HOUSTON- The Texas Southern Tigers football team won a classic gridiron battle on Sunday night defeating the Prairie View A&M Panthers 37-35 in front of 19,189 spectators at NRG Stadium.
In what eventually turned out to be a game that was highlighted by big plays and key stops TSU saw a plethora of players step in and make big contributions. On the offensive side of the ball it was a balanced attack that led to the Tigers victory.
Texas Southern's defense put up the first points on the board when defensive back Brandon Thomas recovered a fumbled and returned it 17 yards for a touchdown. PVAMU countered with two scores in the first quarter.
TSU cut into the lead on an Eric Medina 43-yard field goal bringing the score to 14-10. Malik Cross made a spectacular touchdown reception on a 44-yard pass from Homer Causey at the 6:33 mark of the second quarter to put TSU ahead.
PVAMU once again countered with a touchdown to take a 21-17 advantage. With time expiring in the first half the Tigers elected to kick a successful 30-yard field goal as Medina connected on his second attempt of the half making the score 21-20 at the break.
The second half of action was equally as impressive as the Tigers offense continued to make key third down conversions and big plays. Causey put the Tigers back up 27-21 with a four yard touchdown run. Subsequently Medina went on to convert his third successful kick of the night pushing TSU's lead to 30-21 at the 3:32 mark of the third quarter.
The Panthers would not go away quietly as they mounted two scores in the fourth but it would not be enough. Texas Southern's Fred Plummer caught a key touchdown reception on a 27-yard strike from Jamal Small with 4:36 remaining in regulation to put the Tigers up 37-28.
"This is a huge win for our program," said TSU head coach Darrell Asberry. Â "Our kids really worked hard in training camp and it showed tonight. I'm proud of the way our guys competed out there tonight. We had some setbacks along the way but we battled through them and that's one of the signs of a good football team."
"This is a great win not just for us the football team but also for Texas Southern University," said wide receiver Malik Cross. "This is a rivalry game and everybody is out there giving it their all. Our fans were great tonight and we're happy to be able to represent them and Texas Southern. This is a great feeling because of all the hard work it took to get to this point."
Texas Southern amassed 488 yards of total offense (213 rushing, 275 passing) while holding the Panthers to 369 yards (142 rushing, 227 passing). A big part of the Tigers success on key plays defensively was Texas Southern's ability to stop the run and that was due in large part to the efforts of linebacker Darian Claiborne who racked up 10 stops on the night with a total six solo tackles and one tackle for loss and one pass breakup. TSU also held Prairie View to converting only 4-of-12 third down attempts.
"We have a short week ahead of us so we'll enjoy this one tonight and get back to work tomorrow," said Asberry. "Our group of guys feel like they have a lot to prove this season and they've really embraced a team concept which is characteristic that can help them go a long way." Â
Looking ahead the Tigers will have a short week of preparation as they get set to host their home opener at BBVA Compass Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 4 at 7:30 pm. Reduced ticket prices were announce for the game a fans will be able to purchase general admission tickets for ten dollars. Â
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