It's been three years since the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff experienced a victory similar to the one it got last week against Tennessee State. For Coach Cedric Thomas, it couldn't have come at a better time.
The Golden Lions had lost 23 of their past 28 games prior to this season, including a 44-0 clubbing by Tennessee State in 2016, but things have changed swiftly for UAPB under Thomas' guidance.
"It was a great opportunity for kids to get a chance to play an upper echelon program that's not associated with the conference," he said of his team, which has won three games in a row since opening with a loss at TCU. "[Tennessee State] has a lot of historical longevity as far as the program, but the kids did a great job of making sure all Is were dotted and Ts were crossed. In the second half, we came out flat, and they got up on us.
"But you can start to see the change in the culture and the mindset. They never wavered."
The change in the Golden Lions' mentality was evident not in just beating Tigers. It was how they did it that opened Thomas' eyes. UAPB led by double digits in the first half and trailed late in the third quarter.
After Tennessee State tied the game with less than a minute to go, UAPB moved from its 25 to the Tigers' 17 in 4 plays before getting a 17-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Shannon Patrick to tight end Jeremy Brown with no time left to cap off the 75-yard, game-winning drive.
Decisive marches like that haven't happened very often for UAPB (3-1), which hadn't won three consecutive games since it closed out its conference-title winning season in 2012 on a seven-game winning streak. The last time the Golden Lions picked up a victory on the game's final play was in 2016 when they scored on a two-point conversion in the third overtime to beat Alcorn State 45-43.
Saturday's finish, however, was a stark contrast of how outcomes played out a year ago in Thomas' first season at the helm. UAPB lost four games by seven points or less, including a 48-47 setback in overtime to Mississippi Valley State when the Delta Devils converted an extra point to win. The Golden Lions also lost 34-30 to Morehouse despite having a first-and-goal inside the Tigers' 6 with less than a minute left.
"The guys believe now," he explained. "Them believing that they're good enough. It's just a mindset. Those guys, where I came from, no matter what the score is or who they're playing, they believe they're going to win.
"I ask them all the time, 'do you believe you're good enough?' I can look them in the eye now and honestly believe they do. They've got every right to."
The second-year coach is hoping that a late-game drive won't be needed Saturday when UAPB hosts Southern at 6 p.m. at Simmons Bank Field. The Jaguars (1-3) haven't gotten off to the kind of start they'd hoped for, but it didn't seem to bother them last year when they dropped three of their first five games. Southern regrouped to win its final five games and capture the SWAC Western Division title.
"Physical," Thomas said when describing the Jaguars. "Just a downhill ballclub that's going to give you a lot of 12 personnel, 11 personnel and be real physical. Coach [Dawson Odums] wants to impose his will on you from an offensive standpoint and get downhill.
"Defensively, they use a lot of movement. They're big and physical up front, with some guys on the back end that can run around and cover. We've got make sure we're prepared and have a good mindset to be able to come in and play the defending Western Conference champs. But I'm excited about the team having the opportunity to see where they're at."
Homecoming for QB
Southern quarterback Ladarius Skelton may not get a hero's welcome when he steps onto Simmons Bank Field on Saturday, but he's sure to have plenty of supporters in the stands when he returns to his hometown.
"It's great going back home," he said earlier in the week.
"You get to feel how you felt when you were in high school. That environment where you were praised, they love you and they care for you."
Skelton received plenty of admiration when he led Pine Bluff to back-to-back Class 6A state championships during his junior and senior seasons in 2014-15. He nearly led the Zebras to a title as a sophomore when the Zebras fell to El Dorado 31-24 in the championship game. Skelton continued those winning ways at Fullerton (Calif.) College when he led the Hornets to an undefeated season and the California Community College Athletics Association championship. That winning formula has carried over at Southern.
"He's an athletic quarterback that's physical," UAPB Coach Cedric Thomas said of Skelton, who was installed as the team's starter in Game 6 last year and led Southern to a division title. "He can run it, can throw it. He won multiple championships [at Pine Bluff].
"We've got our hands full."
Skelton has completed 33 of 61 passes for 368 yards with 4 touchdowns and carried 48 times for 137 yards and 2 scores this season.
Leery of Lions
Southern Coach Dawson Odums is aware that UAPB returns several players from the team the Jaguars clobbered 56-24 a year ago, but he also believes that the Golden Lion he'll see Saturday won't resemble the one he saw last season.
"They have a recipe [UAPB] is following, and the players are buying into it," he said. "You can see it on the field. They execute at a high rate, they fly around on defense. ... They're very good."
UAPB is No. 1 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference in scoring at 37.3 points per game and are averaging 458.8 yards per game, which ranks second. The Golden Lions are also fourth in total defense. Southern outgained UAPB 589-278 in its 2018 meeting, but Odums mentioned that the sheer number of players the Golden Lions have this year will keep his team on high alert throughout.
"They're playing two quarterbacks, and both have a good understanding of their packages," he said. "Their receiving corps is one of the top groups in the conference. They've got some playmakers.
"Last year was an injury year for them. They were a very young football team, but you can see they're better. They're a confident group right now, and it'll be a tall order for us to go in there and get a win."
Sports on 09/27/2019