There's a saying in football that teams make a big improvement from week one to week two.
Having played a game, players now have a true sense of what it takes to play well and remembering lessons taught and reemphasized during camp from coaches.
Prairie View A&M football will look for to test that cliché in Saturday's game at Nicholls.
The PVAMU Sports Network radio broadcast can be heard in Houston on Synergy Radio 1480 AM / 95.3 FM and online at
pvpanthers.com/sportsnetwork starting with the pregame show at 5:30 p.m., and kickoff at 6 p.m. The game can also be watched online through the
Southland Digital Network.
Since opening the season last Thursday against #3 Sam Houston St., the Panthers (0-1, 0-0 SWAC) have had a few extra days to prepare for the Colonels (1-1 overall, 1-0 Southland).
"I thought it's been positive," said PVAMU head coach
Willie Simmons. "It's always interesting to see how your team responds after a loss – what their energy level will be, and what their focus will be. They've done a good job of responding. Our seniors have done a really good job of keeping everyone upbeat. The competition level has been extremely high, and I think we've gotten better on both sides of the ball, and in the kicking game."
In the season opening contest against Sam Houston St., PVAMU outscored the Bearkats 28-20 over the final 32 minutes of the game. QB
Lavell McCullers led three consecutive drives as the Panthers nearly erased a 21-point first-half deficit. Prairie View A&M rushed for 297 of its 451 total yards, with McCullers (14-126-1) and
Dawonya Tucker (13-95-3) doing most of the damage.
The defense limited the potent Sam Houston St. offense to 421 total yards, more than 260 yards than the Bearkats racked up against #7 Richmond.
In the first ever meeting between the Panthers and Colonels on the gridiron, Simmons and the Panthers will look to confirm the saying in acquire the first win of the season.
"I hope it's as good as people say it is," said Simmons. "The things that we need to improve on jump out up on film. Penalties – most of them were glaring mistakes that are easily correctable. The awareness in key situations on third downs, our safety depth on those plays and the awareness of where the sticks were are some of the little things we feel we can improve on from week one to week two."
