2026 Missouri Football Opponent DEEP DIVE: Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions
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Welcome back to Rock M Nation’s annual opponent preview series of the upcoming season. Each week we will break down one opponent from the schedule in chronological order. Given that rosters are ever fluid – and this is done by a hobbyist rather than a pro – there could be some errors in history and current roster makeup. All mistakes are done on purpose and with ill intent because Nate Edwards doesn’t like you or your team.
This is the eighth year in which I preview Missouri’s opponents during the offseason and, in keeping with tradition, I will once again review the FCS-over-FBS victories of the past year, just as a friendly reminder to everyone that FBS teams are not immune to FCS usurpation:
2025’s four FCS victories over FBS teams was a decline from the previous year that featured a total of six. 2021 had a major breakout in FCS wins with 12, followed up with 2022’s eight and then four in ‘23 and six in ’24. These numbers are far lower than previous iterations but the simple fact is this: FCS teams can beat FBS teams.
The good news, though, is that those games usually feature an FCS Playoff-caliber team barely eking by one of the worst FBS teams on the planet.
The better news, then, is Mizzou’s record against FCS teams:
Division I-AA reorganized as the FCS in 2006 and, since then, Missouri has always played an FCS opponent (other than the COVID year) and never lost to a team hailing from that division.
Even when the FCS opponent has been one of the dreaded Playoff-caliber versions, Missouri’s victories have been 38-18 over South Dakota State, 50-0 over SEMO, and 35-10 over South Dakota.
The point is this: over three different coaches and various quality of teams, Mizzou has never really been challenged by an FCS foe at home. And, if they are challenged or even beaten, you can bet that Mizzou will be dog meat awful that year and the opponent will probably make it to the FCS semifinal round.
So let’s talk about Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
The Golden Lions of UAPB have been members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference – or SWAC – since 1998. As a historically black college and university (HBCU), it made a ton of sense for UAPB to join a conference that exclusively features HBCUs from the American south and so there hasn’t been a ton of conference transience for the Lions.
As a program, UAPB has been mostly bad. Since 1998 they’ve had 6 different head coaches (7 if you count former Miami (Ohio) head coach Don Treadwell’s interim stint at the end of 2022), 75% of whom last less than four years on the job. Lee Hardman lasted the longest and was the head man from 1993, through their transition to the SWAC, and up through his retirement in 2003, ending with a respectable .529 winning percentage over 121 games. His replacement was Mo Forte, a HBCU coach who had only one winning season before UAPB and then only one winning season at UAPB; he was fired in 2007 and never held another head coaching job.
Forte’s replacement, however, was Monte Coleman, whose career .360 winning percentage might raise the question, “why the hell did UAPB give him 10 years at the helm?”. Well, the reason for that is Coleman’s 2012 squad managed to catch lightning in a bottle, go 10-2 (8-1) during the season, and defeat Jackson State for the SWAC Championship. There really was no preparation for success like this: Coleman had won, 3, 5, 5, and 6 games before that season, and then won 2, 4, 2, 1, and 2 game right afterwards. But they’ll always have that magical year!
After Coleman UAPB managed to hold on to Cedric Thomas for two years before he bolted for Alcorn State with an 8-14 record. Doc Gamble lasted three years while offering 8 total wins, and now Alonzo Hampton is overseeing the (probable?) down turn of his tenure at UAPB.
It’s tough to win in Pine Bluff, Arkansas apparently, but at least there aren’t unreasonable expectations for coaches to hit. SWAC schools are in a conference of their peers and struggle with similar recruiting issues but the football product is a solid one if you’re looking for a more “pure” collegiate football experience. UAPB is certainly hungry for more than the 26 wins over the last 8 years have seen, but it doesn’t look like they are in a position to hurry that upgrade along.
Coaching Staff
I feel bad for Coach Alonzo Hampton. Not that he needs my sympathy.
But…just imagine you get into coaching because you love the game and you love teaching. Yes, those aspects will help keep your proverbial gas tank full when times are tough but you would, in theory, like to have some good seasons to go along with it. Ya know, to remind you of the super high attained when being part of a successful, winning team.
And then you see that Hamp has been a coach for going on 27 years now and he’s been part of 8 seasons when his team has more wins than losses.
Eight. And only three of those seasons feature a win total larger than 7!
He’s had a rough go of it. Not to mention that, as a head coach at Dumas High School and UAPB, his combined win/loss record is 12-43.
