Jaguars look to tame Lions, remain in SWAC title hunt

Different year, new coach.
Same results?
Arkansas Pine-Bluff hopes so. The Golden Lions head into Saturday’s 5 p.m. game against Southern at A.W. Mumford Stadium with more confidence than normally expected of a 1-7 team.
But, they have been in this situation before, especially against Southern.
UAPB was 2-7 entering last season’s game against the Jaguars, before John Heflin ended the controversial game with a 32-yard field goal as time expired.
The Golden Lions also got a 42-0 blowout victory over Lincoln—-a much needed confidence booster—-its first win of the season and only defensive shutout.
Once more, UAPB also holds a two-game winning streak against SU, enough to try to play spoiler for the second consecutive season.
“When you get the taste of victory in you, that makes it contagious,” UAPB first year coach Monte Coleman said. “That’s what I’m counting on. All the hooting and hollering (after) a victory, that’s second to none.”
But if SU is to redirect history and end its losing streak at the hands of the hands of a woeful UAPB team, it must stop the running combination of senior tailbacks Mickey Dean and Martel Mallett.
“When you watch them on film, they’re not a typical one win team,” SU coach Pete Richardson said. “They have excellent personnel. They have two running backs who, when they’re healthy, they’re as good as any two in our conference. They’ve got size, and they run hard. They run the ball.”
And despite offensive line problems, UAPB found a way to run the ball in its blowout of Lincoln and will try to do the same against SU.
“We have to get a lot of people around them,” SU defensive coordinator Terrence Graves said. “We have to sharpen up and attack.”
In UAPB’s only win, Mallett rushed for a season high 146 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries and Dean had 65 yards and a score on 11 carries.
Once more, Mallett was never stopped for loss.
“Those individuals are very quick on their feet and they (UAPB) believe in running the football,” Richardson said. “If they can get the blocking they need, they can cause problems for you.”
UAPB had been banged up on its offensive line, but looks to be coming around as it usually does, just in to face SU.
In fact, its running game accounted for 221 yards of UAPB’s 394 total offense last week.
“We have to stop the run, that’s all to it,” Richardson said. “If we’re going to have a chance to win, we have to make them pass.”
Senior Roll Call
The following seniors will be playing their last game home game at SU’s A.W. Mumford Stadium. Del Roberts, DeQuincy Gordon, Glenn Bell, C.J. Byrd, Joe Manning, Toyin Akinwale, Kendrick Smith, Jeremy Smith, Alvin Fosselman, Atuanya Antione, Donald Steele, Jonathan Malveaux, Demarcus Turner, Ramon Chinyoung, Frank Harry, Joseph Selders, Demarcus Stewart, Rafael Louis, Myles Williams, Evan Alexander, Charles Booker and Jacoby Collins.
Richardson not pleased
Wednesday in his weekly press conference, Richardson expressed his displeasure with his teams’ inability to finish plays and close out games. SU blew two double digit leads last week in its 24-23 loss to Prairie View in Reliant Stadium. The loss was SU’s second to Prairie View in three years.
“I can do all the preaching in the world, but the individual players have to get that drive and hunger to finish plays,” Richardson said. “If we can finish, we can beat any team in our conference.”
Players of the Week
• Ramon Chinyoung
• Vincent Lands
• Joe Manning
Keys to Victory
• Control turnovers
• Stop run
• Special teams coverage
Notes
During Saturday’s game there will be a special promotion dubbed “Take a Kid to the Game.” This deal is only good for one game (UAPB) and gets children age three to 12 in free when an adult purchases a full priced ticket.