LITTLE ROCK, AR. — In front of an electric crowd of 17,300 fans at War Memorial Stadium, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff opened the 2026 season in impressive fashion Saturday night, defeating Morehouse College 35-15 in the Natural State Football Kickoff Classic.
The Golden Lions (1-0) delivered on both sides of the football, combining explosive offensive plays, a strong defensive performance and solid special teams play to secure the season-opening victory over the Maroon Tigers (0-1).
One of the biggest offensive sparks came from wide receiver Demetric Whitlock Jr., who turned in a standout performance with five receptions for 160 yards and three touchdowns. His night was highlighted by an explosive 94-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Garrison Davis, providing one of the signature moments of the Classic.
Davis led UAPB's passing attack with 182 yards through the air, completing 10-of-15 attempts while helping guide the Golden Lions offense throughout the night.
UAPB also established itself on the ground, rushing for 154 yards compared to Morehouse's 90. Jalen Williams led the Golden Lions with 76 rushing yards and a touchdown, while Jaylen Jennings added 65 yards and a score.
UAPB head coach Alonzo Hampton was pleased with what he saw from Davis while also emphasizing the leadership of team captain and quarterback Jack Schierholz and the importance of the Golden Lions continuing to improve as a complete team.
"Garrison has a bright future ahead of him. He understands the offense, does some good things with the football and continues to get better," Hampton said. "Jack Schierholz is also a very good quarterback for us. He's one of our team captains, he's a leader, and he does a great job leading this football team. We feel good about our quarterback room and the talent we have around them.
"Overall, we know we have to continue to get better as a unit on both sides of the ball. I thought our defense played really well, especially in the second half, and our offense made plays when we needed them. Our special teams also did a great job, led by our punter George Wiles-Koehler. We have a lot of talent on this team, and if everyone continues to do their part and we keep building together, I think we have a chance to be a pretty good football team."
Defense Answers the Call
While the Golden Lions produced several explosive plays offensively, UAPB's defense played a major role in controlling the contest.
The Golden Lions held Morehouse to just 90 rushing yards while collecting 11 tackles for loss and three sacks. UAPB also forced two turnovers, including a red-zone takeaway, and turned its takeaways into seven points.
Amajah Lewis recovered a fumble, while Derron Moore finished with nine tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery.
Malachi McDonald was disruptive throughout the night, recording four tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack and a forced fumble.
Danarius Hilliard also finished with nine tackles as the Golden Lions consistently disrupted the Morehouse offense and kept the Maroon Tigers off the scoreboard down the stretch.
How It Happened
UAPB wasted little time giving the crowd at War Memorial Stadium something to celebrate, striking first with 11:00 remaining in the opening quarter to take a 7-0 advantage.
The Golden Lions added another score to extend their lead to 14-0 before Morehouse answered to cut the margin to 14-7.
UAPB responded again with 7:44 remaining in the second quarter, pushing its advantage to 21-7.
Morehouse refused to go away quietly, eventually cutting UAPB's lead to 21-15, but that would be as close as the Maroon Tigers would get.
From there, the Golden Lions took control.
UAPB answered with another touchdown to stretch its lead to 28-15 before adding its final score with 7:05 remaining in the third quarter, extending the advantage to 35-15.
The Golden Lions' defense took care of the rest, keeping Morehouse scoreless for the remainder of the contest.
UAPB scored the game's final 14 unanswered points and never trailed on its way to securing the victory in front of 17,300 fans in Little Rock.
The win gave the Golden Lions a successful start to the 2026 season and provided UAPB with plenty of momentum following a memorable night at the Natural State Football Kickoff Classic.
Game Notes
- UAPB improved to 1-0 on the season.
- The Natural State Football Kickoff Classic drew 17,300 fans to War Memorial Stadium.
- UAPB outgained Morehouse 386-376 in total offense.
- The Golden Lions held a 154-90 advantage in rushing yards.
- UAPB scored first and never trailed.
- Demetric Whitlock Jr. finished with five receptions for 160 yards and three touchdowns.
- Whitlock's performance included a 94-yard touchdown reception.
- UAPB recorded 11 tackles for loss and three sacks.
- The Golden Lions forced two turnovers, including a red-zone takeaway.
- UAPB scored the game's final 14 unanswered points.
- Garrison Davis completed 10-of-15 passes (66.7 percent) for 182 yards.
- Danarius Hilliard and Derron Moore recorded nine tackles apiece.
- Malachi McDonald finished with 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack and a forced fumble.
