LAS CRUCES, NEW MEXICO (September 12, 2009) A furious fourth quarter rally fell short as the Prairie View A&M Panthers dropped a 21-18 decision to New Mexico State at Aggie Memorial Stadium on Saturday evening.
Prairie View, which hasn’t played a Football Bowl Subdivision school since 1979, scored its first points in school history against an FBS school after Brady Faggard recorded a 30-yard field goal with 9:55 left in the first quarter. A 47-yard run by junior running back Donald Babers helped put the Panthers in scoring position.
Down 3-0, New Mexico State (1-1) answered with its first scoring drive of the game as they went on an 11-play, 80-yard drive that was capped off by a Jeff Fleming 10-yard run. The PAT was good as the Aggies led 7-3. With 4:58 left in the first half, NMSU upped its lead to 13-3 after Fleming drove the Aggies 67 yards in 12 plays. On the ensuing drive, Prairie View moved into scoring position as the first half came to an end but a Jay Bluford interception killed the drive.
After a scoreless third quarter by both teams, NMSU jumped back into the scoring column as they took advantage of several Panther penalties early in the fourth stanza. Once again, NMSU put together another long drive that spanned 12 plays en route to a 21-3 lead via a Marquell Colston 4-yard scamper.
Down 18 points, backup quarterback KJ Black injected life into the Panther offense as the Western Kentucky transfer relied on his feet to make things happen. Black scored on a 9-yard run with 6:03 left for PV’s first touchdown of night. Faggard’s PAT sailed through the uprights to cut NMSU’s lead to 21-10. After a defensive stop by the Panthers, Black went vertical and moved the Panthers into scoring position after connecting on several big passes. Black cut into NMSU’s lead once again with his first career touchdown pass as a Panther after connecting with Anthony Weeden for a 27-yard pass. PV went for the two-point conversion and trailed 21-18 after Black scampered in the end zone.
With less than three minutes left, NMSU converted a key third down conversion and ultimately iced the game as PV ran short of timeouts.
Prairie View finished the game with 365 yards of total offense while NMSU finished with 305. Babers led the Panthers with 118 yards rushing followed by 92 from Michael Jason. Black topped all passers with 101 yards on 12 of 14 passing with one touchdown.
The Panthers return to action in three weeks on Oct. 3 against Grambling State in the annual State Fair Classic in Dallas at the Cotton Bowl.
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