Small College Recap: Prairie View A&M maintains recent run of dominance in Labor Day Classic win over Texas Southern

By Darice Farris

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Team of the Week:

Prairie View A&M Panthers (1-0, 1-0)

Last Week: The Labor Day Classic was back this year, but the recent trend remained as PVAMU scored 31 points in the second and third quarter en route to a 44-23 win over rival Texas Southern. Quarterback Jalen Morton completed 24-of-42 passes for 350 yards with two touchdowns and one interception while running back Dawonya Tucker added 188 yards rushing and three touchdowns on only 11 carries. Wide Receiver Tony Mullins had a very successful debut for the Panthers as the transfer from Trinity Valley Community College recorded 141 receiving yards and one touchdown on six receptions. Tre’Shaud Smith had an outstanding performance for the PVAMU defense as he recorded 12 tackles and one sack.

The Verdict: This was a solid season-opening win for the Panthers against their rivals. It’s never easy to play a team with a first-year head coach, but the Panthers responded from a slow start to take control of the game in the middle quarters. PVAMU has now won 13 of the last 16 meetings between the teams. There will be more on the Panthers' big victory later this week on texasfootball.com.

This Week: PVAMU will finish their two-game season-opening road trip with a visit to Houston on Saturday at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3.

NCAA FCS Recap

Abilene Christian Wildcats (0-1, 0-0)

Last week: ACU spotted North Texas 31 points last Saturday before finding their offensive groove as the Wildcats lost 51-31 to the FBS Mean Green. Junior quarterback Luke Anthony was solid for ACU as he completed 24-of-34 passes for 273 yards and one touchdown while Tracy James led the Wildcats rushing attack with 106 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries. Senior linebacker Jeremiah Chambers led the defense with 11 tackles while Brandon Richmond and Qua’Shawn Washington each recorded 10 tackles for ACU.

The Verdict:There are a lot of positives for the Wildcats to take out of this game against a solid North Texas team that should be at the top of Conference USA this season. ACU outscored the Mean Green 31-20 after the early deficit which is a good sign for the Wildcats moving forward this season.

This Week: ACU will play their home opener on Saturday as they host NAIA Arizona Christian at 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.

Houston Baptist Huskies (0-1, 0-0)

Last Week: HBU nearly pulled off the upset last Saturday night as a late turnover stopped a promising drive in a 36-34 loss at FBS UTEP. Quarterback Bailey Zappe was incredible for the Huskies as he completed 27-of-37 passes for 300 yards and two touchdowns. Ben Ratzlaff was Zappe’s favorite target as Ratzlaff recorded eight receptions for 88 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore linebacker Brennan Young terrorized the Miners as he registered 13 tackles and a sack while fellow linebacker Caleb Johnson was equally impressive with 12 tackles and a sack for HBU.

The Verdict: This was nearly the biggest win in program history for HBU and should provide this team plenty of confidence as they move forward in the season. With so many returning starters from last season, the Huskies looked primed to be a tough team in the Southland Conference this season.

This Week: HBU will have their home opener on Saturday night as they welcome NAIA Texas Wesleyan to Husky Stadium for a 6 p.m. start.

Incarnate Word Cardinals (0-1, 0-0)

Last Week: UIW was unable to gain any traction with their offense in the Hometown Showdown last Saturday night as they fell 35-7 to UTSA in the Alamodome. Sophomore quarterback Jon Copeland struggled against the Roadrunners defense as he completed 15-of-31 passes for 181 yards with one touchdown and one interception. The Cardinals also struggled to run the ball as they had 28 total rushing yards. Linebacker Gerald Bowie III was the defensive leader for UIW as the sophomore recorded eight tackles while Ashton Preston and Kyle Covington each registered a sack.

The Verdict: The highly anticipated showdown with FBS UTSA turned into a good learning experience for a young Cardinals team. The UIW offense struggled against the higher level of competition after rolling for most of last year. The Cardinals pass defense was solid but will need to stop the run better as they move forward after allowing 284 rushing yards.

