LIONS SEARCHING FOR OFFENSIVE SOLUTIONS

By Troy Schulte/OF THE COMMERCIAL STAFF

The Arkansas-Pine Bluff offense entered Saturday’s game against Jackson State as one of the poorest units — at least statistically — in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

And after its 21-10 loss to the Tigers at Golden Lion Stadium, not much has changed. But if anyone is looking for a silver lining in a team that has fallen to 0-6 (0-2 SWAC) it’s this: the Golden Lions are at least trying new things.

UAPB offered several new offensive wrinkles Saturday, but still struggled against a Jackson State defense now ranked second in the conference. The Golden Lions tried different formations, juggled personel and even used a player that had recently joined the team.

“We’re just trying to get a spark,” said UAPB coach Monte Coleman following a game in which his offense gained 173 total yards and committed four turnovers.

At the beginning of the season, Stewart Franks was thought to be one of the conference’s best defensive backs. But on Saturday the 6-foot-3, 218-pound free safety was used in the second half both on defense and at wide receiver.

Franks said it is something that had been in the works all season, playing both ways. But it wasn’t until last week, when he began practicing with the offense more extensively, did he realize it would be carried out in a game.

“This Monday, when we practiced, they started putting me in at receiver,” Franks said. “They told me to wait until the second half, and they’ll put me in.”

Coleman said the plan isn’t to stretch the field in hopes of big plays from Franks, only to provide a larger target for quarterback Johnathan Moore and take advantage of one of the team’s more athletic players. But midway through the third quarter, Moore went to Franks on a fly pattern, and he almost came down with the ball near the goal line while double-covered.

Then on the next play, Franks, a two-way player throughout his high school career at Little Rock Central, caught a six-yard pass for his first career catch. He finished the game with three catches for 33 yards.

“I’m starting at safety,” Franks said, “but to me it was just like in high school. Going both ways, keep on pushing, trying to make plays.”

UAPB also had running back Martell Mallett line up behind center in a shotgun formation, a set more recently made famous by former Arkansas star Darren McFadden.

The Golden Lions used the formation a couple of times in a 23-17 loss to Alabama A&M Sept. 27, and then tried again an Saturday.

It was first used early in the second quarter when Mallett took the snap and sprinted to his left for for a four-yard gain. The next play, Mickey Dean lined up alongside Mallett before motioning to the right. Mallett’s four-yard gain was then negated by a procedure penalty.

Two plays later, Mallett attempted his first career pass, which was low to Dean and fell off his fingertips to the ground. The next play, a 3rd-and-10, a Johnathan Moore pass intended for Anthony Abrams fell incomplete, and the Golden Lions were forced to punt.

Despite the new looks, Mallett and Dean again failed to find running room. Two weeks after combining for 26 yards on 18 carries against A&M, the duo thought by some to be two of the most explosive in the Football Championship Subdivision, combined for just 28 yards on 18 carries. Mallett, though, for the second straight game got into the end zone. His score on Saturday came from a yard out in the fourth quarter to make it 21-10.

“Two of the finer backs in the country in my opinion,” Jackson State coach Rick Comegy said. “You’ve got to get up for those kids.”

Jeremy Morrow made his Golden Lion debut on Saturday. The newly added freshman fullback from Detroit wore No. 43 and caught a five-yard pass from Moore in the flat during a second-quarter drive which led to a 46-yard Carlos Reyes field goal.

UAPB hosts Prairie View A&M on Saturday. Kickoff is 4 p.m.