So far this season, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff has successfully defended home turf but has yet to find success on the road.
UAPB will face another difficult road challenge Saturday during Jackson State’s homecoming game at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, which kicks off at 2 p.m. on ESPN+.
UAPB (3-5, 2-2 SWAC) is 3-1 in Pine Bluff this season and has won both conference home games. The Golden Lions defeated Arkansas Baptist 73-0, Prairie View A&M 21-17, and Mississippi Valley State 35-21. The lone home defeat came 56-17 to Central Arkansas, which is currently ranked 11th in FCS.
That success has not traveled outside of Jefferson County. UAPB is 0-4 away from home with two true road losses and two neutral site losses. In SWAC play, Alcorn State defeated the Golden Lions 38-28, while Grambling State prevailed 31-21.
UAPB had its chances in its conference losses. The Golden Lions led 14-0 in the first quarter at Alcorn and had the deficit as close as 31-28 in the fourth. At Grambling, UAPB had the ball down 24-21 twice in the fourth quarter but didn’t score.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Head Coach Alonzo Hampton said the lack of road wins is part of the program-building process.
“We’re learning how to win football games,” Hampton said. “In the fourth quarter, we haven’t made the plays that’s necessary. We haven’t really paid attention to the details, and so that’s the reason that we haven’t won on the road, and obviously, those teams are good. Now, we got another tough one this week.”
The Golden Lions outscored Prairie View and Valley by a combined 14-0 in the fourth quarter at Simmons Bank Field, while Alcorn and Grambling combined to outscore UAPB 21-14 in the fourth quarters of those games.
Of note, the difficulty of UAPB’s road schedule has mostly outweighed the home schedule so far.
The Golden Lions’ home wins included a non-NCAA opponent in Arkansas Baptist and a pair of SWAC teams with a combined 1-7 record in conference play.
Away from home, UAPB has played an SEC team and two teams with conference championship aspirations.
No. 25 Tennessee State, which defeated UAPB 41-28 in the Southern Heritage Classic, is 6-2 and is tied for second place in the Big South-OVC Association. The Tigers are 3-0 against fellow HBCUs this year, having also defeated Howard and MVSU.
Alcorn State is tied with Southern for first in the SWAC West. Grambling has struggled in SWAC play but is 3-1 at home with a 41-20 win against Jackson State in a non-conference affair.
The Alcorn and Grambling games were those teams’ respective homecoming games, just as Saturday will be JSU’s homecoming. Hampton said there’s a reason so many teams schedule their homecoming games against UAPB, and the Golden Lions must play well for four quarters to prove their opponents’ decision wrong.
“They don’t respect you,” Hampton said. “So, let’s go out there and show the world who we are. We’re building a program here. They got everything they need over there. It’s a beautiful place, so I’m excited about the opportunity (to play at JSU).”
Jackson State (6-2, 4-0) will present another stiff task for UAPB away from home. The Tigers are the only SWAC team still without a conference loss and defeated reigning SWAC and Celebration Bowl champions Florida A&M two weeks ago.
JSU is 3-0 at home this season. In addition to the 35-21 win against FAMU, the Tigers have also defeated Southern and Lane College. Jackson State is receiving votes in the FCS Top 25.