HOUSTON- Being treated like an opponent's doormat never feels good, especially when your program keeps showing up on homecoming schedules. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (2-2, 0-1 SWAC ) head coach Alonzo Hampton believes his program keeps landing on opponents' homecoming schedules because they expect an easy win.
Southern's (2-2, 0-0 SWAC) head coach Marshall Faulk has a direct response: His Jaguars will be ready regardless of the occasion or of the foe.
The Jaguars' homecoming is set for a 6 PM CT kickoff at A.W. Mumford Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, this Saturday, Oct. 3. Both enter 0-1 in conference play and need a victory to keep pace in a division led by Alcorn State and Prairie View A&M at 2-0.
Hampton said schools select homecoming opponents they believe they can beat. He sees UAPB's recurring position at the bottom of preseason projections as part of the reason the Golden Lions draw those assignments.
"When you sign up people for homecoming, I think you probably got a good feeling that you're probably gonna win the game," Hampton said. "I think we picked dead last every year I've been here. So I think they probably thought we'll just sign up UAPB for homecoming."
Feelings don't matter. Whether a coach or player agrees to be about being on an opponents' homecoming schedule is not relevant. This is football . You lineup and play the game. Period.
The 2026 preseason poll released at SWAC media day again projected UAPB to finish last in the West. Hampton is in his fourth season leading the Golden Lions.
Sept. 12, 2026; Southern University Jaguars head football coach Marshall Faulk looking at his team in pregame warmups before facing the University of Houston Cougars at TDECU Stadium in Houston, Texas. | Kyle T. Mosley, HBCU Legends on SI
Faulk said he heard Hampton's remarks on the SWAC head coaches' call. Southern's preparation, he said, will not change because homecoming is attached to the matchup.
"Look, man, if you need this to get up, you can get your team up, and so be it," Faulk said. "I'm up every game. We're going to be up whether we're homecoming or not. This game has to be played. It just happened to be on homecoming."
Faulk left questions about the scheduling decision to the athletic departments.
"If AD Banks scheduled them for homecoming because he felt like that, then that's between his AD and our AD," Faulk said.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame running back said he would not single out an opponent as a preferred homecoming matchup.
"I played the game. I'll never disrespect the team and say that, oh, this is the game I want for homecoming. Not me," Faulk said. "So those things are said by people who didn't play the game or don't play the game."
Through games played Sept. 26:
Current SWAC West standings through Sept. 26, 2026 | SWAC
Saturday's winner will post its first conference victory of the season, while the loser falls to 0-2 with less room for error in the SWAC West race.
UAPB has another open date Oct. 10 before hosting Alabama State for its own homecoming Oct. 17.
The Golden Lions enter at 2-2 after an open date, giving Hampton's team additional time to prepare for Southern.
UAPB opened with a 35-15 victory over Morehouse in Little Rock before losing 54-14 at Missouri . The Golden Lions then surrendered a 14-point fourth-quarter lead in a 53-51 double-overtime loss to Alcorn State in the Southern Heritage Classic in Memphis, Tennessee. UAPB's potential game-tying two-point conversion attempt failed in the second overtime.
The Golden Lions rebounded with a victory over Central State on Sept. 19.
Quarterback Garrison Davis leads the offense. D'Avery Robinson and Jordan Jackson each caught touchdown passes against Alcorn State. Defensive back Michael Henderson delivered two pivotal plays in that game, returning an interception 100 yards for a touchdown and blocking a field goal on the final play of regulation.
Pass defense remains a concern. Alcorn State quarterback Jaylon Tolbert completed 32 of 45 passes for 488 yards and five touchdowns against the Golden Lions.
Hampton told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that UAPB used its open date to evaluate the program and give injured players time to recover.
Barlow, Givens, Jackson | TSU and HBCU Legends
Southern enters at 2-3 overall and 2-0 at A.W. Mumford Stadium. The Jaguars have already improved on last season's home results, when they lost all five games in Baton Rouge during a 2-10 campaign.
Faulk is already 2-0 at home in his first season as the program's 22nd head coach. Credit to the rookie head coach for challenging his team and calling out underachieving results. Following the loss to Jackson State , the coach did not pull punches with his team in this video:
One of the reasons for hope is defensive end Ckelby Givens who is 4th in tackles for losses and tied for 21st in the country with 4 sacks through the first five games.
The Jaguars opened with a 30-17 loss to Alabama State in a nonconference matchup in Birmingham, Alabama. They beat Kentucky State 34-15, lost 77-6 at Houston , and defeated Louisiana Christian 50-31 before falling 35-17 at Jackson State in their SWAC opener.
Quarterback Christian Johnson passed for 174 yards against Alabama State and 200 against Kentucky State. Running back Trey Holly rushed for 200 yards against Louisiana Christian, showing what Southern's ground game can produce.
The Jaguars need a better start than they had at Jackson State, where early struggles on both sides of the ball put them behind in the Boombox Classic.
UAPB's pass defense: The Golden Lions allowed nearly 500 passing yards in their conference opener. They must limit explosive plays and make Johnson work for sustained drives.
Southern's opening quarter: The Jaguars need early execution on offense and defensive stops to avoid another uphill climb.
Holly and the running game: Establishing the run would give Southern balance and help keep UAPB's offense off the field.
The home-field advantage: Southern has won both games at Mumford this season. UAPB must handle the homecoming atmosphere and prevent an early surge from the Jaguars.
Rest and preparation: UAPB had an open date to address its weaknesses-Southern returns home after playing at Jackson State last Saturday.
The homecoming comments have added an edge to the matchup. The more pressing issue for both coaches is leaving Mumford with a conference win.
Matchup: Arkansas-Pine Bluff (2-2, 0-1 SWAC) at Southern (2-3, 0-1 SWAC)
Date: Saturday, Oct. 3
Kickoff: 6 p.m. CT
Location: A.W. Mumford Stadium, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Occasion: Southern homecoming
Homecoming theme: "Nobody Does It Better"
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/hbcu as Southern: Marshall Faulk Responds to Alonzo Hampton's Comments Ahead Homecoming Clash .