This Week: UIW will stay in San Antonio and play their home opener on Saturday when they host Texas Southern at 6 p.m.

Lamar Cardinals (1-0, 0-0)

Last Week: Lamar rolled to their eighth straight regular season win last Saturday as they overpowered NAIA Bethel (Tenn.) 65-16 in their home opener. Cardinals quarterback Jordan Hoy picked up where he left off last season as he completed 18-of-24 passes for 226 yards with three touchdowns and one interception while adding 50 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Lamar rolled up 344 rushing yards with six players sharing the load. Michael Lawson led the Cardinals defensive effort as the defensive back was tied for the team lead with seven tackles and recorded an interception.

The Verdict: The Cardinals got their 2019 season off on the right foot with this win, but Lamar will face a better challenge next week. Lamar rolled up 658 total yards against the Wildcats while the Cardinals' defense only allowed 197 total yards. The Lamar pass defense was especially solid allowing the Wildcats only four completions and 68 yards.

This Week: Lamar will conclude their season-opening two-game homestand on Saturday when they host Mississippi Valley State at 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.

No. 22 Sam Houston State Bearkats (0-1, 0-0)

Last Week: SHSU took a 23-22 lead over FBS New Mexico with 12:40 left in the third quarter last Saturday but the Lobos scored the next 17 points to defeat the Bearkats 39-31. The Bearkats used a two-quarterback system as Ty Brock and Eric Schmid combined to complete 35-of-60 passes for 443 yards with each player throwing a touchdown. Wide receiver Dee Bowens did a lot of damage to the Lobos as he registered nine catches for 130 yards receiving and one touchdown. Will Lockett led the defense with eight tackles including 2.5 tackles for loss.

The Verdict: This was a solid start to the 2019 season for the Kats after having an unusual down year last season. The Bearkats outgained the Lobos 558 total yards to 485 total yards for New Mexico and the Kats had seven more first downs. SHSU will have a chance to rebound next week and get some kinks worked out before heading into the teeth of a tough FCS schedule. 

This Week: SHSU returns to Huntsville Saturday night for their home opener against NAIA Oklahoma Panhandle State at 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.

Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (0-1, 0-0)

Last Week: The Colby Carthel era finely began for SFA last Saturday night as the Lumberjacks fell 56-17 on the road to Baylor. Junior quarterback Trae Self completed 15-of-29 passes for 140 yards with one interception for the ‘Jacks while Thomas Hutchings gained 68 yards rushing on 10 carries. Xavier Gipson was the leading receiver with 61 yards on three receptions. Quin Jones led the SFA defense with 10 tackles and a forced fumble. You can read more on this game at texasfootball.com.

The Verdict: There were plenty of positives in this contest for SFA. The ‘Jacks showed a lot of fight and grit and the defense was decent despite being left in bad situations throughout most of the first half. SFA also scored their first points in program history against Baylor. Expect Carthel to get the punt team problems fixed soon as he is a solid special teams coach.

This Week: SFA will have their home opener on Saturday when they host NCAA DII No. 7 Tarleton State at 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3.

Texas Southern Tigers (0-1, 0-1)

Last Week: TSU jumped out to a 13-6 lead after one quarter of play but were unable to hold the lead as Prairie View A&M defeated the Tigers 44-23 in the Labor Day Classic. Junior college transfer quarterback De’Andre Johnson shined in his first start for the Tigers as he completed 22-of-37 passes for 259 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Ladarius Owens had an impressive performance as he rushed for 95 yards on 15 carries while Tren’Davian Dickson and Chris Long each caught a touchdown pass for TSU. Patrick Howell was the leading tackler for the Tigers as he registered 10 tackles.

The Verdict: While the Clarence McKinney era for the Tigers began with a loss to their rival, TSU showed that they are an improved team this season. The offense produced 423 total yards which is a huge improvement over last season. The Tigers defense had trouble with the big-play ability of PVAMU and will need to improve as they face a brutal early-season schedule.

