HERO Sports welcomes you to "Two-a-Days", where we will preview every single one of the 125 FCS programs, with two being released each day from June 18 to August 18 (with the final day having three in one day). Today we give you … Arkansas Pine-Bluff.
[divider]MORE: Compare Any Two FCS Players or Any Two FCS Teams[divider]
FCS TEAM BY TEAM PREVIEW: The countdown
FCS PRESEASON TOP 25: The poll
FCS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA: The teams
ARKANSAS PINE-BLUFF (2-9 IN 2017)
The SWAC (UAPB was 5th in SWAC West in 2017)
COACH: Cedric Thomas – 1st year (0-0)
2017 OFFENSE: 21.0 ppg. (84th in FCS)
2017 DEFENSE: 34.5 ppg. (107th in FCS)
SUM IT UP: Thomas's hire has excited the fanbase, as he is a former UAPB standout (in the late 1990s) and was a part of the school's first SWAC Western Division championship team. He made a name for himself as an assistant coach at Alcorn State the past few years, helping the Braves win four consecutive SWAC Eastern Division titles (2014-17). With some nice talent returning on defense, things should be looking up defensively for a program that struggled on that side of the ball last year. JUCO transfer QB Shannon Patrick is also an interesting addition — he was Florida's Class 8A Offensive High School Player of the Year before going to college.
BEST-CASE SCENARIO: Don't be surprised if UAPB begins 2-0 going into its road game at FCS power South Dakota State. The two weeks following (Prairie View A&M and FBS' Florida International) will be formidable — but in the last six games, three wins is quite realistic. Last year's team was within a touchdown of Grambling and Southern U. (7 points and 5 points respectively and lost two other games by a TD or less). A 6-5 type winning record would be a huge victory, and the first winning season since the 10-2 team in 2012 … but if you're into "taking it one step at a time", four or five wins would be a building-block season, too.
[divider]HERO SPORTS FCS PODCAST: Subscribe here
BEST FCS PLAYER BY NUMBER: We count down, No. 99 through No. 1[divider]
TOP RETURNEE: RB KeShawn Williams (703 yards rushing, 7 TDs, 332 yards receiving)
THE NEXT FIVE: P/K Jamie Gillan (1st team All SWAC); LB Jontavis Testa (Leading tackler – 67 tackles, 3 TFL); DE Jalen Steward (9 TFL, 3 sacks, 5 hurries, 47 tackles); WR Tyrin Ralph (39 receptions led team); DB Shufon Alcorn (13 PBUs, 32 tackles, 1 INT).
TOP NEWCOMER: QB Shannon Patrick (JUCO All American honorable mention).
DID YOU KNOW?: Former Golden Lions standout L.C. Greenwood was only a 10th round NFL Draft Pick in 1969 but won four Super Bowl rings with the Pittsburgh Steelers and was named to the Pro Bowl six times in his career. He was named to the NFL's 1970s All Decade team.
THE QUOTE: "You would have to be in my inner being to get a feel for (how excited he is). We've had tears of joy because we are excited and at the same time nervous and anxious; so many emotions wrapped up into one … All in all it is great to be back home for a new start. I'm ready to go and see these young men get out, run around and have fun. Once we get out here inside these white lines, all that nervousness will be gone and it will be back to doing what we do best." — UAPB head coach Cedric Thomas said this spring
Construction begins on new UAPB football field https://t.co/gvAyGRpwur@UAPBLionsRoar @GeoSurfaces @PBC_Sports
— Ocie B. Brown (@ociebrown10) June 13, 2018
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PREVIEWS: The Rest Of The SWAC
Alabama A&M | Alabama State | Alcorn State
Arkansas Pine-Bluff | Grambling | Jackson State
Miss. Valley State | Prairie View A&M | Southern U. | Texas Southern
