PINE BLUFF — Of all the nonfootball-related items in use by the Arkansas-Pine Bluff coaching staff, a large, white, magnetic board in the back of a team meeting room has gotten the largest workout this year.
The board includes small magnets which each player’s name, arranged by position and according to spot on thedepth chart.
A glance at the board today wouldn’t look anything like a glance at the board 2 1/2 months ago.
“I look at it like this,” defensive coordinator Alonzo Hampton said,“when one guy goes down, one guy has to step up.”
Coach Monte Coleman, Hampton and the rest of the coaching staff signify that by simply taking one name off and sliding on another - a common occurrence inside J. Thomas May Field House this fall.
The Golden Lions (4-3, 3-2 Southwestern Athletic Conference) will play SWAC Western Division leader Grambling State (6-1, 6-0) at 1:30 p.m. today at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. And like in its previous seven games, they will be without several players who, in August, were set to be regular contributors.
All-America kick returner Mareo Howard and promising wide receiver Michael Cooperhaven’t played a snap because of academic issues. Defensive end Michael Johnson, who started 10 games last year, hasn’t played at all after breaking his foot this summer.
Linebacker Antonio Harding tore his Achilles tendon before the year, and cornerback Joe Brown, who has started 21 career games, tore three ligaments in his knee, also before the season started.
Since then, Jamel Maxwell, Brown’s replacement, and wide receiver Thomas Winters have suffered season-ending anterior cruciate ligament tears,while linebacker Devon Tingle, safety Joe Dalton and wide receiver Ladarius Eckwood have each missed time because of more minor injuries.
So much attrition provides headaches for Coleman, and a complete transformation of the big, white board.
“All we do is look at the depth chart and move another person up,” he said. “Take a player off, put them on injured reserve and we coach them up. ... That’s why we’re coaches.”
Coleman admits to holding self-described “pity parties” in his office after having heardnews of another injury. But they never last long. He said the injuries have been less devastating thanks to a cast of fillins, mostly freshmen, who have taken their increased roles in stride.
Jer-Ryan Harris filled in for Harding, slid to an outside linebacker spot and is leading the SWAC in tackles.
Gyovanni Harvey started his first game against Prairie View A&M on Oct. 7 and his fourth-quarter interception against Alabama A&M on Oct. 16 led to a game-winning score by freshman receiver Dezmond Beverly, who was playing because of Eckwood’s concussion.
Last week’s victory over Alcorn State wasn’t in hand until freshman defensive back Jay Graham, inserted to add depth because of the injuries, batted down a fourth-down pass in the end zone.
“That’s why we won the last two ballgames,” Coleman said. “Because these guys are doing what they’re supposed to do.”
Senior defensive tackle Ibrahim Abdulai said it’s kind of an odd to look among his teammates on the field and see several faces who were standing on the sideline in August.
But he’s never doubted their ability as he remembers a line used often in practice by linebackers coach Vernon Dean.
“Coach Dean’s favorite saying is ‘All you need is a few good men,’ ” Abdulai said. “And that’s what we have. We’re going to use every last one of them to our advantage.”Arkansas-Pine Bluff vs. Grambling StateWHEN 1:30 p.m. Central today WHERE War Memorial Stadium, Little Rock RADIO KUAP-FM, 89.7, in Pine Bluff INTERNET uapblionsroar.com RECORDS Arkansas-Pine Bluff (4-3, 3-2 Southwestern Athletic Conference), Grambling State (6-1, 6-0) COACHES Monte Coleman (12-17 in three seasons at Arkansas-Pine Bluff), Rod Broadway (32-10 in four seasons at Grambling State) WHAT TO LOOK FOR Despite the twogame difference in the Western Division standings, there are a few scenarios that could have UAPB playing in the SWAC Championship Game in December. But none of those scenarios involve a loss to Grambling State. A loss would put the Golden Lions three games back of the Tigers, who will have just two SWAC games remaining. UAPB beat Grambling State 49-42 last year to stay in the race another week, but a victory this year will be made more difficult by the SWAC’s top offense (410.9 yards per game). Grambling State hasn’t lost since a 20-6 loss to Louisiana Tech to open the season.
KEY FOR ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF Limit Frank Warren. Grambling’s senior running back gained 209 yards and scored two touchdowns in a victory last week over Mississippi Valley State, his third 200-yard rushing game of the season.
His 1,142 rushing yards this season are second in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision.
Sports, Pages 28 on 10/30/2010