Alcorn State 21-UAPB 16
PINE BLUFF – Despite 139 yards and a touchdown from freshman tailback Jeremiah Young, Arkansas-Pine Bluff fell to 0-4 with a 21-16 loss to Alcorn State on Saturday night at Golden Lions Stadium. UAPB also slipped to 0-2 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Meanwhile, Alcorn State improved to 3-1 and 2-0.
Arnold Walker rushed for 82 yards and a touchdown for Alcorn State. Braves quarterback John Gibbs, Jr. had a touchdown pass, connecting on 12-of-21 passes.
UAPB quarterback Benjamin Anderson was 18-for-30 with a touchdown. He also rushed for 51 yards. UAPB wideout Dezmond Beverly topped all receivers with seven catches for 77 yards.
As a team, UAPB outgained Alcorn State 452-385, but penalties killed the Golden Lions as they committed 13 for 98 yards.
The Braves cashed in on their first drive, taking the ball 75 yards in eight plays for a touchdown. Gibbs capped the drive with an 18-yard pass to to Tollette George with 10:03 left in the first quarter. UAPB answered on their next drive with a 33-yard fieldgoal, making it 7-3 with 4:34 remaining.
Alcorn State continued to move the ball down the field on the Golden Lions and had two golden opportunities to increase their lead. But, the UAPB defense stood up twice and turned Alcorn State back with a pair of turnovers. The first was an interception by T.Q. Mims in the endzone, while the other was a fumble at the UAPB goal line. The score remained 7-3 at halftime.
The Braves came out blazing in the third quarter, again scoring on their first drive. Joe Price shook a few tackles and raced 53 yards for a touchdown, giving Alcorn a 14-3 lead with 13:16 left.
The Golden Lions answered on their next possession as Young exploded from long range, racing 46 yards for a touchdown. The 2-point conversion failed, leaving Alcorn with a 14-9 lead with 9:50 left in the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Walker added to the Alcorn State cushion plowing in from five yards out, giving the Braves a 21-9 lead with 11:56 left in the game. UAPB quickly answered with a 14-yard touchdown pass from Anderson to Isaiah Ferguson with 9:07 left.
A defensive stand gave the Golden Lions a chance with seven minutes left. However, after driving from their own 20 to the Braves’ 15, UAPB turned the ball over on downs.
It appeared UAPB would have one last chance with less then two minutes left when the defense stopped Alcorn State on a third-and-one on the Braves’ 24. But, the Braves gambled on fourth down and got the first down. With no timeouts left, UAPB was helpless to stop the clock.
Courtesy UAPB Department of Athletics
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