This Week: TSU will begin a tough four-game road trip Saturday as they face Incarnate Word at 6 p.m. in San Antonio. 

NAIA Recap

Southwestern Assemblies of God Lions (0-1, 0-0)

Last Week: SAGU held a 20-17 lead after three quarters of play last Saturday but Tabor College scored 16 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to defeat the Lions 40-20. Four different players attempted a pass for SAGU, and they combined to complete 11-of-35 passes for 63 yards with four interceptions. Running back Randy Gober was the offensive leader for the Lions as he gained 52 yards on nine carries. Landon Jones led the SAGU defense with 10 tackles and an interception while Torionte Williams also registered 10 tackles for the Lions.

The Verdict: This was a tough start for a SAGU offense that is used to scoring at will on their opponents. The Lions were only able to produce 107 total yards on offense in this game. The bright spot for SAGU is the defense as they only allowed 248 total yards to Tabor but were placed in bad situations all game due to the offense’s four turnovers.

This Week: SAGU has a bye this week.

Texas Wesleyan Rams (0-1, 0-0)

Last Week: Texas Wesleyan began the 2019 season with a tough opponent on the road as No. 4 Kansas Wesleyan held a 41-3 lead at halftime on their way to defeating the Rams 48-24 last Saturday. TXWES quarterback Donovan Isom completed 20-of-33 passes for 282 yards and two interceptions to lead the offense. LeMant Monroe was the leading receiver for the Rams as he registered 107 yards receiving on seven catches with one touchdown. Fellow wideout Tyler Pullig had 94 receiving yards on four receptions and a touchdown. Mark Seidler led the TXWES defense with eight tackles and one sack.

The Verdict: The Rams were overmatched against a good Kansas Wesleyan team last week. However, TXWES was able to find their offensive groove in the fourth quarter and score 24 points in the final frame. The Rams continue their brutal early season schedule this week on the road.

This Week: TXWES continues its season-opening four-game road trip as they travel to Houston on Saturday to play FBS Houston Baptist.

Wayland Baptist Pioneers (1-0, 0-0)

Last Week: Wayland Baptist had a slow start to their season last Saturday and were down at the half before rallying with 28 second-half points to defeat St. Mary (Kan.) 35-13. Pioneers quarterback Mitchel Parsley was outstanding as he completed 23-of-32 passes for 326 yards and four touchdowns. Jerrel Peterson led the rushing attack with 106 yards and one touchdown on 12 carries. The WBU receiving corps was led by Brayln Kirby who lit up the opposition with 110 yards and three touchdowns on seven receptions. Casey Buck was the leading tackler for the Pioneer defense as he registered seven tackles and an interception.

The Verdict: This was the perfect start to the season for WBU and head coach Butch Henderson. The Pioneers earned a hard-fought victory behind an offensive explosion in the second half which will provide confidence moving forward while the slow start for the Pioneers will provide some areas to work on heading into next week.

This Week: WBU travels to Odessa, Texas on Saturday to play NCAA DII UT Permian Basin at 6 p.m.

NJCAA Recap

No. 11 Blinn Buccaneers (1-1, 0-1)

Last Week: Blinn College had a furious second-half rally last Saturday but fell just short as Tyler scored the game’s first 20 points in a 27-24 win over the Buccaneers. Blinn quarterback Brock Landis was extremely accurate as he completed 10-of-13 passes for 148 yards and two touchdowns to lead the offense. Chance Amie only completed 2-of-8 passes for 20 yards and one interception, but Amie led the rushing attack with 95 yards on seven carries. Danny Gray was outstanding as he registered nine receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown. Darius VanDyke led the defense as he recorded nine tackles and recovered a fumble.

The Verdict: This is a tough loss for the Buccaneers to open SWJCFC play. Blinn must rebound quickly as they go on the road next week to face a desperate Navarro team that is looking for a win after facing a brutal early schedule. The Buccaneers cannot afford many more losses if they hope to make the playoffs this year.

This Week: Blinn College will hit the road for the first time this season when they play Navarro on Saturday at 7 p.m.

