PINE BLUFF — Dezmond Beverly didn’t have a single reception before Saturday night. And with less than five minutes remaining, Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s freshman receiver had just one catch for 12 yards, which set up UAPB’s touchdown on the opening drive.
His second catch proved to be even bigger.
Beverly ran along the Alabama A&M sideline, broke a tackle and sprinted 40 yards to the end zone with 4:09 left to wrap up the Golden Lions’ 21-14 come-from-behind victory over the Bulldogs.
“Had to make a play,” said Beverly, who was forced out of a redshirt year because of injuries to other receivers earlier in the season. “That’s what was going through my head. ... I broke the tackle and I just went for the end zone.”
Beverly’s hitch route on second-and-10 was only designed to keep the drive going, but his move to get away from a defender gave the Golden Lions (3-3, 2-2 Southwestern Athletic Conference) a bit more than expected.
“He got the first down, that’s all we were going for,” UAPB Coach Monte Coleman said. “The rest was just him.”
It was the last of several plays that Coleman said were instrumental in turning a 14-7 deficit late in the third quarter into a UAPB victory, plays that were absent in last week’s 21-6 loss to PrairieView A&M.
After Stephen Jones’ 8-yard touchdown run tied the game at 14-14 late in the third quarter, both offenses traded punts through much of the fourth.
With less than five minutes remaining, freshman quarterback Justin Jones lofted a passfor Alabama A&M (2-5, 1-4) intended for Kenneth Harris, but it was intercepted by Gyovanni Harris at the UAPB 20. On first down, Boudreaux connected with Chris Bolton, another freshman receiver, for a 30-yard gain to the 50 and two plays later, Beverly scored the game-winner.
“We came together as an offense,” said Boudreaux, who threw two interceptions in last week’s loss. “We finally came out and played a complete game. I didn’t throw any picks. It’s a great feeling.”
Beverly and Bolton playing big roles was UAPB’s strategy all week. Boudreaux had relied on Raymond Webber for much of the first five games, but after the offense stalled in last week’s loss he felt he needed to get others involved.
Webber was still a factor, as he caught eight passes for 110 yards, but the freshmen duo led the final drive. Former quarterback Rontrell Bailey caught three passes for 30 yards and fullback T.J. Shelton caught the Golden Lions’ first touchdown, a 19-yarder in the flat from a rolling Boudreaux that gave UAPB a 7-0 lead after its opening drive.
Boudreaux completed passes to seven receivers and finished 18 for 33 for 254 yards and 2 touchdowns.
“We’re forcing guys tostep up,” Boudreaux said. The Golden Lions’ offense looked like it had put last week’s disappointing showing behind them after their first drive. Boudreaux led the Golden Lions on a seven-play drive that covered 63 yards and ended with Shelton’s second touchdown catch of the season.
But UAPB struggled for the rest of the first half and most of the third quarter, as penalties and failure to convert on third down stopped potential scoring drives.
Rashad Jones caught a 13-yard scoring pass from Jones, a freshman making his second consecutive start for the injured Deaunte Mason, to tie the game at 7-7 with 3:55 left in the third quarter and Kaderius Lacey’s 8-yard run with 3:55 left in the quarter gave the Bulldogs a 14-7 lead.
Despite the similarities - a solid defensive effort being spoiled by a struggling offense - Coleman said he didn’t feel his team sensed a conclusion similar to last week’a.
“I looked at the eyes of the guys on the sideline,” Coleman said. “I knew this was a different atmosphere tonight than last week. These guys [were] going to win this football game in some way.”
That started with a 46-yard drive that benefited from a face mask penalty on Alton Taylor’s punt return, and Jones’ touchdown run was set up by a 30-yard pass from Boudreaux to Webber.It continued when Harvey intercepted a Jones pass and Beverly made his move along the far sideline to give UAPB its first victory over Alabama A&M in the past four tries.
“In the long run,” Coleman said, “We made the plays when we absolutely had to.”
JACKSON STATE 49, SOUTHERN 45
JACKSON, Miss. - Casey Therriault threw five touchdown passes, including a 28-yarder to Rick Richardson with two seconds left, as Jackson State outlasted Southern University of Baton Rouge.
Sports, Pages 33 on 10/17/2010