Golden Lions Fall in Season Finale at Alabama State
Montgomery, AL. – In a tough finish to their regular season, the UAPB Golden Lions (3-8, 2-6 SWAC) saw their campaign end on Saturday with a 44-13 loss to Alabama State (9-2, 7-1 SWAC) at ASU Stadium.
UAPB came out swinging, driving 75 yards on their opening possession and scoring on a 3-yard keeper by freshman QB Garrison Davis. Coach Alonzo Hampton talked about the decision to start Davis:
The 7-0 lead felt promising, but the momentum shifted rapidly. Alabama State answered with a field goal, then a 50-yard touchdown run by Marcus Harris II, and by halftime had pulled ahead 16-7.
RB Jaylen Jennings led UAPB with 133 rushing yards and one touchdown on 25 carries, averaging over 5 yards per attempt. Garrison Davis added 48 rushing yards and a score in his first collegiate start, completing 13 of 20 passes for 86 yards (65% completion) for the day. UAPB also out-rushed ASU 226-203 and won time of possession 35:17 to 24:43.
Despite control of the ground game and possession, UAPB couldn’t convert that into sustained success. After the opening drive, UAPB didn’t score again until late in the third quarter when they narrowed the gap to 30-13. From there, Alabama State added two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter to seal it.
On the defensive side, UAPB’s Derron Moore posted seven tackles and a pass breakup, followed by Vaughn Highland with six tackles.
For the Golden Lions, the season ends with optimism as several younger players gained valuable experience this season.
