TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Arkansas-Pine Bluff took over the third quarter and held on for a 31-28 win over Florida A&M on Saturday at Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee, handing the Rattlers their first homecoming loss since 2017.
A homecoming crowd of 20,549 watched FAMU take a 19-14 lead right after halftime. FAMU pounced on a loose ball on the second-half kickoff to start at the UAPB 17, and two plays later quarterback Armond Parker hit Corey Petty for a 17-yard score. The extra point missed.
The Golden Lions answered with two long touchdown drives. Za’Marion Webber capped an 84-yard march with a 2-yard run, and the next possession ended with a 14-yard scoring throw from Jack Schierholz to Demetric Whitlock Jr., pushing the margin to nine, 28-19, at the 4:25 mark of the third. FAMU got within 28-22 early in the fourth on a 43-yard field goal by Gabriel Caison but could not close the gap.
Parker, a freshman, did almost everything for the home team. He threw for 319 yards and two scores without an interception and led the Rattlers on the ground with 57 yards, including a 37-yard touchdown run that put FAMU up 13-7 in the second quarter. Receiver Kieren Jackson turned just two catches into 101 yards and a score.
The difference was on the ground, where UAPB ran for 211 yards to 75 for FAMU. The Rattlers also converted just three of 12 third downs.
Head coach Quinn Gray Sr. took the blame for the loss, saying his players gave everything they had for four quarters and that the coaching staff failed to put them in better positions.
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