*Special to UAPB athletics

PINE BLUFF, Ark. - Achieving success on the field after a coaching change can be difficult to achieve but even harder to measure. As the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Golden Lion football team has found out this year, progress might not necessarily equate to wins right away. While the scoreboard might tell one story, the stat sheet certainly tells another. As you assess the program, you'll see that it has slowly improved in terms of building the foundation, and that all starts with UAPB Head Coach Cedric Thomas.

"It's really been amazing," said Thomas. "You come out and watch the enthusiasm of these young men everyday getting better, just from a technical and a fundamental standpoint, it always makes you kind of sit back and smile knowing that the future is going to be bright, and when I say future, I mean these next five games."

From obvious changes and improvements like the new Simmons Bank Field upgrades, including a brand new video board, and almost entirely new coaching staff, the program is trending in the right direction and on pace for even more success. As the Golden Lions football team moves into the heart of its conference schedule, their improvements are easy to see. On the offensive side of the ball, UAPB shows improvements in almost every single offensive category from last year through as many games. When you examine the statistics through six games this year, and compare them to the statistics after six games of last season, it's hard to believe how quickly this team has improved despite all of its massive injuries.

"The coaching staff has been excited and upbeat as well as the administration, also the kids have been excited as well," said Coach Thomas. "I think it's a direct reflection of the maturation process of these young men getting better and getting accustomed and getting used to what's asked of them from a system and a structural standpoint."

To me, the most telling offensive production statistic in football is, "total offense". This statistic simply shows how many offensive yards your team averages per game. In 2017 after six games, UAPB sat at an abysmal 104th in the nation, averaging only 274.8 yards per game. So far in 2018, under new UAPB Offensive Coordinator Jermaine Gales, the Golden Lions sit at 32nd in the country while averaging 431.8 yards per contest. This equates to a 57 percent increase in offensive production. In addition to this, average passing yards per game for UAPB football has jumped from 149.3 yards per game, (good for 104th in FCS) to 257.7 yards per game, (good for 40th place) an increase of 72 percent. Offense however is not the only place the Golden Lions are showing drastic improvement. Special teams units lead by second year special teams coordinator, Thomas Sheffield are also lighting up the stat sheet, sitting at sixth in the nation in kickoff return defense, 13th in punt return average, and 28th in net punt average. Pre-season Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Stats All-America punter Jamie Gillan is also not disappointing as he currently enjoys the number one spot in punting average for the entire Southwestern Athletic Conference, boasting a whopping 44+ yards per punt.He also booted a career-high 80-yard punt earlier this season which is good for number one in the FCS.

Of all the places the Golden Lions have improved, to me, the most telling is the, "sacks allowed" statistic. This statistic speaks to the grit, toughness, and fight inside a team. After six games in 2017, the UAPB offensive line had allowed 22 sacks. After six games this year, Coach Lonnie Teasley's offensive line has given up a total of just five sacks. This remarkable improvement gives plenty of reason for optimism as the tide changes in the Bluff. The #brandnewbluff hashtag that has been used since this offseason is showing to be true. The next football home game will be our annual Homecoming game on Saturday, November 3, against Alabama A&M, and you won't want to miss it, because this team isn't bluffing.


S. Beavers
UAPB Sports Information Student Assistant


###