“We got our tails whipped, bottom line,” says Head Coach Henry Frazier in a SWAC Coach Teleconference call Monday morning.
The defending SWAC Champion football team endured an immense loss against Jackson State University. With an ending score of 13-30, the Panthers will not be making an appearance in Birmingham, Ala., this December.
JSU entered the field knowing that it was their homecoming, and that they were not going to be shown out by PVAMU. “Those guys were ready to play and we thought we were,” said Frazier.
Pedro Ventura started the game off with a 58-yard kickoff to B.J. Lee of JSU. Shortly after, JSU received its first down and quarterback Casey Therriault went for the kill. He threw a complete 10-yard pass to Wilder at the 10:43 mark during the first quarter, followed by a successful kick from Reed Gallagher to set the score 0-7.PVAMU initially did not accept its fate of falling behind the Tigers, as Kyle Matthews attempted a successful field goal, putting the Panthers on the score board at 01:46 mark in the first quarter. With the score breached at 3-7, PVAMU still remained hopeful after JSU regained possession, when Moses Ellis caught an interception from JSU QB Therriault with 01:06 seconds finishing out the end of the first quarter.
Quarterback KJ Black of PVAMU, alone, threw eight incomplete passes in the second quarter, compared to that of JSU’s quarterback Therriault, who threw only four incomplete passes.
This action nonetheless provided the Tigers with the leeway they needed to complete yet another touchdown, which was done by Zarian Herring after a one-yard run at the 7:45 mark in the second quarter, continuing to pass the lead with JSU.
With two quarters left to play, it seemed as if the Panthers hadn’t changed their attitudes regarding the game at all. Frazier said, “It wasn’t the ball; it was the attitude, running the ball is about attitude.”
“Offense couldn’t score points, their defense shut out our offense, and the field goals we made just weren’t enough.”
PVAMU was only able to complete yet another field goal attempt by Matthews to add three points. The third quarter ended with JSU still in the lead with 6-16.
As the fourth quarter began, it was far too late. JSU scored two back-to-back touchdowns from Theriault and Lee, shooting the score to 6-30. PVAMU put forth a last minute effort at the 02:22 mark in the fourth, after accomplishing a touchdown and field goal by Hamilton and Matthews to finalize the score at 13-30.
With the bi-week ahead reporters posed questions as to how Frazier would keep the team spirits high and have them focus.
Frazier bluntly responded with this statement, “They’re football players; they have no choice but to focus. We have a good program at Prairie View, if the players miss practice, workouts, study hall, or meetings they will be taken out of a game and/or penalized.”
Seemingly implying that regardless of the team not heading to the championships this year, all they can do is buckle down, finish out strong, looking forward to the spring and coming fall.
The Panthers’ final home game will be Nov. 13 against Alcorn State for their Senior Day.