PVAMU Panthers Prepare For Bearkat Challenge; Notable Numbers From NCCU Game

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas -- The Prairie View A&M football team is in midweek preparations for Saturday's game at #4-ranked Sam Houston.

 
The Panthers will play at Sam Houston Saturday at 6 p.m. with a live video stream on ESPN+, a subscription-based online platform and the same network PVAMU played Rice on Aug. 25. The Panther Sports Network radio broadcast begins at 5:30 p.m. online at pvpanthers.com/sportsnetwork.
 
Coming off Sunday's 40-24 win over North Carolina Central in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge has given the players a boost at practice this week. However, PVAMU head coach Eric Dooley has stressed focus in looking forward, and not backward.
 
"I have seen a different energy," Dooley said. "However, you still have to refocus the guys and continue in the habit of doing good things. With success, you have to learn how to handle it, and you have to continue to practice being successful. There's a lot that comes with it. You can build off of it, and sometimes you can regress. For the most part, the guys understand that. On Monday, we put last week's game behind us. It was a great victory. We enjoyed it, and we respect it, but we have to let it go. It's a long season."
 
The Panthers will face fourth-ranked Sam Houston for the second straight year. The Bearkats advanced to the FCS Semifinals last season, finishing with a 12-2 record, and have been consistently been one of the nation's most potent offenses and programs. In 2017, Sam Houston led the FCS in scoring offense (43.3 ppg), passing offense (362.7 ypg), and total offense (538.1 ypg).
 
"They're a great football team – no doubt about it," Dooley said. "They are a well-coached football team. We know we have our challenges ahead of us, but we like our chances. We feel real good about what we are doing. We feel we are growing as a team, so we know it will be a great hard-fought contest like last week."
 
Last season, Sam Houston was able to play its opening season game on Labor Day weekend, as the Bearkats hosted Richmond in a game that was relocated to Waco, Texas and played on Baylor's campus due to the effects of Hurricane Harvey.  For the Panthers, it was the season-opening game as the Labor Day Classic against Texas Southern was rescheduled to Thanksgiving Weekend. In an exciting contest in a Thursday night game televised on ESPNU, PVAMU nearly erased a 21-point deficit, cutting the margin to seven before losing 44-31.
 
This season, the scenario is reversed. The Panthers have already played two games this season, while the Bearkats will play its season opener Saturday.

"When you have a coach (Sam Houston's K.C. Keeler) that understands the ins and outs of college football, it doesn't matter if they've played a game or not," Dooley said."They are going to be prepared when the time comes.  You know you are going to have a well-prepared team, a team that's rested, and a team that's excited and hungry to get out on the field to go against someone else."

 
UPON FURTHER REVIEW Sunday's game stats have been finalized from the win over North Carolina Central. Among the notable numbers:

• The Panthers gained 626 total yards against North Carolina Central. It was the most by a PVAMU offense since gaining 644 yards against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Nov. 8, 2014 in a 51-23 win. The Panthers' 331 rushing yards were the most by Prairie View A&M since gaining 355 yards on the ground against Jackson State on Nov. 21, 2015 in a 56-14 win.
• QB Jalen Morton had career highs in completions (21), attempts (36), passing yards (295), tied a career-high in rushes (13), and set a career high in rushing yards (63).
• RB Dawonya Tucker's career-high 224 rushing yards set a MEAC-SWAC Challenge record. It was the first 200-yard rushing game for PVAMU since Johnta' Hebert's 212 rushing yards vs. Jackson St. on Nov. 21, 2015. It was the most rushing yards in a game by a Panther since Hebert's 35-carry, 250-yard rushing game vs Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Nov. 23, 2013.
• WR Markcus Hardy caught a career-high two TD passes.
• WR Jeffery Rector had career highs in receptions (four) and receiving yards (game-high 98) for the second straight week.
• The Panthers' defense forced eight three-and-outs in the game.
• LB Isaac Claiborne had a career high in tackles (10) for the second straight week.
• DLs Quinton Bell and Jason Dumas each recorded their first career sack.
• CB Ju'Anthony Parker recorded his seventh career interception.
• S Reginald Stubblefield tied a career-high with four pass breakups.
  
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