Arkansas-Pine Bluff
– Arkansas-Pine Bluff will make its second appearance in the Southwestern Athletic Conference football championship game. The Golden Lions dropped a 22-13 decision to Alabama A&M during the 2006 championship game.
– Before the football championship game, UAPB was one of four teams to share the 1966 SWAC Championship. Before leaving the SWAC in 1970 and returning in 1997, the Golden Lions shared the 1966 crown with Southern, Grambling State and Texas Southern.
– UAPB head coach Monte Coleman was selected as one of 20 finalists for the Eddie Robinson Award, presented annually by the Sports Network to the top coach in FCS football. The announcement was made Monday, November 19, 2012. The winner of the Eddie Robinson Award along with the other postseason honors will be announced at the FCS Awards Banquet and Presentation on Dec. 17 in Philadelphia.
– Arkansas-Pine Bluff defensive lineman Brandon Thurmond (2012 SWAC Defensive Player of the Year) joined the Buck Buchanan Award Watch List on November 14, 2012 in the race for the 18th annual award which honors the outstanding defensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision. Thurmond currently leads the nation in sacks with 16.5.
– Arkansas-Pine Bluff leads the SWAC and ranks 11th in FCS in scoring defense allowing 18.3 points per game.
– Running back Justin Billings has rushed for 768 yards, averaging 6.0 per carry. Billings has scored five touchdowns while averaging 76.8 yards per game.
– Linebacker Bill Ross leads the SWAC in total tackles with 117 and is tied 16th in the NCAA in solo tackles with 63.
Jackson State
– JSU will make its fourth appearance in the Southwestern Athletic Conference football championship game. The Tigers hold a 1-2 record suffering a 41-9 loss to Grambling State in 2008 in their last appearance. The game was a rematch from the previous year when JSU picked up its first ever championship game title defeating GSU, 42-31. JSU appeared in the first championship game in 1999. The Tigers suffered a 31-30 defeat to Southern.
– JSU won its first championship game crown in 2007 with a 42-31 win over Grambling State.
– Prior to the SWAC Football Championship game, JSU captured the SWAC football title in 1961 and 1962 before sharing the crown with Grambling State in 1972 and 1973. The Tigers grabbed the crown again in 1981, 1982, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1995, and 1996.
– Jackson State wide receiver Rico Richardson (2012 SWAC Offensive Player of the Year) leads the conference and ranks 14th in FCS with 1,086 yards. He recorded the milestone in the Tigers’ win over Alabama A&M becoming the fifth receiver in JSU history to reach 1,000 yards receiving in a season.
– JSU newcomers quarterback Clayton Moore and defensive back Cameron Loeffler, have made a significant contribution to the Tigers this season. Moore leads JSU in total offense with 206.3 yards per game and is second on the team in scoring with 60 points. Loeffler leads JSU in tackles with 78 including 13 tackles for a loss and 2.5 sacks. Moore was named newcomer of the week on three occasions and Loeffler garnered two defensive weekly awards this seasons.
– JSU ranks second in the SWAC in scoring offense with 29.2 points per game and total offense with 406.3 yards per game.
– Information courtesy of the SWAC office