Cisco Wranglers (1-0, 0-0)

Last Week: Cisco had a bye last week.

The Verdict: The Wranglers opened their season with a 55-7 win over Rezolution Prep. Cisco had a bye week and face another prep school this week as they take advantage of three weeks of preparation before they begin conference play.

This Week: Cisco College will host Texas A&T on Saturday at 7 p.m.

No. 6 Kilgore Rangers (2-0, 2-0)

Last Week: Kilgore jumped out to an early eight-point lead in the first quarter and slowly built on their lead the rest of the game as they defeated No. 18 Navarro 43-33 last Saturday. Quarterback Jacob Frazier led the offensive attack for the Rangers as he threw for 335 yards passing and four touchdowns. Omar Manning was the leading receiver with 135 yards and a touchdown on seven receptions while Gabe Douglas added five catches for 95 yards. Geovante Howard and Jonathan Riley each recorded an interception for the Kilgore defense.

The Verdict: The Rangers have now won 10 straight games dating back to last season and could not ask for a better start to their conference schedule this season. They will need to focus this week as they hit the road to play another conference opponent.

This Week: Kilgore travels to Roswell, N.M. this week to face New Mexico Military on Saturday at 8 p.m. in a stadium known as the Wool Bowl.

No. 18 Navarro Bulldogs (0-2, 0-1)

Last Week: An early first-quarter deficit was too much for Navarro to overcome last Saturday as they fell 43-33 to No. 6 Kilgore. Quarterback Parker McNeil had another outstanding performance for the Bulldogs as he completed 20-of-31 passes for 263 yards with one interception. Keaton Dudik led the rushing attack with 72 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries while Troy Edwards Jr. caught six passes for 87 yards and a touchdown for the Bulldogs. Matt Lascon had an incredible game for the defense as he registered 14 tackles.

The Verdict: The Bulldogs have faced a brutal schedule so far this season as both teams they have played in the early going are ranked in the NJCAA poll. The path does not get any easier for Navarro this week as they will finally return home only to face another ranked foe and the injury status of McNeil is a major concern in a must-win game.

This Week: Navarro College will play their home opener on Saturday when they host No. 11 Blinn College at 7 p.m.

No. 20 Trinity Valley Community College Cardinals (1-0, 1-0)

Last Week: TVCC exploded for 30 second-half points last Saturday night to open their season with a 36-10 victory over New Mexico Military. Quarterback Jeremy Hunt completed a pass to 13 different receivers as he finished 26-of-37 for 227 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Ja’Quan Tillis led the Cardinals rushing attack as he gained 87 yards on only four carries in the game. Keonta Fiakpui was the leading receiver with three catches for 63 yards while Kyle Wakefield contributed 52 yards receiving on five receptions.

The Verdict: The Cardinals found their offense in the second half and rolled to an important conference victory. TVCC will play a solid Tyler team next week that will have plenty of confidence after pulling off the upset of No. 11 Blinn last week.

This Week: TVCC will play the second of their three-game homestand to open the season on Saturday as they host Tyler at 7 p.m.

Tyler Apaches (1-1, 1-1)

Last Week: Tyler Junior College scored 20 points in the first half and held off a furious rally by No. 11 Blinn College to pull off the upset of the Buccaneers 27-24 on the road last Saturday. Quarterback David Johnson was outstanding leading the offense as he completed 18-of-22 passes for 317 yards and three touchdowns. Johnson completed a pass to 10 different receivers. Javontavius Mosley was huge for the Apaches defense as he recorded an interception and recovered a late onside kick to help secure the victory.

The Verdict: The Apaches are another team with a brutal schedule to open the season, but this victory over Blinn could be what Tyler needs to get on a roll this year. This was the first win for first-year head coach Thomas Rocco. Tyler must quickly refocus this week as they face another ranked foe with a powerful and diverse offense.

This Week: Tyler Junior College will play the third game of their four-game road trip to open the season on Saturday at 7 p.m. at No. 20 Trinity Valley.

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