WR
Khadarel Hodge had a school-record 232 receiving yards and three touchdowns, and QB
Neiko Hollins passed for 410 yards and four touchdowns as the Prairie View A&M University football team rolled to a 35-6 home win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Senior Day and Military Appreciation Day.
Hodge's receiving yards total broke one of the oldest PVAMU football records of all time, as the single-game receiving yards mark had stood since 1964. Prairie View A&M Sports Hall of Famer and AFL great Otis Taylor had 198 receiving yards in game more than 50 years ago. Hodge's receptions (eight) and receiving touchdown totals (three) tied career highs.
"I just want to thank God and my teammates, especially Neiko who gave me the ball when I asked for it," said Hodge, one of 22 players honored today. "He did a good job of going through his progressions. I woke up this morning feeling like it was going to be a big day. I didn't' know I was having that kind of day, and I'm definitely blessed. It's definitely a way to be remembered here in my last game at Panther Stadium."
Hodge had touchdown receptions of 70, 17, and a career-long 88 yards, the latter being the play that set the record. In the last six games, Hodge has caught 30 passes for 644 yards and 10 touchdowns, and has at least one touchdown catch in every game during that stretch.
"Khadarel has been playing at elite level for the last month or so," said PVAMU head coach
Willie Simmons. "The ball just seems to find him. The way he practices shows up in games. I'm proud of him, and hopefully the other guys learn from the way he works and how it shows up on gameday."
The Panthers racked up a season-high 610 yards, including the second straight 100-yard rushing game for Sta'Fon McCray (14-115-1).
"I thought our team performed extremely well in all three phases," Simmons said. "We had some great individual efforts today. Neiko threw for more than 400 yards today. Khadarel broke the single-game record for receiving yards. Sta'Fon had another 100-yard rushing game, and would have had more without some untimely penalties. The defense kept them out of the end zone until the last drive. I tip my hat to those guys. They gave great effort, and had great attention to detail this week. It was about time to put one of these-type games together."
The day began with six United States Army black team members parachuting into Panther Stadium, a stirring and moving event on Veterans Day just prior to kickoff. Prairie View A&M is one of only five venues the team landed in this year, and the first Historically Black College and University to have the honor.
PVAMU football took over from there, scoring touchdowns on its first two possessions to take control from the start. Hollins threw first-quarter touchdown passes of four and 70 yards to get the Panthers off to a fast start.
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Shawn Pierce caught a touchdown pass to end the first drive before Hodge made big plays. His 70-yard catch and run for a score gave the Panthers a 14-0 lead with just over six minutes to play in the first quarter.
After a pair of UAPB field goals to cut the deficit in half with just under five minutes to play until halftime, McCray ended a five-play, 64-yard drive with a nine-yard scoring run for a 21-6 lead the Panthers took to halftime. In the game, McCray went over the century mark rushing for the third time this season and fourth time in his career.
Hodge went back to work in the third quarter. He ended a seven-play, 73-yard drive with a 17-yard touchdown reception to extend the lead to 28-6 with just under nine minutes to play in the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, he set the record with an electrifying 88 yard catch and run, running away from defenders and into Panther history.
Prairie View A&M returns to action Thursday at 6 p.m. at Incarnate Word. The PVAMU Sports Network pregame show begins at 5:30 p.m. on pvpanthers.com/sportsnetwork and on Synergy Radio 1480 AM. The game will also be televised on Eleven Sports.
