Every season, Arkansas-Pine Bluff sets a goal of having the top defense in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Every season the Golden Lions have made strides in accomplishing this goal. After their defense finished last in the 10-team league in total defense in 2006, the Golden Lions moved up to eighth in 2007 and a respectable fourth place last season. Now, through the first two games of the 2009 season, the UAPB defense is the No. 1 ranked defense in the SWAC, surrendering only 203.5 yards per game in its first two outings. “Our goal is at the end of the year to have the No. 1 defense in the SWAC and one of the No. 1 defenses in the country,” said first-year defensive coordinator Alonzo Hampton. “All we want to do is to keep continuing on it.”
Hampton has laid out a plan to help the Golden Lions do just that. It involves using UAPB’s depth on defense to rotate players, thus keeping everyone fresh to pursue the football and stop the run. In two games, the Golden Lions (1-1) have done a good job of the latter. Facing two of the better running threats they’ll see all season, UAPB’s defense limited Arkansas-Monticello quarterback Scott Buisson —the reigning Gulf South Conference Offensive Player of the Year — to only 19 yards on 11 carries. Then, last week, Langston’s Carlos Ross was limited to only 65 yards on 12 carries. Senior defensive end Jared Dorn, who is third on the team with 11 tackles, said stopping a team’s rushing attack makes the opponent one-dimensional and thus easier to contain.
UAPB Set to Host Community Day
On Thursday, October 1st the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff Football team will host Alcorn State at 6:00 pm at Golden Lions Stadium in a game that will be televised nationally on ESPNU. The UAPB Department of Athletics in conjunction with Wal-Mart has tabbed the game "Community Day". Various free health screenings will be available on the stadium grounds at Community Day. In addition all fans that bring a canned good to the game will be admitted into the stadium for $5. Children and youth ages 0-18 will be admitted into the game free of charge with a paying adult (limit 5 children per adult). The UAPB Athletics Department has also received confirmation that Nerjyzed Game Studios will be at the contest on Thursday night allowing football game enthusiast a free chance to play its newest version of Black College Football 2010 on its BCFX Tour Bus which is equipped with 12 flat screens televisions.
Golden Lion Stadium and FieldhouseUAPB may drop UAM from schedule
Arkansas-Pine Bluff might drop Arkansas-Monticello from its schedule after losing to the Division II school for the second consecutive season. The Division I Golden Lions, who play in the Football Championship Subdivision, fell 27-3 to the Boll Weevils on Saturday. UAPB lost 21-7 in last year's matchup. Although the teams are supposed to play again next season, UAPB athletic director Skip Perkins indicated his school might buy out of the game. Perkins said it was a "lose-lose situation" for UAPB and that he can understand why the Arkansas Razorbacks don't want to play in-state schools.
UAPB OVERCOMES MISTAKES, BIG PLAYS TO PICK UP FIRST WIN
There were stalled drives, a rash of penalties and an 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown that made it so the Golden Lions headed into halftime trailing an NAIA team on their home field.But, unlike in a loss to Division-II Arkansas-Monticello last week , UAPB stood up and fought back. It used turnovers and big plays of its own to put a pesky team away.The Golden Lions scored their first touchdown of the season on their first drive of the second half Saturday, and Kevin Thornton returned two interceptions for touchdowns to complete the 45-30 come-from-behind win over Langston (Okla.) University. That point total tied the most for the Golden Lions since a 2006 win over Southern, and it brought a much-needed, early-season win to UAPB.“I was very proud of them,” UAPB coach Monte Coleman said. “We go down, they get the football, it could have been a good opportunity to do what we did last week. We can’t afford that.”
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