And I haven’t even gotten to the awkward part yet! Coach Hamp initially signed a 3-year contract in 2022, meaning he would either need to have his contract renewed or be let go at the conclusion of the 2025 season. Well, the end of the 2025 season occurred and…I can’t find any news story on UAPB deciding to extend him.
I have done as many searches in local news outlets that I can, and the only story I can find is this post from the Pine Bluff Commercial highlighting the fact that UAPB brass need to make a decision on his employment and Hampton telling reporters – paraphrased – “yeah man I dunno guess I’m still here”.
And still here, he is. He overhauled his offensive staff, held spring practices…you know, head football coach stuff. But I haven’t seen any indicator of if he was extended or his bosses giving him a get-out-of-jail-free card for kicks.
Regardless of what that situation is, Alonzo Hampton will be the head coach for a 4th-year in Pine Bluff when he takes his team to Columbia for what should be the typical FCS beat down via your friendly neighborhood Missouri Tigers football team.
Assistant Staff
2025’s offensive coordinator, Tony Hull, is now the OC at Alabama State so Alonzo Hampton is getting creative with his staff. He moved wide receiver coach Pierre Ingram to Quarterbacks Coach, hired Stephen Barnette to coach the receivers, brought on Dimitri Hill as his new Offensive Line Coach, and then gave all three of those dudes “co-offensive coordinator” titles to replace Hull in the aggregate.
Look, I’m not a football coach. And I’m sure these three guys can figure this out. But it just seems unnecessarily complicated to have three co-coordinators instead of designating one guy as “the dude”. I’m sure it’s cheaper that way! Ah. Yup, I just talked myself into figuring out why they’re doing it this way.
On defense they hired Keith Scott as the new DBs coach but everyone else returns. I guess that’s good? Given that last year’s defense only held five of twelve opponent under 20 points – and two of those were lower division teams – this might have been an area that could use a refresh.
But. Again. Cheaper this way. Sometimes it’s as simple as that.
Offense
You don’t need any advanced analytics to see that the 2025 Pine Bluff offense stunk at everything.
Let’s make a comparison that can help you feel it:
You know how Mizzou’s passing game was awful in conference? That passing offense had a 63% completion rate, averaged 5.9 yards per drop back, and threw for 15 touchdowns on the year.
UAPB’s passing offense: 55.7% completion rate, averaged 6.0 yards per drop back, and threw for 16 touchdowns on the year.
Against FCS opponents.
But that was actually their strong suit! On the ground was a much worse experience, as they barely averaged 4.6 yards per carry and less than 160 yards per game.
They couldn’t run, could kind of throw, had a 38% 3rd-down conversion rate, and rarely finished with touchdowns, scoring only 35 touchdowns on the year. Missouri: 46 touchdowns in 2025.
The good news for the Lions, though, is that their starting quarterback, all running backs with over 20 carries, and all receivers with over 20 catches, and most of their offensive line return. In a world where turnover on rosters is extremely high, it’s a nice luxury to bring everyone back for another go around. Even if “everyone” was mostly crappy last year.
Defense
The Lions’ defense didn’t have any better of a year than their offensive counterparts. They gave up point totals of 67, 41, 51, 20, 31, 32, 56, and 44 in their losses and teams averaged 430 combined yards per game. And that’s counting games against “independent travelling team” Lincoln (California) and a school called Westgate Christian from the NSAC conference.
(I know this isn’t the point but go check out the NSAC’s website. College football is deep and wide and by visiting their page you’ll see an entire competitive ecosystem that’s battling out for conference supremacy every Saturday against schools like Denmark Tech, Central International, Barber Scotia, and South Carolina Central Christian. Wild!)
UAPB’s defense allowed opponents 5.6 yards per rush, a 63% completion rate while throwing the ball, and allowed a very even 25 touchdowns on the ground and 26 through the air. They were unlucky at recovering fumbles (5 recoveries of 11 forced fumbles) as well as forcing interceptions (11 over 320 attempts) and gave up scores on 41 of the 48 drives that wound up in the red zone.
Like the offense a good chunk of this group returns, and keeping that many similar players along with, essentially, the same staff could help in improvement. But if you’re giving up 5.6 yards per rush to FCS opponents, what are you going to do against Curtis Luper’s guys?
So what does it all mean?
It’s an FCS team. You should win, and win easily, and get your freshmen and backups in as soon as possible. Missouri will be breaking in a ton of new pieces on offense and defense but should still outclass the Lions up and down the roster. If you don’t see any of the non-starting freshmen in the second half, something has gone terribly wrong. The Tigers need to take this time to get some experience, iron out any issues they still have, and create some early momentum before they play their most hated rival and then their SEC portion of the schedule.
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