PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas -- The Prairie View A&M University football team will look for a winning start to Southwestern Athletic Conference play Saturday night at Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
The Panther Sports Network radio broadcast begins at 5:30 p.m. with Panthers Countdown To Kickoff online at pvpanthers.com/sportsnetwork, prior to kickoff at 6 p.m.
Both teams (PVAMU 1-3, UAPB 1-2) will open league play in a matchup of two of the SWAC's five new head coaches in the Panthers' Eric Dooley and the Golden Lions' Cedric Thomas (formerly Alcorn State's defensive coordinator).
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Dooley understands the importance of getting off to fast start in conference play. Having coached in the SWAC's Western Division his entire career as an assistant coach, he knows how tightly contested the division has been. Since divisional play began in 1999, only three times (2006, 2011, 2013) has the West champ had two or more losses. In the other 16 years, the West Division champion went undefeated seven times, including Prairie View A&M's 9-0 mark in 2009 en route to the SWAC Championship.
"Things have changed," said Dooley of the Panthers opening SWAC play after four non-conference games. "You always take the field to give your best no matter what. Within this conference now, and especially in the West, it's been a tough deal and you don't want to get behind. I think more than anything now, in this conference on both sides, you can't afford to get behind in the standings. The competition is strong this year. We look for a great challenge."
The Golden Lions opened the season with a home loss to Morehouse (34-30) followed by a home win over Cumberland (55-0). Last week, UAPB lost at #3 South Dakota State 90-6.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff leads the SWAC in total offense at 472.0 yards per game. QB Shannon Patrick is second in the league in both passing yards (678) and touchdown passes (six), and has yet to throw an interception in two games. He did not play last week at South Dakota State due to an injury. WR Josh Wilkes leads the SWAC in receptions (18), receiving yards (500), and touchdowns (four). Defensively, safely Shawn Steele is tied for third in tackles (26), and defensive lineman Kevin Agee is first in sacks (3.0)
"They have a lot of skill guys that can play and can run," Dooley said of Arkansas-Pine Bluff. "I never look at scores. Each game dictates different things based on who you are playing and where you are playing and circumstances. I know it's going to be a well-coached football team by a guy who's been in a championship program and coached championship teams). He understands what the ingredients are. We expect a well-coached team and a hard-fought game."
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