By HBCU Gameday Newswire
Reprinted – by Texas Metro News
PRAIRIE VIEW, TX – Prairie View A&M University racked up a convincing 31-12 HBCU football victory against Florida A&M University (FAMU) in a pivotal SWAC showdown on November 9, 2024, at Panther Stadium at Blackshear Field in Texas. The Panthers enhanced their season’s record to 5-5, riding high on a wave of strategic plays and standout performances, particularly in the second half.
How It Happened
The game kicked off under sunny skies with the Panthers swiftly establishing dominance. By halftime, Prairie View had carved out a 17-3 lead over the Rattlers, setting the stage for a robust second-half performance. Key contributors included James Burns, Freddie Byrd III, and Lamagea McDowell, who combined for all four of Prairie View’s touchdowns. Burns caught a spectacular 70-yard touchdown pass from Jaden Johnson, while Byrd III turned a critical interception into a touchdown. McDowell sealed the victory with two rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter of the HBCU football contest.
The Rattlers’ offense faced adversity early when starting quarterback Daniel Richardson left the game in the first quarter due to injury after completing 8 of 13 passes for 58 yards. Chase Bingmon paced the Panthers’ rushing attack by accumulating 68 yards throughout the game, averaging 9.7 yards per carry. Lamagea McDowell also added 43 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, averaging 4.3 yards per carry. Jaden Johnson’s most prolific target in the ballgame was James Burns, who caught five passes for 117 yards and one score.
Kevin Davis paced the Prairie View defensive effort, totaling six tackles, one interception, and one recovered fumble. Chester Geffrard added three tackles, 2.0 TFL, and two sacks, and Freddie Byrd III had three tackles and one interception in the win. The Panthers won the turnover battle in Saturday’s game, forcing three turnovers while coughing the ball up one time, with Prairie View A&M turning those takeaways into seven points.
Defensively, Prairie View held up fairly well against the Florida A&M rushing attack, holding the Rattlers to 140 yards on the ground. In part because of that stellar defense, Prairie View A&M runners out-gained their FAMU counterparts 151-140. The Panthers badgered the FAMU passing attack all game long, piling up five sacks and grabbing two interceptions.
Prairie View took a 3-0 lead over FAMU after scoring the game’s first points on the opening drive of the game. Another Panthers score then extended the lead to 10-0. Florida A&M then grabbed a 12-17 lead, but Prairie View A&M got on the scoreboard again at the 13:22 left mark in the fourth quarter with a two-yard touchdown run to jump back in front 24-12. The Panthers continued to expand their advantage, scoring again to go on top 31-12. Neither team scored again in the game.
Game Notes
- Florida A&M outgained Prairie View A&M 354-344 in the HBCU football contest.
- Prairie View A&M won the turnover battle 3-1 after intercepting two passes and recovering one fumble.
- The Panthers scored first with 11:03 remaining in the first quarter and never trailed the rest of the game on their way to victory.
- Prairie View A&M scored their highest quarter in the fourth period, scoring 14 points.
- Prairie View A&M converted 3 of 8 third downs while Florida A&M was successful on 8 of 15.
- Prairie View A&M forced one red zone turnover in the contest.
- The Panthers ended the game on a strong note, scoring 14 unanswered points to close out the contest.
- Johnson completed 75% of his passes on the day, going 12-for-16 while averaging 12.1 yards per attempt.
