The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Golden Lions secured a historic 40-21 victory over Southern University on Saturday, dealing the Jaguars their seventh consecutive loss of the season. The defeat is particularly painful for Southern, marking their first loss to UAPB since the Spring 2021 football season. Previously, they hadn't lost to the Lions since 2012.
The defeat also extends the Jaguars' current losing streak, putting the program in a perilous and historic position. UAPB dictated the tempo and controlled the game in nearly every facet. The Golden Lions notched 389 total yards and dominated the time of possession, holding the ball for 35 minutes and 16 seconds—a critical advantage that kept Southern's offense off the field.
The Jaguars, meanwhile, hurt themselves repeatedly, amassing 14 penalties for 121 yards. While Southern was able to score two touchdowns in the second half, the game was never particularly close after the midway point of the second quarter. UAPB's lead became commanding with 6:40 left in the third quarter when quarterback Christian Peters found Ellis Stewart for a 32-yard touchdown pass, extending the margin to 38-7.
In post-game comments obtained by The Advocate, Southern Head Coach Fred McNear acknowledged the dire position his team is in.
“I think the effort is there,” he said. “The biggest thing was we had too many penalties for one. Too many personal fouls, face mask penalty. But other than that, I thought the guys, they strain themselves to play. I don’t ever think that they didn’t. You know, just making the plays that we should. We gotta convert on third down, we gotta get off the field on third down. That always reflects back to that. So, you know, you don't get first downs and giving up third downs. So that's a big reflection.”
UAPB Head Coach Alonzo Hampton, however, praised his team's effort in securing a major program victory.
“We had a home game against Southern, kids came out, played well in all three phases. We were able to get a win over team we hadn't beaten, but once in the last 10 years. So, it was a good win for our program.”
Southern University now prepares to face an Alcorn State program that has recently struggled, but is showing signs of life at 3-6 after notching two key victories over Mississippi Valley State and Texas Southern. The game will kick off on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
