University of Arkansas Monticello - Boll Weevil Yearbook (Monticello, AR)

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Clockwise from below: A sight we don’t care to see; a Weevil punt. The Weevils brought mixed emotions from crowds in attendance. Defensive coach Johnny Hooks and cornerback Michael Kindle look on during a home game. Bingham struggles for bonus yard- age against the Wonderboys. Center: The signal of another Weevil score. Athletics 219 k E i f

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Jerry Bingham cuts upfield in a Weevil winning effort. WEEVILS RANKED NO. 1 IN AIC UAM’s drive to its first Arkansas Inter- collegiate Conference football champion- ship in 12 years began inauspiciously ona hot, muggy September night deep in Ca- jun country in Thibodaux, La. That night, a talented but untested group of Boll Weevils walked into John L. Guidry Stadium as heavy underdogs aga inst Nicholls State University, an. NCAA Division I-AA power. No one would have blamed the Wee- vils if they had closed their eyes, gritted their teeth, and taken what was expected to be a severe beating. But somebody forgot to tell the Weevils they were un- derdogs. For most of the first half, UAM domi- nated the potent Colonels. When Benjie Timmons broke free on a 33-yard keeper with 14:50 left in the first half, VAM led 7-0. Only a missed field goal by the usual- ly reliable Dannie Barker kept the Wee- vils from a 10-point lead. Then the roof fell in. Spurred by UAM 218 Athletics FOOTBALL Carnell Williams made some spectacular catches like this one behind the arm of Benjie Timmons. turnovers and a fleet slotback named Dwight Walker, Nicholls State responded with 17 quick points and went on to a deceivingly easy 37-7 win. After the game, a disappointed Harold Tilley sat in his motel room, searching for bright spots in the worst defeat of his short career at UAM. “‘Hey, we didn’t get beat as bad as the score shows,” said the second-year head coach. ‘“‘We got killed by big plays. You take those away, and we played ’em pretty close. We’ve just got to regroup. We’ll be back.” Almost three months later, Tilley was standing outside the visitor’s dressing room at Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia accepting congratulations from fans and well-wishers, the memory of the defeat at Nicholls State long forgotten. His Boll Weevils had just thrashed the Muleriders 35-18 to cap a 9-2 season which brought UAM its first conference title since 1967, a number 10 ranking in the NAIA poll, and a shower of individual honors for both Tilley and his players. “This is one of the greatest things that has ever happened to me as a coach,” said a smiling Tilley. ‘““‘To win the AIC championship is just a great thing in my life. It’s something no one can take away.” Indeed, no one could deny UAM the AIC title in 1979. The Boll Weevils pos- sessed the league’s best defense, a unit that held opponents to 91 yards per game on the ground. The Weevil offense, which suffered in- juries to key personnel in 1978, de. el- oped into an explosive unit that could score on the ground and through the air from anywhere on the field. Over the last five weeks of the season, UAM averaged over 35 points a game. Individually, the Weevils were blessed with exceptional talent at several posi- tions, including:

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FOOTBALL — Benjie Timmons, the leaque’s best quarterback, who as a junior developed into a slick run-pass operator. — the AIC’s leading scorer, senior tail- back Jerry Bingham, who rushed for 16 touchdowns and 1,015 yards. ' — the national kick-scoring champion, All-American offensive tackle Dannie Barker. — the best pair of linebackers in VAM -history, Art Kaufman and John Tatum, and an All-American defensive tackle, Steve Mullins. UAM broke or tied 26 individual and team school records, Tilley was selected coach-of-the-year by both the AIC and NAIA District 17, and no less than nine Weevils received first team recognition on the All-AIC and All-NAIA squads. “This was a very unique team,” said | Tilley. ‘We had 13 seniors who learned UAM’s touted defense sets against Arkansas Tech. what it was like to compete in the AIC. | They provided the leadership we needed. | And we got good play from some of our juniors, sophomores and freshman. Plus, we had a very dedicated coaching staff.” | UAM didn’t begin to look like a cham- pionship team until the sixth week of the season, against the University of Central Arkansas, the AIC’s defending champion. After losing the opener to Nicholls State, the Weevils rebounded against the Uni- versity of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, holding the Golden Lions to -11 yards rushing to post a 28-6 win. The next week the Wee- vils struggled, losing five fumbles before subduing Millsaps College 20-0. The defensive line of SAU welsomes a UAM running back. 220 Athletics