Star running backs from both sides will look to lead their teams to victory when the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff opens conference play on Saturday.
UAPB and Alcorn State will meet in the Southern Heritage Classic at 6 p.m. on HBCU GO at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis.
UAPB (1-2) coach Alonzo Hampton said whichever team controls the line of scrimmage will win.
“It’s going to be battle of the big guys,” Hampton said. “Offensive line, D-line on both sides. They do a really good job. We got a lot of experienced guys on our O-line. So, we’re excited about the opportunity, but again, whoever does their alignment, assignment and technique is really what it’s going to boil down to.”
The Golden Lions expect preseason second team All-SWAC running back BJ Curry to play for the first time this season on Saturday. Hampton did not mention running back Za’Marion Webber by name when he spoke to the media on Monday but seemed to imply Webber, who was injured in the first quarter two weeks ago against Lincoln (Calif.), will also return.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
UAPB junior Jaylen Jennings earned SWAC Co-Newcomer of the Week honors after the Lincoln game, during which he rushed for 226 yards and four touchdowns in Curry and Webber’s absence. He enters this week leading the conference in rushing touchdowns with five. Webber had led UAPB in rushing before his injury, while Curry led the team last season.
Alcorn (0-3) graduate student Jacorian Sewell leads the Braves with 197 yards and a touchdown. He and Jennings both rank in the SWAC’s top six in yards per game. Reggie Davis, a senior, backs up Sewell and has 126 yards with two touchdowns after transferring from Tennessee-Chattanooga, where he was named first team All-Southern Conference last year.
Hampton said stopping Sewell and Davis is UAPB’s top defensive priority.
“They do got receivers that can run, and the quarterback throws the ball well,” Hampton said. “But if I had those running backs (Alcorn has) got, I’d probably just turn around and get in the old Warren High School power-I and just hand it right side, left side, let the running backs run until they can’t run anymore.”
Both teams have had one great game running the ball and two where they struggled.
UAPB rushed for 324 yards and four touchdowns against Lincoln but combined for 96 yards and one score against Texas Tech and Central Arkansas. Alcorn rushed for 186 yards and three touchdowns against Alabama A&M but 78 yards against Northwestern State and 68 yards against Mississippi State.
Defensively, UAPB and Alcorn are the only SWAC teams which have allowed more than 200 rushing yards per game thus far. The Braves allowed 260 to AAMU and 232 to MSU, while UAPB gave up 294 to Texas Tech and 318 to UCA.
Alcorn coach Cedric Thomas said the Braves may need to put extra defenders in the tackle box to stop UAPB.
“We gotta make sure we get some guys up there, because they got a bunch of guys that can tote it,” Thomas said. “Got an offensive line that’ll really move it, and even the quarterback. He’ll pull some zone reads and use his legs. He’s dangerous, also. We gotta get some extra guys in this box and make sure that we can do a really good job, solidify that front so they just can’t push us off the ball and have a long day running the football.”
This will be the first conference game of the season for both teams. Alcorn’s game against AAMU was considered a non-conference affair. The Braves have won the past four meetings with UAPB, with the Golden Lions last winning in 2016.