PINE BLUFF, Ark. - The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Golden Lions football team is fresh off a week of practice, and head coach Cedric Thomas says his team is prepared for the Southwestern Athletic Conference contest against the Jackson State University Tigers.

"For the most part I think it was one of our better weeks of practice," said Thomas. "Kids are really locked in and in tune to just continuing their journey of getting better, so I think from a cognitive standpoint our team really paid attention to detail and processed information on a hungry J-State ball club that will come in here tomorrow and put their best foot forward to try to take over our place."

Golden Lions running back Taeyler Porter is coming off of his best game this season as he rushed for a game-high 137 yards against Florida International, including a 37-yard scamper, which is his longest to date. He is currently number two in the entire SWAC in rushing yards per game with 94.2, and third in the SWAC in total rushing yards with 471.

Last year against the Tigers, the Golden Lions trailed by 11 points in the fourth quarter on the road before it stormed back and scored 18 unanswered points for a 34-27 stunning overtime victory over the Jackson State University Tigers at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in the W.C. Gorden Classic in its first conference game of the year.

While both teams are still in search for its first SWAC victory of the year, both head coaches are no stranger to one another.

"Coach (Tony) Hughes is like my mentor," said Thomas. "When I was in junior college thinking I didn't have a way out, he was one of the junior college coaches (when he was at Hines and I was at Mississippi Delta) who gave me the incentive and motivation to not settle for the junior college deal. He was one of the coaches that always told me to go to camps and go to clinics and expand my knowledge, so watching him go to Mississippi State, Southern Mississippi, Ole Miss and now having his own team at Jackson State says a lot about him," said Thomas.

Coach Thomas also gained knowledge from Coach Hughes about establishing a program. Coach Hughes is in his third year as head football coach at Jackson State, and Coach Thomas is in his first year at the helm for UAPB.

When Thomas was asked if he is looking forward to battling with one of his mentors, he confidently answered.

"Without a doubt, at the end of the day it's still competition." said Thomas. "We will hug and dap before and after, but for that 60 minutes its going to be pure hell. I'm quite sure he has his group chomping at the bit to do the same thing to mine, and I'm doing the exact same thing to my kids, so I'm excited and can't wait to get this thing rolling," said Thomas.