PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas -- Prairie View A&M delivered a dominant performance on both sides of the football Saturday afternoon, defeating Alabama A&M 31-10 at Panther Stadium during a special game-day celebration that honored members of the United States Armed Forces and recognized 46 Panther seniors.
The Panthers' defense limited the Bulldogs to just 10 points and 231 total yards, while the offense produced 437 yards to secure the 21-point victory. The win improved Prairie View A&M to 5-5 overall and 4-2 in Southwestern Athletic Conference play, while Alabama A&M dropped to 7-3 overall and 4-2 in conference action.
In addition to celebrating Senior Day, Prairie View A&M Athletics recognized and honored the men and women who have served and continue to serve in the United States Armed Forces as part of Military Appreciation Day. The special occasion provided an opportunity for Panther Nation to show its gratitude to military personnel and veterans for their service, sacrifice and commitment to the nation.
Senior quarterback Tevin Carter led the Panthers' offensive attack, completing 25-of-35 passes for 292 yards and two touchdowns. He also added 35 yards rushing. Carter connected with Damien McDaniel throughout the afternoon, as the receiver hauled in eight passes for 155 yards to lead all Panther receivers.
On the ground, Zayvion Turner-Knox paced the Prairie View A&M rushing attack with 54 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, averaging 4.2 yards per attempt.
Defensively, the Panthers turned in another impressive performance, holding Alabama A&M to 124 passing yards and 107 rushing yards. Damani Maxson led the defensive effort with three tackles and an interception, while Eric Zachery added an interception and three pass breakups. The Panther defense finished with two interceptions and five pass breakups, consistently disrupting the Bulldogs' offensive rhythm.
Prairie View A&M also controlled the tempo offensively, converting 10-of-16 third-down opportunities (62.5 percent) while winning the time-of-possession battle, 34:26 to 25:34.
The victory also provided a memorable backdrop for Senior Day, as Prairie View A&M Athletics recognized 46 members of its senior class, including 29 football student-athletes and members of the athletics support staff and football media team.
Leading the group of football seniors were quarterbacks Tevin Carter, Preston Brown and Fitzroy Ledgister; running backs Ellis Bynum, Isaiah Gordon and Zayvion Turner-Knox; tight ends Travon Jones, Kheigan Heckaman, Akim Lanieux and Ethan John; and wide receivers Chaney Fitzgerald, Braylon Finney, Kylin Mathis and William Taylor.
The senior offensive line members included Cameron Pascal and Ledell Finister, while the defensive line was represented by Kerry North, Molik Mason, Malik Gucake, Jordan Campbell, Elias Sanders, Austin Appiah and Christopher Harvey. The linebacker group featured Tyler Morehead and Malachi Williams, while the defensive backfield included Mohammed Bility, Nahamani Harris and Elijah Wilson.
Prairie View A&M also recognized the individuals who work behind the scenes to support the success of its student-athletes and athletic programs. Members of the sports medicine staff included Hannah Sampson, Kristina Nunoo, Knowledge Mays, London Muse, Isaiah Vivians, Brylee King, Chanel Weeks, Miriam Coggins and Jalyn Turner. Equipment staff senior Kierron Ardoin and football support staff member Kennedy Carroll were also recognized for their contributions.
Rounding out the senior class were members of the Prairie View A&M football media team, including Alexavier Hopkins, Tilyn Stephens, Kobby Taylor, Trenton Reeves and Kari Mayes, whose efforts have helped document and share the stories of Panther football.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Alabama A&M opened the scoring with a field goal to take an early 3-0 advantage, but Prairie View A&M responded with a touchdown with 1:26 remaining in the first quarter to take a 7-3 lead. The Panthers added another touchdown to extend their advantage to 14-3.
The Bulldogs answered with a score to cut the deficit to 14-10, but Prairie View A&M maintained control of the contest. The Panthers found the end zone again with 4:46 remaining in the third quarter, pushing their lead to 21-10.
Prairie View A&M continued to apply pressure, adding another score to extend the advantage to 24-10 before putting the game away with a touchdown with 1:59 remaining in the fourth quarter to secure the 31-10 victory.
The Panthers closed the contest with 17 unanswered points, completing a strong performance on both sides of the football.
GAME NOTES
Prairie View A&M outgained Alabama A&M 437-231, including a 292-124 advantage through the air. The Panthers' highest-scoring quarter came in the fourth, when they added 10 points to their total.
The Panthers converted 10-of-16 third-down opportunities, compared to Alabama A&M's 4-of-13 mark. Prairie View A&M also forced two interceptions and held a commanding advantage in time of possession, 34:26 to 25:34.
Carter completed 71.4 percent of his passes, finishing 25-of-35 while averaging 8.3 yards per attempt.
With the victory, Prairie View A&M celebrated its senior class, honored the nation's military personnel and veterans, and gave Panther Nation another reason to celebrate at Panther Stadium.
