GAME NOTES (PDF)
MONTICELLO – The University of Arkansas at Monticello football team returns to the friendly confines of Willis “Convoy” Leslie Cotton Boll Stadium this Saturday to host the Harding University Bisons in the first Great American Conference game of the 2012 season.
Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. The game can be heard on the UAM Sports Network (KHBM-FM 93.7 and online at uamsports.com). The UAM Athletics Department will also provide live video streaming for free. Links to the live audio and video, along with access to live statistics, can be found on the UAM football schedule at the following link:
http://uamsports.com/schedule.aspx?path=football&tab=football2.
Second year head coach Hud Jackson visited with uamsports.com on Thursday to discuss UAM’s preparation for Harding. To view the entire interview, visit the following link:
http://youtu.be/auQ6WFmcOOc. The video is also available at uamsports.com.
UAM is celebrating its annual Parent and Family Appreciation Day this Saturday. Festivities begin at 1 p.m. inside the UAM Fine Arts Center with a reception, followed by a welcome from UAM Chancellor Dr. Jack Lassiter, a performance by the UAM concert choir, the presentation of the family of the year award and a performance by comedian Tom Morello. Attendees will then be invited to the Walk of Champions at 3:30 p.m. and a tailgate party cookout at Weevil Pond prior to the UAM-HU football game. For more information, contact Julie Gentry at (870) 460-1046.
WEEK 3 STORYLINES
GAC OPENER
Saturday’s game against Harding is the first Great American Conference game of the season for both teams. Both UAM and Harding went 3-3 last season in conference play during the inaugural season of the GAC. Harding was picked to finish 4th this season by the league’s head coaches, while UAM was picked to finish in a tie for 6th place with Southern Arkansas, Southeastern Oklahoma State and Southwestern Oklahoma State. Other GAC games this weekend include Henderson State at Arkansas Tech, East Central at SW Oklahoma State and Southern Arkansas at SE Oklahoma State.
SERIES HISTORY AGAINST HARDING
Saturday’s game against Harding marks the 48th all-time meeting between the two squads on the football gridiron in a series that began in the 1960 season. Harding holds an 11-10 edge against UAM in games played at Willis “Convoy” Leslie Cotton Boll Stadium. Since the turn of the century, UAM is 5-4 against Harding. The last meeting between the two teams resulted in a 33-26 victory for the Bisons in the 2010 season played in Searcy. Harding and UAM have competed against each other in three different conferences, starting with the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference, switching to the Gulf South Conference in the 1990s and now continuing with the second year of the Great American Conference.
THE OPPONENT: HARDING
Harding is 1-0 this season following its 31-10 win over North Alabama on the road last Saturday. The Bisons limited the Lions to just 192 yards of total offense, including just 19 passing yards allowed. HU posted 440 yards of total offense, including 287 rushing yards. HU had three players with at least 60 rushing yards last week. Through the air, HU was led by this week’s GAC co-offensive player of the week, Donatella Luckett, who hauled in five catches for 141 yards and two touchdowns, including a 60-yard touchdown catch and a 41-yard touchdown catch. The Bisons are receiving votes in the latest American Football Coaches Association Top 25 Poll.
THE COACHES
UAM’s second-year head coach Hud Jackson fell to 6-7 overall following his team’s 31-24 loss to Northwestern State last Saturday, while Harding head coach Ronnie Huckeba improved to 23-29 overall in his sixth season patrolling the black and gold sidelines after defeating North Alabama 31-10 last Saturday in Florence, Ala.
LAST TIME OUT: NORTHWESTERN STATE 31, UAM 24
Northwestern State escaped with a 31-24 win over the Boll Weevils this past Saturday in Natchitoches, La. Sophomore kicker Reagan Wise nailed a 22-yard field goal with 8:02 remaining in the second quarter to send the teams into the locker room at halftime knotted up at 17-all. UAM took a 24-17 lead on a 22-yard touchdown run from Damon Wicker in the third quarter before NWLA reeled off 14 unanswered points throughout the remainder of the game, including a 52-yard interception return for a touchdown. UAM out gained NWLA 276-256 in total offense yards.
COACH’S PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Head Coach Hud Jackson and his coaching staff have named junior receiver Jamal Nixon, the entire defensive line and senior kick returner Blake Prince the offensive, defensive and special teams players of the game for their efforts in last Saturday’s loss to Northwestern State. Nixon hauled in eight catches for 96 yards, including a 60-yard touchdown reception midway through the second quarter. Defensive lineman, such as Brillon Gooden, Jalen Garmon, Davis Stephens, Clifton Price and Jamie Ward helped UAM limit NWLA to 256 yards of total offense. Those five players listed above combined for 20 tackles, four tackles for losses and 2.5 quarterback sacks. See below for a recap of Prince’s performance.
PRINCE NAMED SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
The Great American Conference has named University of Arkansas at Monticello senior running back and kickoff return specialist Blake Prince the league’s special teams player of the week after racking up 128 kickoff return yards in UAM’s 31-24 loss to Northwestern State last Saturday in Natchitoches, La. Prince returned three kickoffs in the loss for 128 yards, including an 82-yard return for a touchdown with 3:25 remaining in the first quarter to cut the Northwestern State lead to 17-14. It was the longest kickoff return for a touchdown for UAM since a 90-yard score by Greg Lawson against Valdosta State in the 1999 season. The Luling, La. native also had 13 carries for 29 rushing yards and six catches for a net of 28 yards. Prince’s other two kickoff returns went for 26 and 20 yards, respectively.
