Mistakes costs Prairie View against Nicholls State

From pvpanthers.com :

PRAIRIE VIEW – The upset-minded Prairie View A&M football team fell just shy in its mission to topple FCS No. 10 Nicholls State, coming up short in a 42-35 shootout Saturday evening in Panther Stadium at Blackshear Field

Prairie View A&M (1-2) was done in by a big third quarter from the Colonels, who  took advantage of short fields and turnovers during a stretch where they scored 29 unanswered points.

After the Colonels struck first with a 15-yard touchdown scamper from Dion Ray that capped a 10-play, 90-drive, the Panthers dominated the second quarter thanks to the play of senior quarterback Jalen Morton. The signal-caller finished off a six-play, 61-yard march with a 23-yard dash to pay dirt to put points on the board for the Panthers.

After a missed field goal by the Colonels, senior Dawonya Tucker and Morton ran the Panthers down the field before Morton found junior receiver Tony Mullins from 19 yards out for a score, as Prairie View pushed its lead to 14-6.

The defense stepped up on Nicholls State’s ensuing possession, as junior linebacker Desmond Obi sacked Colonels quarterback Chase Fourcade to force a punt that allowed Prairie View A&M to set up shop at midfield. From there, Morton orchestrated a brisk two-minute drill, capping it off with a 39-yard scoring strike to junior wide receiver Kalen Riles as the Panthers ultimately took a 21-6 lead into intermission.

However, self-inflicted errors cost the Panthers in the third quarter. After a pair of Panther penalties helped Nicholls keep its first drive of the quarter alive, Fourcade hit receiver Dai’Jean Dixon on a pair of first-down hookups and eventually scored on a 5-yard run to end an 11-play, 93-yard drive to bring Nicholls within one score.

The Panthers’ first crack at it resulted in an untimely fumble during a pitch-and-catch from Morton to receiver Tristen Wallace, during which Nicholls recovered the loose ball at the Panthers’ 49-yard line. Six plays later, Fourcade hit Dixon from 14 yards out for a touchdown, and Kendall Bussey tied the game with a two-point conversion with 5:26 left in the third.

The Colonels then picked off Morton on the first play of the Panthers’ next drive, returning it to Prairie View A&M’s 3-yard line. Fourcade scored three plays later, putting the Colonels in front. After another fumble ended a Panther drive before it could begin, Dixon scored on a 36-yard pass from Fourcade as the Colonels lead grew to 35-21.

Morton and the Panthers were able to regroup with a long drive that carried into the fourth quarter. Morton eventually scored on a 1-yard plunge to finish off a 13-play, 73-yard drive that pulled the Panthers within seven of the Colonels.

Nicholls responded with a six-and-a-half minute drive that ended with a 2-yard scoring run by Julien Gums. Unfazed, the Panthers showed off their quick-strike ability on their next possession, as Morton twice connected with Mullins, the last one a 36-yard touchdown pass that put Prairie View A&M back in striking distance.

Unfortunately, the Panthers’ final chance at extending the game was not to be, as a turnover on downs allowed the Colonels to run out the clock.

On the night, Morton accounted for 407 total yards of offense (327 passing) and five total touchdowns. He completed 23-of-36 passes while running for 80 yards and a pair of scores. Tucker was limited to 49 yards on the ground, and Mullins recorded 90 yards on five grabs. Tristen Wallace led the team with six catches for 68 yards.

Defensively, junior linebacker Tre’Shaud Smith had a banner day with 14 stops and a pair of sacks. The Panthers pass rush managed to get home four times, while Prairie View A&M allowed just one sack.

A near-even game offensively, PVAMU was outgained 465-463 in total yards, but scored 30 or more points for the seventh time in 14 games under coach Eric Dooley. Prairie View A&M was flagged 13 times for 122 yards, compared to seven flags on Nicholls.

The Panthers now turn their attention to the league portion of the slate, as they head east to the Reservation for a date with defending Southwestern Athletic Conference champion Alcorn State. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. from Lorman, Miss.

#pvamufootball

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