Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Alabama A&M
WHEN 1 p.m. Central
WHERE Louis Crews Stadium, Huntsville, Ala.
RECORDS Arkansas-Pine Bluff 1-2, 0-1 SWAC; Alabama A&M 0-2, 0-1
COACHES Monte Coleman (17-45 in eighth season at UAPB and overall); James Spady (4-10 in second season at Alabama A&M and overall)
RADIO KUAP-FM, 89.7, in Pine Bluff
INTERNET uapblionsroar.com
WHEN UAPB HAS THE BALL It appears Coach Monte Coleman has settled on Marcus Terrell as his starting quarterback. Terrell has started all three games, but after Nolan Sorensen took snaps in the first two games Terrell took every snap in last week’s 24-20 home loss to Texas Southern. The junior completed 18 of 32 passes for 189 yards and 2 interceptions and rushed for 50 yards in the loss. The Golden Lions’ running game remains a work in progress. Brian Handley rushed for 53 yards on 12 carries against Texas Southern, and UAPB was held to 3.7 yards per rush. The Golden Lions are sixth in the SWAC in rushing (141.7 yards per game) and their 3.5 yards per rush ranks seventh. UAPB could be in for some relief today, as Alabama A&M has struggled to slow the offenses of FBS member Cincinnati and SWAC opponent Prairie View A&M, which gained 522 yards including 349 yard passing. Handley had 106 yards of offense and caught a 39-yard touchdown pass in UAPB’s 20-19 victory over Alabama A&M last season.
WHEN ALABAMA A&M HAS THE BALL UAPB’s defense gave up 17 points in the deciding third quarter of last week’s loss to Texas Southern, but it can’t all be pegged on a unit that has shown much improvement from last season. Texas Southern blocked a punt and recovered on UAPB’s 1 that led to a touchdown and an interception set up another short field. The Golden Lions held the Tigers to 312 yards of offense and rank second in the SWAC in scoring defense (28.7 points per game) and against the run (136.0 yards per game), third in total defense (322.0 yards per game) and fourth against the pass (196.0). UAPB also had four sacks and an interception. UAPB’s Reggie Rayford leads the SWAC with six passes defense (four break-ups and two interceptions). The Golden Lions will try to slow an offense that gained 571 yards in last week’s loss. Quarterback De’Angelo Ballard passed for 352 yards and 3 touchdowns and rushed for 87 yards and 2 touchdowns last week, and his 439 yards of total offense are third-most in any FCS game this season. UAPB’s defense will likely focus on Ballard, who is credited for 549 of the Bulldogs’ 817 yards of offense this season.
WHAT’S AT STAKE It isn’t a game against a division opponent, but UAPB would like to avoid a second SWAC loss considering Prairie View A&M and Southern have started the season with two league victories. Another loss would be UAPB’s third consecutive 0-2 start in the SWAC. QUOTING COACH COLEMAN “With a young football team you’ve got to go through growing pains, and that’s some of the things that we are suffering from right now.”
Central Arkansas at Northwestern (La.) State
WHEN 6 p.m. Central
WHERE Turpin Stadium, Natchitoches, La. RECORDS Central Arkansas 0-2, 0-0; Northwestern State 0-3, 0-1
COACHES Steve Campbell (6-8 in second season at UCA, 132-46 in 15 seasons overall); Jay Thomas (12-15 in third season at Northwestern State and 39-50 in ninth season overall)
RADIO KUCA-FM, 91.3, in Conway; KKPTFM, 94.1, in Little Rock
INTERNET ESPN3.com, ucasports.com/ watch
WHEN CENTRAL ARKANSAS HAS THE BALL The Bears’ offensive statistics aren’t anywhere near what they want them to be, but Coach Steve Campbell isn’t panicking. UCA threw 69 passes Sept. 3 in a season-opening loss to Samford in part because it fell behind and had to play catch up. Quarterback Taylor Reed completed 43 passes in that game, the most for an FCS quarterback in a single game this season, but the Bears would like to be more balanced. Reed was 14 of 25 in a loss two weeks ago at Oklahoma State, a more desired total, but the Bears couldn’t get any traction against the nationally ranked Cowboys. Campbell and his players hope an off week and the start of its Southland Conference schedule can provide some normalcy to what has been an odd schedule so far. Campbell would like to kickstart his running game. Dominique Thomas left the opener with a knee sprain but returned two weeks ago and says he is 100 percent. He has 118 yards in 2 games but is averaging 5.1 yards per carry. Receiver Desmond Smith caught a 39-yard touchdown pass last week, and he’ll need to do more of that with the loss of Courtney Whitehead, who will miss about six weeks with a broken foot suffered at Samford.
WHEN NORTHWESTERN STATE HAS THE BALL Northwestern State has struggled to generate offense against what could be considered the toughest opening schedule in the Southland Conference. The Demons lost to No. 23 Southeastern Louisiana 34-20 and followed that with losses to FBS members Louisiana-Lafayette (44-17) and Mississippi State (62-13). The Demons are seventh this season in scoring (16.7 points per game), ninth in passing (133.0 yards per game) and 10th in total offense (295.0 yards per game). The Demons also have played three quarterbacks in each game, and four quarterbacks have thrown at least nine passes this season. Campbell said the Bears’ defense showed improvement from an opening-week loss at Samford in which it allowed 536 yards to a loss at Oklahoma State two weeks ago. The Bears had 12 tackles for a loss against the Cowboys, but pass defense remains a concern. They gave up 414 yards passing in that game, and their average of 393.0 yards passing allowed per game is the most of any FCS team.
THE STAKES A loss would mean UCA’s first 0-3 start since 1990 and would drop UCA to 6-4 in Southland openers since joining the league in 2006.
QUOTING COACH CAMPBELL “You can’t hang your head and say ‘Woe is me.’ That doesn’t do anybody any good. We’ve got to keep chopping wood.”