Gameday: Bulldogs at Arkansas-Pine Bluff

PINE BLUFF, Ark. -- When the Bulldogs and Arkansas-Pine Bluff take the field this afternoon, it will be a matchup of two teams with a lot still to play for.

Alabama A&M is 1-5 overall and 1-4 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference while the Golden Lions are 1-4 overall and 1-2 in the SWAC.

It's a tale of two teams with a common goal.

"We're still on our way, we're still progressing toward being that team we want to be," Bulldogs Head Coach James Spady said.

"Any time we play a conference game, it's a big deal," said UAPB Head Coach Monte Coleman. "We've got six games left and we need to win as many of these as we can."

The Bulldogs are coming off a Homecoming loss to Alcorn State while UAPB had a bye last week and is holding its Homecoming this week - complete with all the distractions.

"We've got a lot going on," Coleman said. "We're preparing for homecoming this week, a lot of distractions. Have to get ready to play."

The Golden Lions are last in the conference in rushing at 71.8 yards per game while also giving up a league-high 27 sacks.

"We've got to keep running the football," Coleman said. "We're 50-50 on the play calling. Some of that is protecting the quarterback. We've got eliminate those negative plays offensively."

Meanwhile, the Bulldogs have the SWAC's leading tackler in linebacker Kenneth Davis with 60 total tackles. In the secondary, Dexter Reese and Devonte Simon are among the league leaders in pass defense. Reese has 2 interceptions and a league-leading 7 passes broken up while Simon has five breakups and 1 interception.

For the Bulldogs, this is another step and another chance to play for something this season.

"There's (something) to play for," Spady said. "We haven't accomplished anything, not anything significant. So everybody is excited about the ability to accomplish something significant ... from the players to the coaches.

"We're encouraged and we're ready to go forward."

Kickoff today is 2:30 p.m. The game can be viewed on Livestats at http://www.sidearmstats.com/uapb/football/ and heard on WJAB-FM 90.9 and wjab.org with the pregame show at 2 p.m. and Michael Burns on the play-by-play.

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Players Mentioned

#12 Devonte Simon: DB; 5' 11"; Junior

#20 Dexter Reese: DB; 5' 10"; Junior

#52 Kenneth Davis III: LB; 5' 11"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#12 Devonte Simon
: 5' 11"; Junior
: DB

#20 Dexter Reese
: 5' 10"; Junior
: DB

#52 Kenneth Davis III
: 5' 11"; Junior
: LB

Players Mentioned

#12 Devonte Simon

#20 Dexter Reese

#52 Kenneth Davis III

Players Mentioned

#12 Devonte Simon

#20 Dexter Reese

#52 Kenneth Davis III