COMMERCE – Behind a string of 24 straight points on Saturday night, the Prairie View A&M Panthers picked up a 30-19 win over the East Texas A&M University football team on Ernest Hawkins Field at Memorial Stadium to win the first ever Big Cat Cup, presented by AT&T.
The Lions fell at home for the first time since season and are now 2-6 on the season. The Panthers pick up their second straight win over ET and improve to 4-5 on the season.
In the first quarter,
Ozlo Rigby (Panama City Beach, Fla.) converted field goals from 27 yards out and 26 yards out to put the Lions ahead 6-0. The Panthers scored two touchdowns in the second quarter to lead 14-6 at the half on a touchdown run of two yards by Chase Bingmon and Rodny Ojo catching a nine-yard pass from Tevin Carter.
Ethan Eddins added a 45-yard field goal kick and Carter connected with Ojo again to put the Panthers in front 24-5 with 14:56 left in the game.
The Lions rallied back with
Reese Mooney (Denham Springs, La.) finding
Micah Simpson (Greenville) for an 11-yard touchdown pass. East Texas A&M recovered the ensuing kick-off at the Panthers' 24-yard line and Mooney connected with
Andrez Lewis (Salt Lake City, Utah) on the first play for a touchdown.
The Lions missed the two-point conversion, but Bingmon broke away for a 52-yard touchdown run on the next drive for the final points of the game.
Mooney went 31 for 52 and two touchdowns with 333 passing yards in his first career start as a Lion. Simpson totaled 10 catches for 90 yards. Defensively,
Orion Kupu (Chandler, Ariz.) had team-best 12 tackles, including two for a loss and a sack.
Anthony Gray (Duncanville) forced a fumble that was recovered by Salehe Koonookah-Williams (Buckeye, Ariz.).
POST GAME INTERVIEW
UP NEXT
East Texas A&M plays host to Southeastern next Saturday at 3 p.m. for the Haunt at the Hawk presented by Hunt Regional Healthcare. Tickets can be purchased at
LionAthletics.com/tickets.
-ETAMU-
