The University of Arkansas At Pine Bluff football team nearly erased a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit but fell to Grambling 39-33 in a Saturday afternoon thriller at Simmons Bank Field.
The contest featured a safety, an interception return for touchdown, three missed/botched extra points, four lead changes, 10 touchdowns and 72 points.
Trailing 39-23 with just under eight minutes remaining, the Golden Lions rallied. Driving 65 yards in 10 plays,
Harry Ballard III's 24-yard touchdown catch from
Shannon Patrick brought UAPB within six with just over four minutes remaining.
On Grambling's ensuing possession,
Jordan Brown's first-career interception and 19-yard return gave the Golden Lions possession at the GSU 11-yard line with just over three minutes remaining.
After moving the football to the Tigers' three-yard line with just over a minute to play, UAPB lost yards on third down and two. On fourth down, Grambling intercepted a pass its' 12-yard line with 57 seconds to play.
Patrick completed 22 of 35 passes for 291 yards and a career-high tying four touchdowns, two of them to Ballard who caught a career-best nine passes for 144 yards.
DeJuan Miller caught six passes for 84 yards and two touchdowns.
Trailing 7-0, UAPB responded with a seven-play, 75-yard drive, ending with Patrick's 17-yard scoring pass to Miller to bring the Golden Lions to within 7-6 with 4:26 to play in the opening quarter.
Following a Grambling score on a safety, UAPB took the football back two plays later as
Xavier Mitchell forced and recovered a fumble at the UAPB 43.
On the next play, a 46-yard Patrick-to-Ballard connection led to a score three plays later, as
Taeyler Porter scored from a yard out as the Golden Lions took the lead for the first time, 12-9, with less than two minutes to play in the first quarter.
After Grambling (3-4, 1-2) scored touchdowns on consecutive possessions to take a 22-12 lead, the Golden Lions responded prior to halftime. A six-play, 57-yard drive ended with Miller's leaping 24-yard touchdown reception to cut the UAPB deficit to 22-19 at halftime.
The Golden Lions opened the third quarter with a 15 play, 69-yard drive, converting two third downs and one fourth down. Patrick's five-yard scoring pass to Ballard put UAPB back in front, 26-22.
Grambling answered with a touchdown drive of its own on the ensuing possession to regain the lead for good, then added 10 fourth-quarter points prior to the UAPB late-game rally.
The Golden Lions return to action next Saturday in a 6 p.m. game at Jackson State. The UAPB Sports Network broadcast begins at 5:30 p.m. with Lions Roar Pre Game on 99.3 FM The Beat in Pine Bluff, 920 AM The Sports Animal in Little Rock, and online at uapblionsroar.com and on the free UAPB Athletics App.
