The game changed quicker than a mood ring on a bipolar patient Saturday afternoon. Late in the third quarter, Prairie View seemingly was cruising to an easy victory up, 23-0.
It went from a scene of the President of the University, Dr. George C. Wright singing and dancing alongside the Gold Members Club jamming P’ Funk, to sudden astonishment.
The Braves of Alcorn State didn’t come all the way to Texas just to see the Marching Storm not perform; instead, the Braves had other traveling plans. Alcorn State went on to score 27 unanswered points.
With the Prairie View crowd hopeful and left in shock, the game looked to be the microcosm of a disappointing 2010 season following Prairie View’s first football championship in 45 years.
It was to no avail as the all-time passing leader in Prairie View A&M University history, senior quarterback KJ Black, lead the Panthers on an epic three-play, game-winning drive that ended with a 35-yard strike to senior wide receiver Shaun Stephens in the corner of the end zone.
With only four seconds remaining in regulation, on the kick-off return ASU went into full out lateral mode, which was eventually intercepted by senior defensive back Richardson Yvarian, a scoop and score fumble closing the game 35-27 and sealing an epic moment in Prairie View A&M history.
This win marks the fourth consecutive winning season for the Panthers, which hasn’t happened since the freshman class of 1964, who had four consecutive winning campaigns from 1964 to 1967.
Many of the seniors were also members of the 2007 squad that went 7-3 to capture Prairie View’s first winning season since 1976. They also beat rival Texas Southern in the last four seasons.
Prairie View A&M totaled 388 total offensive yards compared to 312 by ASU. Black had a solid afternoon with three touchdown passes on 18-of-23 passing, while wideout Spencer Nelson caught four passes for 98 yards.
Senior safety Chris Adingupu led the team with nine tackles and two tackles for loss while junior defensive end from Dallas, Texas Adrian Hamilton played out of his mind, tallying a career-high of three sacks.
In addition, Black became Prairie View’s all-time leading passer as the senior from Louisville, Ky. has thrown for 4,016 yards in two seasons of action.
The Prairie View A&M football program will travel to Louis Crews Stadium in Huntsville, Ala. to face Alabama A&M in their final regular contest Saturday, Nov. 20.