Prairie View celebrates first winning season in 31 years at JSU expense

by beepbeep

Prairie View A&M University Panthers are no longer terrible in football. Just ask Coach Rick Comegy and the Jackson State University Tigers who were defeated by the Panthers 30-27 yesterday. The win gives Coach Henry Frazier III and PVAMU (6-3, 5-3 SWAC) its first winning season in three decades which is cause for celebration. The Panthers have one game remaining with a home contest with Alabama A&M next week.

The 39 year old head coach who has become the beacon of change for the Panthers was in third grade in Washington, D.C., when PVAMU had its last winning season way back in 1976. Frazier came to Prairie View from CIAA Division II Bowie State University, his alma mater, where he resurrected the Bulldogs program from a 21 consecutive loss string before his arrival to having the best record in school history. Frazier was the Bulldogs quarterback and led them to the 1989 CIAA championship.

So, Prairie View was the right fit for an extraordinary head coach who saw this gig as the greatest opportunity in college sports. What was he thinking? With no expectations of winning and being reminded daily by the press of Prairie View's history of having the Division I record of 80 consecutive losses in the 1990's, he was viewed like all fifteen other coaches that had tried. All had come and gone with an accumulated record of 74-295-4, since 1965.

Photo: PVAMU Head Coach Henry Frazier III has led the 2007 Panthers to a winning season, where 15 other former Prairie View coaches failed since 1965.

Back to JSU. If you think Jackson State was looking past PVAMU after their big win last week over last season SWAC champions Alabama A&M University, guess again. With this loss, JSU and AAMU are now tied for first place in the East Division with identical 6-2 records, but with JSU holding the important tie breaker in head-to-head competition. The Panthers are now tied with Southern for second place behind West division leader Grambling (8-2, 8-0 SWAC) which is an amazing accomplishment considering that Prairie View has the 9th lowest football budget in the SWAC conference, which consists of 10 programs.

Frazier deserves a lot of credit, but you have to give the team more credit for executing the plans of their coaches by digging deep to win. Quarterback Mark Spivey was able to torch Jackson State with four touchdown passes (8-19/4 TD/0 Int, 180 yards), when the Panther ground game was held to a total of 43 rushing yards. Prairie View junior wide-receiver Joe Townsend (5-10,160 lbs) from Jacksonville, Florida had a career day catching two passes for touchdowns for a total of 99 yards. The Panthers defense held JSU to only 79 yards rushing on the day, but quarterback Jimmy Oliver of the Tigers was able to complete 21/31 for 296 yards and three touchdowns and no interceptions. Jaymar Johnson, WR was able to score on a 16 yard pass and 38 yard strike from Oliver in the first half.

PVAMU defense was led by senior linebacker Zach East from Houston, Texas who had a monster game with a career high 19 tackles (seven solo), a forced fumble and a blocked field goal to keep JSU offense under control.

Senior Quarterback Mark Spivey, 6-5/180, Houston, Texas Westfield H.S., had a career day with four TDs against Jackson State.

Spivey was not to be outdone by Jackson State, hitting receivers on touchdowns from 32, 35, 20 and 64 yards giving the Panthers an explosiveness not seen at Prairie View in over 40 years. The win was reserved by a fourth quarter interception with 1:11 left by free safety Chris Adingupu at the JSU 45 yard line and Prairie View ran out the clock on the Tigers. The Panthers (6-3, 5-3 SWAC) will end their 10 game schedule next week at home with Alabama A&M. A win by the Panthers not only will improve their winning record but will put Jackson State University in the SWAC championship game (against Grambling State) if JSU defeats next week's foe, Alcorn State. Guess who JSU Coach Rick Comegy will be cheer leading for next week other than for his team to win?

A second or third place finish for the Panthers in the SWAC West Division goes beyond expectations for a program that has traveled a very long road back to respectability. Henry Frazier III in his fourth season is writing a new chapter in Prairie View history, but he is not nearly finished with the final product--SWAC championships in the modern era for the Panthers. This program is digging deep and setting an example for all universities on what it takes to build a winning football program.

PVAMU Football Photo and Audio Show: The Meaning of the Shovel http://homecoming.pantherconnect.com/ss/PVAMUFtBl07Shove/index.html