UAPB Football Drops One on the Road at Prairie View A&M
Kalan Hooks
PRAIRIE VIEW, TX –The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (1 – 3, 0 – 2) football team dropped a conference matchup to Prairie View A&M (4 – 1, 3 – 0) with a final score of (27 – 17), Thursday night at Panther Stadium.
Looking to bounce back from their conference opener against Alcorn State, the Golden Lions prepared with a mindset to take down Prairie View A&M.
The Golden Lion’s defense got off to a fast start forcing the Panthers to fumble on their first drive of the game. After forcing PVAMU to punt on their second possession, UAPB would strike first with a 33-yard field goal with 9:57 in the first quarter by Zack Piwniczka who’s back in the picture after recovering from an injury from last week’s game.
However, PVAMU would respond with two touchdowns of their own to finish the first quarter to jump out to a 14-3 lead.
With a QB change in the second quarter, Xzavier Vaughn impressed the nation, showing his skillset and what he can do with the football.
With the lightning-fast speed of WR Josh Wilkes, Vaughn would pick up an impressive 82 passing yards for the Golden Lions, finding Wilkes for a touchdown to bring the score to (14 – 9) with 8:16 left in the first half.
The Panthers would add on to their lead right before the half to take a (21 – 9) lead over the Golden Lions.
With offense making adjustments coming out the first half, the Golden Lions defense would make up big time, stopping the Prairie View A&M offense from reaching the endzone throughout the second half.
Down 18 with six minutes remaining in the game, UAPB’s special team would come up with a big play. LB Dylan Smith found his way around the Prairie View A&M linemen to block a Caleb Darbone punt at the PVAMU 29-yard line, which would then be recovered by RB Raequan Prince and returned for a Golden Lion touchdown to cut the deficit to 12 points (27-15) with 6:10 left in the game.
The Golden Lions would then go for a two-point conversion, with Vaughn connecting with Prince to get the extra two points to bring the score to (27 – 17), but it was not enough as the Panthers would seal win at home.
“It’s just the adversity we have to overcome, and it starts by working hard in practice and fixing our mistakes,” said Wilkes about the team’s plan to bounce back.
QB Xzavier Vaughn led in passing yards, finishing the contest with 115 passing yards through four conversions.
RB Kayvon Britten would lead in rushing yards for the Golden Lions, rushing with eight carries for 44 yards.
WR Josh Wilkes led all receivers in receiving yards, finishing with 103 yards through five receptions.
On the defensive side, LB Monroe Beard III led UAPB with 12 tackles.
The Golden Lions will have a bye week and return to the gridiron on the road against Alabama State in Montgomery, AL, on October 9th at 2 p.m. at the ASU Stadium.
