TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Arkansas-Pine Bluff turned Florida A&M’s homecoming celebration into a disappointing afternoon for the Rattlers, using a balanced rushing attack and a decisive third-quarter surge to claim a 31-28 victory Saturday at Bragg Memorial Stadium.
The Golden Lions improved to 3-3, while Florida A&M fell to 2-5 after a frustrating loss in front of a homecoming crowd of 20,549.
Florida A&M quarterback Armond Parker accounted for 376 yards of total offense and three touchdowns, but the Rattlers couldn’t overcome Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s physical ground game and its ability to sustain drives when the game was on the line.
Golden Lions Take Control in Third Quarter
The teams traded momentum throughout the first half, with Arkansas-Pine Bluff striking first on a two-yard touchdown run by Jaylen Jennings.
Florida A&M answered with field goals of 23 and 36 yards from Gabriel Caison before Parker broke free for a 37-yard touchdown run that gave the Rattlers a 13-7 lead in the second quarter.
UAPB reclaimed the advantage just before halftime when Jalen Williams capped an 11-play, 77-yard drive with a five-yard touchdown run, putting the Golden Lions ahead 14-13.
Florida A&M appeared to seize momentum immediately after halftime.
The Rattlers recovered a fumble on the second-half kickoff, giving their offense possession at the Arkansas-Pine Bluff 17-yard line. Two plays later, Parker connected with Corey Petty for a 17-yard touchdown.
The extra-point attempt failed, leaving FAMU ahead 19-14.
But Arkansas-Pine Bluff responded with the game’s defining stretch.
The Golden Lions marched 84 yards in 11 plays, consuming more than five minutes before Za’Marion Webber scored on a two-yard touchdown run to put UAPB back in front, 21-19.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff followed with another touchdown drive, this one covering 50 yards in seven plays. Jack Schierholz found Demetric Whitlock Jr. for a 14-yard touchdown pass, extending the lead to 28-19 with 4:25 remaining in the third quarter.
The two possessions gave the Golden Lions control of the game and forced Florida A&M to play from behind throughout the fourth quarter.
Parker Delivers Big Numbers, But FAMU Comes Up Short
Parker finished 23-of-37 passing for 319 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. He also led Florida A&M in rushing with 57 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.
Kieren Jackson provided the biggest plays in the passing game, catching two passes for 101 yards and a touchdown.
Petty led the Rattlers with seven receptions for 85 yards and a touchdown, while Tian Wyche added 49 receiving yards.
Despite those performances, Florida A&M struggled to establish a consistent rushing attack beyond Parker.
The Rattlers finished with just 75 net rushing yards, compared with 211 for Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
FAMU also converted only three of its 12 third-down opportunities and finished one-for-three on fourth down.
Late Touchdown Gives Rattlers Hope
Florida A&M trimmed the deficit to 28-22 early in the fourth quarter on Caison’s 43-yard field goal.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff answered with another time-consuming possession, driving 56 yards in nine plays and taking 5:19 off the clock.
Trey Glymph connected on a 39-yard field goal with 3:36 remaining, pushing the Golden Lions’ lead to 31-22.
The Rattlers responded almost immediately.
On the first play of the ensuing possession, Parker found Jackson for a 61-yard touchdown, cutting the deficit to 31-28 with 3:19 left.
But Caison missed the extra-point attempt, his second unsuccessful PAT of the afternoon.
Florida A&M never got another offensive possession.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff kept the ball on the ground, converting a third-and-one with a two-yard run by Jennings and later picking up another first down on a five-yard carry by Webber.
The Golden Lions exhausted the remaining clock to seal the three-point victory.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff Wins the Battle Up Front
The Golden Lions’ offensive production came from multiple contributors.
Williams rushed for a team-high 66 yards and a touchdown on nine carries while completing five of seven passes for 60 yards.
Webber added 60 rushing yards and a touchdown on 16 attempts, while Jennings contributed 42 yards and a score.
Schierholz completed eight of 12 passes for 80 yards and a touchdown and added 44 rushing yards.
Whitlock was UAPB’s leading receiver with four catches for 74 yards and a touchdown.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff finished with 351 yards of total offense, including 211 on the ground, and controlled possession for 33 minutes and 44 seconds.
The Golden Lions were especially effective on third down, converting eight of 14 opportunities.
Defensively, Tylan Cole was a disruptive presence, recording five tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks.
Florida A&M linebacker Jaiden Roper led the Rattlers with 13 tackles.
Homecoming Loss Adds to FAMU’s Frustration
For Florida A&M, the defeat was another difficult result in a season that has not gone according to plan.
The Rattlers generated 394 yards of offense and produced several explosive plays, but penalties, stalled drives and missed extra points proved costly.
FAMU was penalized eight times for 55 yards and allowed Arkansas-Pine Bluff to dictate the pace for long stretches of the second half.
For Arkansas-Pine Bluff, the victory represents an important road result in SWAC play and another example of the Golden Lions’ ability to compete behind their rushing attack.
The final three minutes told the story.
Florida A&M had the explosive playmaking ability to get back into the game, but Arkansas-Pine Bluff had the running game to finish it.
And on homecoming Saturday in Tallahassee, that was the difference.