Gameday is a little more than 24 hours away for Prairie View A&M University football as the Panthers host Alabama State Saturday at 2 p.m. in Panther Stadium.
 
Root Sports Southwest will televise the Panthers' homecoming game, as the channel is available in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas. The game will also be available on DirecTV Channel 674. Click here for a channel finder in your area. The radio broadcast can also be heard on 91.3 KPVU FM. Dr. Michael Prince will be on the call starting with the pregame show at 1:30 p.m.
 
Fans can get information on gameday parking, stadium guidelines, and more at www.pvpanthers.com/gameday.
 
It's the second straight sellout in new Panther Stadium, which made its debut in the Labor Day Classic win over Texas Southern.
 
"It means that Panther Nation is behind us, and we appreciate their support," second-year PVAMU head coach Willie Simmons said of the second consecutive sellout.  "We're definitely going to need it. Our guys will need the energy from the crowd. It's homecoming, and no one ever wants to lose homecoming. We're in the midst of chasing a conference championship. We need everyone this week to be as loud as they can be, and as excited as they can be to give us a great home field advantage. It's great for our guys. Anytime they can walk out and see a sea of purple and gold with their fans and student body out to support them, it gives you that added energy and effort to play at a high level."
 
A plethora of RVs and alums have already descended onto the Prairie View A&M campus, as the Panthers (3-2 overall, 3-1 SWAC) look to bounce back into the win column after last week's loss to Grambling.
 
"The guys have had a good week of practice," Simmons said. "That was good to see. Anytime you lose a tough game like that in that setting with what was at stake, you worry about them coming out flat at practice. Overall, it was a good week of preparation to get them ready for Saturday."
 
Alabama State is coming off their first win of the season, a 41-21 home win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. RB Khalid Thomas is second in the league in rushing (424 yards), first in punt returns (11.8 avg), and sixth in the conference in all-purpose yards (116.2 per game).
 
"They are kind of hitting their stride," Simmons said of the Hornets, who led Texas Southern by 11 points in the fourth quarter before losing two weeks ago prior to last week's win. "They had a really good game last week. They've finally settled on a quarterback (Quinterris Toppings). That's always dangerous when a team figures out who they are going to go with, as opposed to quarterback by committee. Now they can devise a game plan around him. Thomas is a dynamic running back, who can beat you with his legs, can catch the ball out of the backfield, and is a really good punt returner. He's definitely a guy we have to try and contain and not let him have another breakout game."
 
Homecoming is always a big game on college campuses, and this year perhaps ever more so at Prairie View A&M. The new stadium opened in grand style in the season opener, one of three electric game environments the Panthers have played in this season (at Texas A&M, State Fair Classic).
 
"We've played in several really big games this season, so hopefully by now our guys aren't distracted by the events of the week or the magnitude of the game," Simmons said. "We just have to continue to keep a level head, and focus on what's important which is what happens in between the white lines. If we can do that, we'll be fine. Lack of focus hasn't been an issue this week. I would expect the team to come out locked in, ready to execute, and play a good football game."
 

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