Photo: ASU RSSr., RB Jay Peck, Columbus, OH
By A. Stacy Long, Montgomery Advertiser
Prairie View, once college football's laughingstock, isn't providing comedy relief anymore.
The Panthers, who play Alabama State today at Cramton Bowl, have a 3-2 overall record -- including a 2-2 mark in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Those two league losses weren't exactly blowouts.
Prairie View lost by 10 at Southern and fell by three against Grambling State.
"Prairie View is the real deal now," ASU defensive lineman Chris Preer said. "They have just as good athletes as anybody. They're competing and they're no pushover team."
The Hornets (4-2, 3-2 SWAC) learned all about Prairie View's resurgence last season when they played at Prairie View and barely pulled out a 10-7 victory. A 45-yard touchdown pass from Alex Engram to Antonio James early in the fourth quarter provided the difference.
The game was scoreless at halftime.
"I always heard people say that Prairie View was pretty sorry back in the day," ASU linebacker Michael Figgers said. "Last year they were pretty good. We were in some trouble down there last year. They're looking real good this year, too. We're going to come out fighting."
Prairie View lost an NCAA-record 80 straight games from 1989 to 1998 -- the second-longest streak is a paltry 44-gamer. That went a long way toward cementing its reputation as a SWAC patsy. But the reborn Panthers opened this season with two straight victories, including a season-opening 34-14 drubbing of Texas Southern.
"Just from playing them last year, I can see the difference from what I've heard," Preer said. "It's going to be a tough game, but if we prepare well and play our game, I think we'll come out on top."
Preer believes last year's close call had as much to do with ASU's bad attitude as with Prairie View's good play.
"A lot of guys had the mentality last year that Prairie View is sorry and that's an easy win," he said. "Not anymore."
And anyway, Alabama State has its own losing streak to deal with.
The Hornets won their first four games, rallying in the fourth quarter for each victory. But they stumbled two weeks ago and fell 21-2 to Southern University. Last week, they lost 32-20 at Jackson State.
"As a head coach, the thing I was most disappointed in was our sense of urgency as a team," ASU coach Reggie Barlow said. "I didn't think we had the sense of urgency that I was looking for. That's on me.
"I have to do a better job of selling that to our assistant coaches, our players, everybody in our program, even the secretary. I need her to step it up. We'll get it."
Jackson State scored on two of its first three possessions and improved on that in the second half. The Tigers had four scores the first five times they touched the ball.
Erik Haw rolled through the Hornets for 159 yards and three touchdowns, including a 66-yarder in the fourth quarter that sealed the win.
"The last couple of weeks, we've been starting off a little slow," Figgers said. "Before, we always come up with a big play and someone lights that match to get us going, but we haven't had that the last two weeks.
"I'm sure we'll get things back together. It hasn't been a big problem, just a play here and there and we're back in the ballgame."
Jackson State totaled 285 yards rushing on Alabama State, which allowed an average of less than 110 yards rushing its first five games.
"It hurts, especially when a team isn't supposed to do that," Preer said. "Taking nothing from Jackson State, but we're a lot better than what the score showed and the stats. We have to get back to what we do best, playing Hornet ball."
The Hornets don't feel they were that far away in either loss.
"We could easily be 6-0," Figgers said. "There's no team that has been better than us. We've just had a couple of slipups. We'll be back to normal.
"We're going to get everything back this week."
Praire View A&M University Marching Storm and the Black Foxes
Prairie View, once college football's laughingstock, isn't providing comedy relief anymore.
The Panthers, who play Alabama State today at Cramton Bowl, have a 3-2 overall record -- including a 2-2 mark in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Those two league losses weren't exactly blowouts.
Prairie View lost by 10 at Southern and fell by three against Grambling State.
"Prairie View is the real deal now," ASU defensive lineman Chris Preer said. "They have just as good athletes as anybody. They're competing and they're no pushover team."
The Hornets (4-2, 3-2 SWAC) learned all about Prairie View's resurgence last season when they played at Prairie View and barely pulled out a 10-7 victory. A 45-yard touchdown pass from Alex Engram to Antonio James early in the fourth quarter provided the difference.
The game was scoreless at halftime.
"I always heard people say that Prairie View was pretty sorry back in the day," ASU linebacker Michael Figgers said. "Last year they were pretty good. We were in some trouble down there last year. They're looking real good this year, too. We're going to come out fighting."
Prairie View lost an NCAA-record 80 straight games from 1989 to 1998 -- the second-longest streak is a paltry 44-gamer. That went a long way toward cementing its reputation as a SWAC patsy. But the reborn Panthers opened this season with two straight victories, including a season-opening 34-14 drubbing of Texas Southern.
"Just from playing them last year, I can see the difference from what I've heard," Preer said. "It's going to be a tough game, but if we prepare well and play our game, I think we'll come out on top."
Preer believes last year's close call had as much to do with ASU's bad attitude as with Prairie View's good play.
"A lot of guys had the mentality last year that Prairie View is sorry and that's an easy win," he said. "Not anymore."
And anyway, Alabama State has its own losing streak to deal with.
The Hornets won their first four games, rallying in the fourth quarter for each victory. But they stumbled two weeks ago and fell 21-2 to Southern University. Last week, they lost 32-20 at Jackson State.
"As a head coach, the thing I was most disappointed in was our sense of urgency as a team," ASU coach Reggie Barlow said. "I didn't think we had the sense of urgency that I was looking for. That's on me.
"I have to do a better job of selling that to our assistant coaches, our players, everybody in our program, even the secretary. I need her to step it up. We'll get it."
Jackson State scored on two of its first three possessions and improved on that in the second half. The Tigers had four scores the first five times they touched the ball.
Erik Haw rolled through the Hornets for 159 yards and three touchdowns, including a 66-yarder in the fourth quarter that sealed the win.
"The last couple of weeks, we've been starting off a little slow," Figgers said. "Before, we always come up with a big play and someone lights that match to get us going, but we haven't had that the last two weeks.
"I'm sure we'll get things back together. It hasn't been a big problem, just a play here and there and we're back in the ballgame."
Jackson State totaled 285 yards rushing on Alabama State, which allowed an average of less than 110 yards rushing its first five games.
"It hurts, especially when a team isn't supposed to do that," Preer said. "Taking nothing from Jackson State, but we're a lot better than what the score showed and the stats. We have to get back to what we do best, playing Hornet ball."
The Hornets don't feel they were that far away in either loss.
"We could easily be 6-0," Figgers said. "There's no team that has been better than us. We've just had a couple of slipups. We'll be back to normal.
"We're going to get everything back this week."
Praire View A&M University Marching Storm and the Black Foxes
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