Mississippi Valley State proved to be the perfect remedy for what was ailing a struggling Arkansas-Pine Bluff team.
The Golden Lions rolled up 484 total yards as they spoiled Valley’s homecoming with a 38-18 victory — the first of the season for the defending Southwestern Athletic Conference champion — Saturday in Itta Bena at Rice-Totten Stadium before an announced crowd of 8,632.
Valley falls to 1-7 overall, 1-5 in the SWAC and remains winless at home in four tries this season.
Pine Bluff moves to 1-7, 1-5 and avoids its longest losing streak since 1986.
After losing its first five league games by an average of 7.2 points per contest, UAPB coach Monte Coleman knew his team was due to finally get in the win column.
“It feels great because we had been so close in a lot of games. We never lost confidence, though,” Coleman said. “We knew coming in, (Valley) had a lot to play for, being that it was homecoming. So, we’re just happy we’re able to walk out of here with our first victory.”
Golden Lion quarterback Benjamin Anderson, the SWAC’s preseason offensive player of the year, carved up the Delta Devil defense, throwing for 269 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 123 yards and two scores.
“He was the (preseason) conference MVP for a reason,” Valley coach Karl Morgan said. “We didn’t stop him running the ball or throwing the ball. He played real well, and we didn’t play real well.”
Both touchdown passes went to Cody Swain, who had a career-high 153 yards on six receptions, including 86 on a slant early in the fourth quarter. Swain also had a 20-yard TD catch to open the scoring.
The Golden Lion defense played a huge part in the first win also, allowing a season-low 57 yards rushing and picking off Valley quarterback Patrick Ivy twice. Ivy threw for 233 yards and three touchdowns, but he completed only 13 of 33 passes.
The junior signal caller played nearly the entire way, a week after he was hobbled by a hamstring injury against Prairie View A&M.
“He’s still a work in progress, but he did some good things,” Morgan said.
Julian Stafford, Richard Drake and Kenneth Dabney each caught a TD for the Delta Devils, who now will start preparation for Grambling State.
UAPB led from the start, jumping out to a 10-0 lead midway through the second quarter.
Through one half, it seemed this latest installment of a Delta rivalry would be no runaway, as has been the case in the previous two meetings. But UAPB kept pressing on the gas pedal to start the second half thanks to Anderson’s ground game.
He rushed for 57 of the Lions’ 70 yards on the opening drive of the half, capped by his 4-yard carry to make it 24-6.
The Delta Devils pulled within 24-12 on the next drive, as Ivy struck a 64-yard pass to Dabney, but they wouldn’t come any closer.
The Lions then used a 12-play, 81-yard drive that ended with Anderson’s 2-yard TD sneak to up their to 31-12.
The Delta Devils cut the lead to 31-18 early in the fourth quarter on a 20-yard TD connection between Ivy and Stafford. But the Golden Lions answered with the finishing touch on a 86-yard TD catch-and-run by Swain.
Robert Simpson led the MVSU defense with nine tackles (3 for loss) while Antonio Benson chipped in eight tackles (2.5 for loss), a sack and a forced fumble.
Valley will face another winless foe this week when it plays at Grambling State.
nContact Bill Burrus at 581-7237 or bburrus@gwcommonwealth.com. Follow on Twitter:@Bill_Burrus.
