For the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, the 2017 season couldn't arrive soon enough.
The Golden Lions endured a nightmarish 2016, and they're ready to put it behind them. They were shut out by Tennessee State 44-0 in their season opener, suffered injury after injury along the offensive line and never gelled consistently as a group.
UAPB won just one game in Southwestern Athletic Conference play, and its 1-10 overall record was its worst since 1986. The Golden Lions' lone victory came against then-defending SWAC champion Alcorn State 45-43 in three overtimes during Week 3, but the team lost every game after that by at least 12 points, including a 70-0 thrashing at Grambling State.
Senior quarterback Brandon Duncan said there was some good to come out of last year's struggles and vowed that fans will see a much different team this year, beginning Saturday night when UAPB hosts Morehouse College at 6 p.m. at Golden Lion Stadium.
"As we looked back, we saw that we really didn't play much as a team, but that's changed now," Duncan said recently during the team's media day. "We've played much more as a team, especially during fall camp, and we realize that you've got to be able to play through adversity."
The Golden Lions finished near the bottom of the conference in nearly every major statistical category last season, including last in scoring offense and total defense, and were outscored 464-150. UAPB was also penalized more than any other team in the league and had a turnover margin of minus-6.
Coach Monte Coleman isn't concerned about what happened in 2016, although he admitted he occasionally reminds the team about it.
"We try not to go backwards, but I have brought up that 1-10 season to the fellas," Coleman said. "We try to rub it in a little just to let them know we can't go down that road again. Hopefully it's stuck in the back of their minds as well as the feelings we had after each game.
"This year, it's all about preparation. We've had a very good camp, and the attitudes of the guys ... they're confident."
No depth concerns
The Golden Lions were already thin on the offensive line going into 2016, and injuries throughout the year made them even thinner. Head coach Monte Coleman made it a priority to recruit more linemen, and he said he believes the problem is solved.
"Last year was very unique for us because of all the injuries to the offensive line," he said. "That group suffered really bad. We were down to our third-team center at one point. Guys were getting hurt, and they weren't coming back because they were out for the year.
"Football is a physical sport, and you're going to have injuries. But we spent a lot of time in recruiting that area. We beefed up size-wise and numbers-wise. Last spring, we only had five, but right now, we've got 14 in camp."
One guy in particular who Coleman and offensive line coach Damon Nivens agreed could have a huge impact is right tackle David Adou. Nivens said the 6-2, 285-pound transfer from Tyler (Texas) Junior College has been impressive during fall practices, which bodes well for a unit that is expected to have as many as three freshmen in the mix for significant playing time.
"We took a step forward by just getting more guys in because for the last couple of years, we lacked the numbers at the position," he said. "Now we've got guys like Jayden Glover and a Khaleb Fobish who are quality players that can play at this level. Adou has had a very good fall camp.
"He's probably a little undersized in most places, but if he was 2 inches taller, I think he'd have the opportunity to play at the next level. But his size doesn't make who he is. He's gonna be a good player for us."
UAPB averaged just 77 yards rushing per game last season and gave up the second-most sacks in the SWAC, but quarterback Brandon Duncan doesn't expect that to be the case this year.
"The line is looking great," he said. "We've got juco guys and a lot of freshmen that don't play like freshmen.
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Fayetteville to Pine Bluff
Head Coach Monte Coleman has a number of college transfers on this year's team, but junior wide receiver Cameron Colbert might turn out to be the jewel of them all.
Colbert, 6-1, 212, joined the Golden Lions after leaving the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville after last season. The Little Rock native, who played for three seasons at Pulaski Academy, saw action in just one game a year ago for the Razorbacks.
"I had a really good relationship with UAPB's coaching staff," he said. "I'm really grateful to Coach Coleman for giving me the opportunity to come here and play.
"[Arkansas receivers coach] Michael Smith taught me a lot about route running and creating leverage, but he also taught me about life lessons and what it takes to be a man these days. So I appreciate him a lot."
Familiar foe
UAPB has played Morehouse College just once, but it was one that head Coach Monte Coleman remembered well.
The Golden Lions held off the Maroon Tigers 29-27 in three overtimes on Sept. 12, 2015. The teams were tied 7-7 after four quarters and traded touchdowns in each of the extra periods, but UAPB was able to hold on for the victory when Morehouse failed on a game-tying two-point conversion attempt.
"Morehouse had a solid team that year," Coleman said. "We're not quite sure what they're going to do on offense because they've got a new offensive coordinator. But one thing we do know is that they're going to blitz a lot."
Coach Rich Freeman is in his 10th season with the Maroon Tigers and has an experienced group back, starting with linebacker David Smith. The 6-1, 220-pound senior was selected to the D2Football.com Preseason All-America second team after finishing with 111 tackles and 7.5 sacks last year.
Sports on 09/01/2017