The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff football team begins the final stretch of the 2021 spring season against Prairie View A&M in the first of back-to-back home games to end the regular season.
GAME INFORMATION:
The Golden Lions have won all three games the hard way – on the road. Wins over Southern (33-30), Grambling (48-21), and Mississippi Valley State (24-17) have positioned UAPB on the brink of its first Southwestern Athletic Conference Western Division championship for the first time since 2012 when the Golden Lions won the SWAC Championship.
The Golden Lions can clinch the division title and a berth in the Cricket Wireless SWAC Football Championship Game Presented by Pepsi Zero with a win in either of their final two home games against Prairie View A&M or Texas Southern, OR with a loss by Southern to Grambling on Saturday.
PVAMU is ineligible for the SWAC Championship this season due to APR issues.
All three phases of the game – offense, defense, and special teams – have all made major contributions in the trio of victories of UAPB this season. In the April 3 win at Mississippi Valley State, special teams stole the show as wide receiver / return specialist
Tyrin Ralph gained career-high 279 all-purpose yards against the Delta Devils. Ralph's 77-yard punt return for touchdown with 1:54 remaining proved to be the game-winner and was his second career punt return for touchdown and first since 2018.
Defensively, DE
Xavier Mitchell had two of the Golden Lions five sacks as he is tied for second in the SWAC with three sacks this season. Offensively, QB
Skyler Perry threw multiple touchdown passes for the third time this season and is tied for third in the SWAC with eight touchdown passes.
Prairie View A&M defeated SWAC Western Division rivals Texas Southern (20-19 on Mar. 6) and Grambling St. (17-10 on Mar. 13), but have not played a contest since that time. Covid-19 issues within the Panthers' program caused back-to-back two-week delays in competition to the Panthers' schedule.
The Spring 2021 edition of Prairie View A&M football has been anchored by its defense. The Panthers lead the SWAC in fewest points allowed (14.5 ppg), rank second in both total defense (317.5 ypg) and passing defense (191.0 ypg), and are third in rushing defense (126.5 ypg).
LB Storey Jackson leads the SWAC in tackles per game (18.5) and has 37 tackles, 2.0 sacks, 5.0 TFL (3
rd/SWAC) with one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one interception. Jason Dumas anchors the D-Line, recording 18 tackles and leads the team in both sacks (3.0) and tackles for loss (6.5), ranking second in the SWAC in both categories.
Offensively, QBs T.J. Starks and Trazon Connley have each passed for more than 200 yards on the season. RB Kristian Mosley has carried the load at RB (29 carries, 100 yards, 1 TD). Chris Johnson 6 rec, 130 yds, 1 TD), and Travis O'Conner (11 rec, 104 yds) have been the top targets in the passing game.
