PINE BLUFF -- A Pine Bluff points parade started at dusk and lasted until almost bedtime.
In the end, defensive stops in the final 12 minutes helped the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions to a 48-42 victory over the Lane College Dragons at Golden Lion Stadium on Saturday night.
A sack of Lane senior quarterback Michael Huntley by sophomore defensive end Isiah Ward on fourth-and-6 with 1:49 left secured UAPB's victory.
"I didn't think it would be a shootout, but I thought it would be a close one," UAPB Coach Doc Gamble said. "You have to look at the history of it."
UAPB defeated Lane 34-16 last season but was up by eight points late in the third quarter. At its homecoming in 2019, UAPB defeated Lane 45-38.
Sophomore running back Kayvon Britten led the way for UAPB with 237 rushing yards and 297 total yards, scoring three rushing touchdowns. Britten's 237 yards rushing on 31 carries was the second-highest total since UAPB's football program began.
"That's what's expected of him," Gamble said. "We had some people who could spell him. He played more because he practiced best. He's better than anybody else. Kayvon's a talent."
Lane started the scoring on the game's third play from scrimmage, a 70-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Michael Huntley to sophomore receiver Jacquez Jones, and the shootout was started.
Huntley completed 15 of 21 passes for 328 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also rushed for 75 yards, though he lost 34 yards on four sacks.
"Any time you have a guy who can beat you with his legs, he's the type of guy who can hurt you," Gamble said.
Britten carried five times for 31 yards on UAPB's first possession. He completed the nine-play, 65-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown run to tie the score 7-7 with 1o:43 left in the first quarter.
Britton was limited to one carry the next time UAPB had the ball. He used it for a 12-yard touchdown run to give UAPB a 14-7 lead.
UAPB's lead was 17-7 after senior Cristofer Thompson's 23-yard field goal with 1:34 left in the first quarter.
A 1-yard touchdown run by sophomore running back Ike Brown put Lane within 17-14 early in the second quarter.
Lane next held UAPB to a punt and took over at its 8. After five plays, Huntley's 29-yard touchdown swing pass to Brown gave Lane a 21-17 lead with 9:22 left in the first half.
A 22-yard field goal by Thompson put UAPB within 21-20 on its next possession.
A 4-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Skyler Perry to junior receiver Raequan Prince gave UAPB a 27-21 lead with 31.5 seconds left before halftime.
Britten carried 16 times for 168 first-half rushing yards and 2 touchdowns. Huntley completed 8 of 10 first-half passes for 229 yards and 2 touchdowns for Lane.
"For me, I didn't expect my defense to give up that many points. But offensively, we're very explosive," Lane Coach Vyron Brown said. "I anticipated beating Pine Bluff. I really anticipated us winning the game."
Junior Maurice Lloyd started the second half on a high note with an 85-yard kickoff return to put UAPB's lead at 34-21.
Three plays from scrimmage took Lane on its following possession from its 35 to the UAPB 1, a 1-yard touchdown run by Brown had Lane within 34-28 with 13:21 left in the third quarter.
UAPB responded with a six-play completed with a 6-yard touchdown run by Britten to take a 41-28 lead.
Lane was next stopped on downs at the UAPB 5, but on the second following play, Lane sophomore linebacker Tyshun Gaiter forced a Perry fumble returned 4 yards for a touchdown by senior defensive back Jeffrey Johnson. UAPB's lead was down to 41-35 with 6:17 left in the third quarter.
UAPB countered with a 31-yard connection between Perry and Prince to lead 48-35 with 4:37 left in the third quarter.
A rare exchange of punts, including one of 60 yards by UAPB senior Josh Sanchez, put Lane at its 2 late in the third quarter. Lane again punted after three plays, and UAPB took over at the Lane 40 to start the fourth.
However, a pass intercepted by sophomore Flakewood Tucker and returned 37 yards put Lane at the UAPB 49. One play later, senior O'Joshua Bunton caught a 49-yard touchdown pass from Huntley to put Lane within 48-42 with 12:53 left in the game.
Sanchez also punted for 61 yards in the fourth quarter to help UAPB maintain its edge.
"Those punts were big time," Gamble said. "He has a big leg. He's able to flip the field. As long as he stays consistent, we have a chance."
Sanchez averaged 53.0 yards on three punts.
"I thought we'd have a cushion at the end, but then we started shooting ourselves in the foot," Gamble said. "We had some poor play at times. I wasn't real happy with how we played, but finishing off with a win is always good."