having been scored.
Offensive coordinator Tony Hull said the offensive line impressed him the most.
“Coach (Donovan) Jackson and Coach (Damian) Wilson have done an amazing job,” Hull said. “They’ve only been here like three weeks. We were unfortunate to lose our O-line coach, which is unheard of in college football this late, but for those guys to come in and get those guys to perform like I haven’t seen since I’ve been here in seven days is really exciting to see.”
Jackson was hired as UAPB’s new offensive line coach with Wilson as his assistant after former offensive line coach Steve Wallace left over the summer to become the offensive coordinator at Kentucky State.
The final phase of the scrimmage consisted of three drives starting at the offense’s own 2-yard line, followed by five red zone possessions.
Quarterback DJ Stevenson started the series with a 33-yard pass to get the offense away from its own end zone. Two plays later, running back Za’Marion Webber made one of the day’s biggest highlight plays as he broke multiple tackles to score a 65-yard touchdown.
The defense answered one play later. With freshman quarterback Garrison Davis starting from his own 2-yard line, the defense swarmed and scored a safety.
Hampton said it was good to see the defense respond that way to a big touchdown play.
“In the past, we hadn’t responded well against plays like that,” Hampton said. “When the offense have a big play, the guys are kinda getting their heads down. It was good to see them go back out there and be able to get that safety.”
The final five drives of the day each started from the defense’s 20-yard line. The UAPB defense stood tall, allowing one touchdown and one 42-yard field goal while collecting three fourth down stops.
The one red zone touchdown was a Peters pass to receiver Kareem Burke. It was Peters’ second touchdown pass and third scoring drive of the day.
Quarterback Landon Holcomb scored the day’s other touchdown on a keeper earlier in the scrimmage. He completed both passes he attempted on the brief drive.
The 2024 Pine Bluff High School graduate had a good showing on Saturday. Holcomb’s first drive led to a field goal, but he had two good downfield throws. The first was dropped by a receiver who had gotten behind the defense and seemed primed to score, while the other was thrown perfectly over a defender in tight coverage and caught along the sideline.
Hull said Holcomb is on pace to become a great quarterback for UAPB.
“He’s grading out in the top half of the room,” Hull said. “He’s actually led some days at practice with grading out, so we’re just trying to bring him along and get him developed the best way possible to be the best Landon he can be.”
Neither Hampton nor Hull were ready to name a starting quarterback. Peters started the scrimmage. Stevenson followed him in the rotation, then Davis. Tysan Robbins went fourth, with Holcomb being the last to get his turn.
As the day wore on, the energy on both sidelines only seemed to increase. After Peters’ red zone touchdown pass to Burke, the quarterback took some time to jaw back and forth with the defensive sideline. Even the coaches got into it at times, but Hull said he wants the team to have that kind of intensity late in a game.
“It’s uncomfortable to be that intense, and it hasn’t been here since we’ve been here, and that’s part of the reason why we haven’t been successful,” Hull said. “However, we decided to change that. The coaching staff has taken charge. It’s been a great thing, and the kids are adapting to it. The fans of UAPB can expect a competitive, intense environment on the sideline.”
UAPB has one more intrasquad scrimmage scheduled before its season opener on Aug. 30 at Texas Tech.