Panthers lose the scuffle against Grambling

The Cotton Bowl Stadium was filled Saturday, Sept. 29 when Prairie View A&M football met the Grambling State Tigers (3-1, 3-0) for the annual State Fair Classic. It was a great game for both teams, but in the end Grambling came out with the win, 17-14. Over 50,000 fans from around the world came to watch the SWAC showdown and to pay respects to the late great Eddie Robinson.

A pre-game tribute was given to the former Grambling coach that involved the United States Navy, Dallas Police Force, and the Grambling State band. Special recognition was also given to Coach Robinson's widow.

"I think it was very nice, Coach Robinson was important. He set the ground for black coaches in college football and opened doors for a lot of young black men," said junior cornerback Jason Fobbs.

Both teams fought hard during the game, allowing neither a point advantage throughout most of the first half. It wasn't until the final seconds of the second quarter that Grambling was able to gain a touchdown after many tries against Prairie View's strong defense.

Each band lived up to its reputation as they battled during the game in the stands with new songs and dance moves. During halftime, an unbelievable show was given, ending with The Marching Storm playing Rhianna's hit single "Umbrella" while they danced with bright yellow umbrellas on the field.

Grambling came into the second half leading 7-0 and eventually scored from a 41 yard touchdown pass during the third quarter. The Panthers rallied in the fourth quarter and gained two touchdowns almost simultaneously to bring the game to a 14 point tie. The first touchdown was from a 38 yard touchdown pass from senior Mark Spivey to Houston native Shawn Stephens. Less than a minute later, junior linebacker Gary Hicks ran a 24-yard interception return for the second.

"I was amazed once PV scored those two touchdowns," said sophomore Avanti Reed. "I thought man, we might actually win this."

Tension grew as both teams desperately tried to score another touchdown to win the game. Prairie View's (2-2, 1-2) task was much greater, as they tried to break the 21 year losing streak against Grambling State. With a little more than a minute left the Tigers had failed to score a third touchdown resulting in a successful 19-yard field goal.

"There was no negativity on the sideline. We were actually excited because defense stopped them from getting into the endzone," Fobbs said. "Even though they made the field goal we still felt like we had enough momentum to score."

Racing the clock, the Panthers tried to make it down the field to the endzone for another score, but were unsuccessful against the Tigers' defense. Spivey went 16-of-24 for 157 yards and one touchdown pass. Senior Zach East led defense with 18 total tackles and Port Arthur native Renaldo Revuelta added nine.