By CHRIS ELLIOTT, For The Chronicle
After close calls in 2006, Panthers expect turnaround
They can feel it. There's an aura of confidence radiating from the Prairie View A&M players that wasn't there in previous years, and it's so evident that even coach Henry Frazier III said he has begun to take notice.
Frazier said he's noticed the greater effort players are putting into practices. He's noticed how few disciplinary problems he's been faced with. And he's taken particular notice of the awareness of the players' potential. Despite finishing with a 3-7 record in 2006, most of the players believe the Panthers will win the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship.
"It was a tough year last year, but it was a process you go through with turning a program around," Frazier said. "And those are some of the growing pains you're going to have to go through. We lost five ballgames by seven points or less.
"What's important to me is that the players now realize that if we had put forth better effort on about seven plays last year, we would have been 8-2. They were able to see that. We've got the feeling that we're much better than our record indicated."
Prairie View will return seven starters on each side of the ball. Those seven defensive starters could make the difference in the Panthers' quest for their first winning season since 1976.
Prairie View finished with the SWAC's top defense last year, allowing a conference-low 266 yards per game. Sophomore strong safety Anthony Beck said this defense can be just as stingy.
"We've got an older defense," Beck said. "We're much more mature than last year. We didn't lose a lot of seniors. So we know what we're doing, and we're moving faster. I think that's going to make us a better defense overall."
If Frazier and his staff get the offense and special teams to operate as efficiently as the defense, Prairie View will be in good shape. Though the Panthers rushed for a SWAC-high 180.6 yards per game, they could muster only a dismal 69.2 passing yards per game.
Frazier will look to senior quarterback Chris Gibson, who has been known more for his legs than his arm, to turn the offense around.
After close calls in 2006, Panthers expect turnaround
They can feel it. There's an aura of confidence radiating from the Prairie View A&M players that wasn't there in previous years, and it's so evident that even coach Henry Frazier III said he has begun to take notice.
Frazier said he's noticed the greater effort players are putting into practices. He's noticed how few disciplinary problems he's been faced with. And he's taken particular notice of the awareness of the players' potential. Despite finishing with a 3-7 record in 2006, most of the players believe the Panthers will win the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship.
"It was a tough year last year, but it was a process you go through with turning a program around," Frazier said. "And those are some of the growing pains you're going to have to go through. We lost five ballgames by seven points or less.
"What's important to me is that the players now realize that if we had put forth better effort on about seven plays last year, we would have been 8-2. They were able to see that. We've got the feeling that we're much better than our record indicated."
Prairie View will return seven starters on each side of the ball. Those seven defensive starters could make the difference in the Panthers' quest for their first winning season since 1976.
Prairie View finished with the SWAC's top defense last year, allowing a conference-low 266 yards per game. Sophomore strong safety Anthony Beck said this defense can be just as stingy.
"We've got an older defense," Beck said. "We're much more mature than last year. We didn't lose a lot of seniors. So we know what we're doing, and we're moving faster. I think that's going to make us a better defense overall."
If Frazier and his staff get the offense and special teams to operate as efficiently as the defense, Prairie View will be in good shape. Though the Panthers rushed for a SWAC-high 180.6 yards per game, they could muster only a dismal 69.2 passing yards per game.
Frazier will look to senior quarterback Chris Gibson, who has been known more for his legs than his arm, to turn the offense around.
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