A football season that remains perfect won't go without at least one interesting finish.
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff held a 12-point lead with 12:14 remaining and avoided a collapse at the finish to beat Prairie View A&M 36-31 Saturday to win its first Southwestern Athletic Conference Western Division title since 2012.
"It's definitely exciting to win, and especially when you win a championship," first-year Golden Lions Coach Doc Gamble said. "It was a great team win for us. Looking forward to playing again."
The Lions (4-0 overall and SWAC) will have two games to look forward to, one next Saturday against Texas Southern and the other in the May 1 SWAC championship game, opponent and location to be determined.
To hold on, the Golden Lions had to overcome committing four turnovers -- by collecting five takeaways. Senior rover Jalon Thigpen picked off two passes and now has four on the season.
"I had already given up one play, so I said I wasn't giving up anymore," Thigpen said. "I had to capitalize on something."
UAPB recovered two Prairie View fumbles and also had an interception from sophomore linebacker Monroe Beard III. The Lions lost three fumbles and quarterback Skyler Perry was picked off once.
UAPB got the ball back on downs with 1:04 remaining, but inexplicably took a knee at midfield on fourth down, leaving Prairie View (2-1 overall and SWAC) 8 seconds left for one last gasp. Sophomore linebacker Isaac Peppers sniffed out the last-ditch effort, sacking Trazon Connley for a 13-yard loss to run out the clock.
Peppers totaled 3.5 sacks on the day for losses of 27 yards.
"We can do a little better job at managing the game down the stretch," Gamble said. "That's on me."
Connley completed 24 of 49 passes for 341 yards and three touchdowns, but was sacked five times. He rushed 13 times for 67 yards.
Tony Mullins, the Panthers' running back, had 114 yards on 10 receptions.
"They had a few wrinkles up their sleeve, and it took a little while for us to get adjusted to it," Gamble said. "Once we got honed in, we played a lot better on defense."
UAPB went into halftime with a 27-21 lead.
UAPB also relied on Tyrin Ralph, the dangerous return specialist who made more of a name for himself as a receiver Saturday. The senior caught seven passes for 100 yards and a touchdown after catching six passes in the past two games combined.
"I came in as an athlete, so wherever they put me on the field, they see me as a returner. They see me as a receiver," Ralph said. "You're going to get the best of me in both worlds."
Ralph also broke a big special teams return as well. He went 56 yards on a kickoff after Prairie View's opening possession, but the ensuing drive ended on a Mattias Clark fumble.
Ralph returned two punts for 13 yards.
Perry completed only 16 of 33 passes for 201 yards and four touchdowns, matching a season-high in the latter category. He also led the Lions in rushing with 45 yards on 12 carries.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
UAPB now has back-to-back winning records for the first time since 2011-12 (6-5 and 10-2).
Current Prairie View Coach Eric Dooley and two of his assistants, Henry Miller and Damon Nivens, were on Monte Coleman's staff in 2012, when the Lions won their only outright SWAC title.
UAPB is now 4-0 for the first time since 1994, when present interim Athletic Director Chris Robinson was quarterback. UAPB beat Harding, Prairie View, the University of Arkansas at Monticello and Henderson State before losing the next three games that year.
THE GAME CHANGED WHEN ...
UAPB blocked its third punt of the season early in the second quarter. After tying the game at 14-14 on Perry's 1-yard skip, Daryl Carter blocked a punt and recovered it at the Panthers' 2. On third-and-goal, Perry fired up the middle to Josh Wilkes from 5 yards out to give the Lions their first lead.
Wilkes, who had three catches for 16 yards, earned his second touchdown on a 3-yard haul from Perry with 12:14 left in the game.
Prairie View blocked a Zack Piwniczka 35-yard field-goal attempt with 11:01 remaining in the game. The Panthers then went 60 yards in the next nine plays to pull within 36-31 with 7:06 left.
Piwniczka had made a 42-yard field goal early in the third quarter.
NEXT UP ...
UAPB is scheduled to host Texas Southern at 3 p.m. next Saturday at Simmons Bank Field.
See game story in today's sports section of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
