In a fight to the finish, at the annual State Fair Classic at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, the Panthers of Prairie View A&M University prevailed over the Grambling State Tigers for the first time since 1986. Led by a balanced running game, the Panthers controlled the clock winning the game 35-32.
Heavy rainfall throughout the game didn’t affect either team’s offensive units as both played a part in the game point total of 67. The Panthers came off an impressive performance in their last game on Sept. 12 in a three-point loss to highly favored New Mexico State, but had a long layoff of three weeks before the highly anticipated matchup with the reigning SWAC champions of Grambling State University.
Prairie View started the game off fast with their slow and meticulous pace, taking 9:08 off the first quarter clock as they drove 59 yards on 18 plays ending with quarterback K. J. Black’s four-yard QB keeper. After a defensive stop and a punt from the Tigers, Prairie View went to work again. The second drive, which included eight plays and 47 yards, concluded with 39 seconds left in the first quarter as running back Donald Babers took a handoff four yards for the TD. The Panthers’ dominating first quarter left many Grambling fans amazed as the team kept the ball in their possession for 13:10.
Grambling State would respond to the Prairie View first quarter by scoring 10 unanswered points to begin the start of the entire game’s firework like emotions. With 18 remaining in the first half, an eight-yard touchdown pass from Black to Anthony Weeden would make the halftime score 21-10. If any fans left at halftime, they would have missed a third quarter that displayed five touchdowns and two amazing momentum changes.
At the beginning of the third, the Panthers broke open the game with a 46 yard touchdown run by Black, and it looked like Prairie View would cruise to an easy win for a moment. However, the Grambling State Tigers had another idea as they again ran off a string of 19 unanswered points. Fortunately for the Panthers, the Tigers’ two-point conversion with 4:27 left in the third quarter failed and the GSU lead was only one at 29-28.
Usually, this is where the Prairie View A&M University Panthers find a way to let the game slip away and concede to the Tigers, but the Tigers lead would not last the quarter as Black would scramble out the pocket to find Anthony Weeden, on the sideline for a 52-yard touchdown pass to take the lead at 35-29. The TD pass was thrown on the heels of a five-yard false start penalty and a 10-yard sack.
Despite the great comeback in the third quarter, Grambling State’s offensive was only able to muster up a field goal in the fourth quarter and would finally fall to the Prairie View A&M Panthers.
Making his first start of the season, Black looked like a veteran as he rushed for two touchdowns and threw for two more. Black completed 19 of 26 passes and threw for 184 yards while gaining 87 yards on 11 rushes. Weeden lead the team’s receiving corps with four receptions for 79 yards and both of the receiving TDs. The Panthers also owned the ground outrushing the Tigers 180 to 71.
Prairie View’s next game will be played at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala. against Alabama State.