UAPB Football Rewind: Ralph Wins Three Awards; Gamble Reviews Valley Win; Bye Week, PVAMU Next
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff wide receiver / return specialist Tyrin Ralph earned honors for his performance in the Golden Lions’ 24-17 football win at Mississippi Valley State Saturday.
Ralph was named as the Southwestern Athletic Conference Specialist of the Week, BOXTOTOW National Player Of The Week, and STATS Perform FCS National Specialist Of The Week after totaling a career-high 279 all-purpose yards against the Delta Devils.
Ralph caught four passes for 61 yards, returned four kickoffs for a career-high 85 yards (21.2 avg.), had a career-high 142 yards on five punt returns with one touchdown, and one rush for -9 yards. Ralph’s career-high 77-yard punt return for touchdown with 1:54 remaining in the game proved to be the game-winning score. It was his second career punt return for touchdown and his first since a 58-yard punt return for touchdown vs. Cumberland on Sept. 8, 2018.
GAMBLE REVIEWS VALLEY WIN: University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff head football coach Doc Gamble participated on the Southwestern Athletic Conference football coaches call Monday.
The Golden Lions’ win at Valley moves UAPB one win away from winning the SWAC Western Division Championship and a berth in the Cricket Wireless SWAC Championship on May 1.
UAPB (3-0 overall, 3-0 SWAC) has an open date this week and will return to action with a pair of home games April 17 vs. Prairie View A&M and April 24 vs. Texas Southern. Both games are scheduled for 3 p.m. kickoffs at Simmons Bank Field.
The contests will be video streamed live at uapblionsroar.com/live and on the free UAPB Athletics App. The UAPB Sports Network radio broadcast begins at 2:30 p.m. on 99.3 FM The Beat, with online audio at uapblionsroar.com/live, and on the free UAPB Athletics App.
Doc On The Mic-
On Win At Miss. Valley St.: “It was another good win for us. I’m very happy being able to come away with a win at a tough place to play. Our guys played well throughout the game, and we were able to pull one out, a close one out, later on in the game. (MVSU Head Coach Vincent) Danzy and that crew, he’s done a great job with those guys and he has a good team. We knew that going in. They had some time off (three weeks) to really prepare, but we went up and took on the challenge.”
On Plan During Bye Week and PV Look Ahead: “Right now because we have a bye week this week, we’re going to take care of the guys we have here. We’ve got some bumps and bruises. We have to have our guys attack treatment like never before, because we do have Prairie View coming up. They’re well coached. I usually bump into some of their staff members on the road recruiting down in New Orleans…They are a good ball club, with good coaches. Good offensive minds, great imagination (schematically). They create challenges for you…The defensive staff does a good job as well. Those guys play hard. It’s going to be a challenge.”
On Play Of Tyrin Ralph: “Tyrin is a dynamic guy. He’s a dynamic player. He can hurt you as a wide out. He can hurt you as a returner, as it showed this past week. He’s been good since we’ve gotten here. He’s a guy that is going to give everything he has throughout the entire game. He actually tapped his helmet a couple of times in the game (signaling he needed to get a quick break). I said ‘Nah, you can’t come out right now. You gotta go.’ And he said, ‘Alright, Coach.’ I think I used a timeout so he could get a breath. That’s how valuable he is.”
NOTABLES vs. Miss Valley St:
- It was the third straight game in Itta Bena in which the Golden Lions and Delta Devils was a one-score contest. UAPB won at Valley 25-19 in overtime in 2015, and lost in double-overtime to the Delta Devils 48-47 in 2018.
- QB Skyler Perry completed 23 of 42 passes for 235 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, and caught pass for 17 yards. Perry through multiple touchdown passes for the third straight game and is second in the SWAC in both touchdown passes (eight) and passing yards (804).
- RB Mattias Clark set career highs in carries (18) and yards (75).
- WR Josh Wilkes had a game-high six receptions for 62 yards and caught a touchdown pass for the third straight game. Wilkes is tied for fifth in the SWAC in receptions (16), ranks third in the SWAC in receiving yards (277) and is tied for second in touchdown receptions (three).
- Harry Ballard III caught five passes for a game-high 70 yards. Ballard is tied for eighth in the SWAC in receptions (12), fifth in receiving yards (194), and tied for eighth in touchdowns (one).
- The defensive recorded five sacks for the second straight game and third time in the last four games dating back to 2019 season finale against Texas Southern.
- The unit also forced three 3-and-out possessions.
- DE Xavier Mitchell had a career-high two sacks in the game. Paul Reeves, Athen Smith, and Tyler Smith each had one sack.
- P Josh Sanchez and LB Isaiah Singleton each had fumble recoveries on special teams.
LIMITED NUMBER OF HOME FOOTBALL TICKETS ON SALE: A limited number of single-game tickets are on sale for the final two home football games on the 2021 UAPB Spring Schedule.
The Golden Lions will host Prairie View A&M on April 17 and Texas Southern on April 24 at Simmons Bank Field, with both games set for 3 p.m. kickoffs.
Advanced purchases of tickets are available online only at uapblionsroar.com/tickets through Friday at midnight before each home game. Prices are $20 for general admission tickets, $25 for reserved bleacher seats, $30 for reserved bench back seats, and $40 for chairback seats. Golden Lion students are admitted free with valid UAPB ID.
If available on gameday, in-person ticket purchases can be made at Simmons Bank Field starting two hours before kickoff. Prices increase by $5 on gameday.
For more information, call 870-575-7930 or 870-575-8601.
