SWAC

UAPB escapes on missed FG

— Arkansas-Pine Bluff had its best offensive half of the season but needed Alabama State to miss a field goal in the final minute to escape the Cramton Bowl with a victory Thursday night.

Justin Billings rushed for 127 yards and two touchdowns, Ben Anderson passed for 220 yards and another score and Alabama State’s Bobby Wenzig missed a 45-yard field goal in the final minute as UAPB held on for a 24-21 victory.

It was UAPB’s second road victory in a Southwestern Athletic Conference game in six days and helped it improve to 3-1 overall and 2-1 in the SWAC.

The Golden Lions, who won at Alcorn State on Saturday, looked to be on their way to an easy victory after Billings’ 39-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. His burst around the left side on the final play of the third quarter gave UAPB a 24-14 lead and came in the middle of a 15-minute stretch in which Alabama State couldn’t muster much offense.

UAPB led 14-7 at halftime after gaining 339 yards of total offense, including Billings’ -yard touchdown run and Anderson’s 27-yard screen pass to Ledarius Eckwood for a touchdown.

Alabama State (2-2, 2-) drove 86 yards in its first possession of the second half, capped by Malcolm Cyrus’ 13-yard touchdown run that tied it at 14-14.

But UAPB didn’t allow much of anything for the next five series, when the Hornets’ 15 plays netted 14 yards.

Tyler Strickland’s 50-yard field goal, after he had missed a 40-yarder in the first half, gave UAPB a 17-14 lead with :24 left in the third quarter and Billings’ score made it 24-14.

But Alabama State, which scored two late touchdowns in a victory over Grambling State last week, drove 70 yards in eight plays and Greg Jenkins’ 17-yard pass to Justin Robinson got it within 24-21 with 3:16 left.

With Billings on the sideline after limping off onthe previous series, UAPB couldn’t gain a first down and Alabama State got the ball at its 29.

Jenkins, who passed for 187 yards and rushed for 102 more, then completed three consecutive passes and ran

yards on a draw to get the Hornets to the UAPB 27.

But after three consecutive incompletions by Jenkins, Wenzig pushed his kick to the right and UAPB ran out the final minute.

UAPB finished with 466 yards of offense, to Alabama State’s 330. Dennis Jenkins added 82 yards rushing for UAPB and Isaiah Crowell, the former Georgia running back, had 40 yards on 11 carries.

There were 30 combined penalties. UAPB had a seasonhigh 17 for 172 yards and Alabama State had 13 for 115 yards.

Sports, Pages 19 on 09/21/2012

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