Missed tackles, lost opportunities and a key ejection set back the Prairie View A&M Panthers on their road to SWAC as they suffered a 51-38 defeat from the Jackson State Tigers last Saturday.
The Panthers squandered opportunity after opportunity with poor tackling, missed assignments and mental mistakes.
Panthers head coach Heishma Northern said they shot themselves in the foot. “We had chances, we shot ourselves in the foot and it cost us.”
The game started off in the Panthers’ favor as quarterback De’Auntre Smiley rushed into the end zone from 12 yards, out giving them a 7-0 lead with 4:26 left in the first quarter.
The Tigers put together a potential touchdown scoring drive that was set up by a 73-yard run from Tommy Gooden. But the Panthers defense prevailed and held the Tigers to a field goal.
On the ensuing drive kicker Chris Barrick nailed a 26-yard field goal to give the Panthers a 10-3 lead to end the first quarter.
With 8:06 left in the second quarter, the Tigers tied the game at 10 with a touchdown from quarterback Clayton Moore to Zach Pendleton. The Panthers failed to score on their next two drives and the Tigers took advantage. Pendleton caught his second touchdown of the day from Moore, giving the Jaguars a 17-10 edge.
Smiley quickly answered by finding a wide open Olatunde Idowu for a 38-yard touchdown strike to tie the game back up at 17.
Moore found Pendleton once again right before the half for a 28-yard reception for a touchdown, giving the Jaguars a 28-17 lead at the half.
The Panthers forced the Tigers to punt on their opening drive of the third quarter and the Panthers capitalized. Smiley found wide receiver Nick Pitre in stride and he dived into the pylon, scoring his second touchdown of the season.
Due to the Panthers’ poor tackling, the ensuing kickoff was returned 43 yards, giving the Tigers great field position.
“I don’t know what it was. But we could not get it together on the special teams,” Northern said.
Wide receiver Michael Perkins caught a 46-yard touchdown pass from Moore as the Tigers regained the lead 31-24.
From this point on both teams exchanged touchdowns. Midway through the third quarter, linebacker Raheem Cardwell, was ejected from the game due to an alleged helmet-to-helmet tackle.
Wide Receiver Deandre Cooper caught a 25-yard pass from Smiley to knot the score at 31. Moore backdoored and rushed in from five yards out as the Tigers regained the lead.
Cooper converted the longest pass play of his career as he caught a pass from Smiley and outran the Tigers defense for a 93-yard score en route to a 38-all score following the PAT.
To open the fourth quarter Tommy Gooden ran three yards into the Panthers end zone, giving the Tigers a 45-38 lead. The Panthers were forced to punt on their next two possessions and turned the ball over on downs late into the fourth quarter. The Tigers added a final touchdown to give the game a final score of 51-38.
The Panthers missed countless opportunities to tie the game in the fourth quarter. Missing tackles and not converting on turnovers caused the Panthers to fall further behind in SWAC play. Northern said after a tough loss like this the team can’t lose anymore.
“We can’t afford to beat ourselves, and I hate to say it as a coach but we can’t do that anymore; the race for first is too tight.”
After nine weeks of tough football, the Panthers have a bye week. They will return to the field Thursday, Nov. 7, as they take on Alcorn State in Alcorn, Miss.
Prarie View A&M
Tuesday, June 24, 2025