Malcolm Cyrus rushed for 125 yards and Daniel Duhart threw for 225 yards, but it was not enough as the Hornets fell 34-24 at Prairie View A&M.
The Hornets (4-3, 3-2 SWAC) fell behind 20-7 early and made a run late, but could not make up the difference in dropping their second consecutive game.
After PVAMU (2-4, 2-3 SWAC) scored on their opening possession of the second half to build a 27-10 lead, the Hornets came roaring back behind the running of Cyrus and Duhart’s passing.
“We got off to a slow start we were a little flat in the first half and just didn’t make it happen,” Head Coach Reggie Barlow said. “We fought back and I was proud of them at the end we just didn’t have enough to finish it.”
Quinteris Toppings came in for one play in the game and ran a quarterback sneak for two yard to cut the lead to 27-17. After forcing a punt, the Hornets went right back down the field and Khalid Thomas scored his second touchdown of the game, this one from 10 yards out to cut the lead to 27-24.
Unfortunately that would be as close as ASU would get as the hosts closed out the scoring with a Jerry Lovelocke one yard plunge midway through the fourth quarter for the final points.
The Hornets had 393 yards of total offense, but 13 penalties hurt the Hornets chances in the second half. PVAMU was able to gain 411 yards of total offense.
“We missed way too many tackles and that has been an issue for us the last couple of weeks so we just have to go back to the drawing board,” Barlow said.
Defensively Kourtney Berry, the SWAC’s leading tackler, led the way with 13 tackles and Najee Bright had his third interception of the season. Daerius Washington also had 12 stops.
In the first half PVAMU was able to take advantage of several ASU mistakes to hold a 20-10 lead at halftime. ASU took the opening kick 74 yards in seven plays with Khalid Thomas taking it the final seven yards for the score and a 7-0 lead.
PVAMU would reel off 20 consecutive points taking advantage of a dropped snap on a punt and a partially blocked punt and a missed ASU field goal.
Johnta Hebert scored from five yards out to even the score at seven and Chris Barrick hit the first of two field goals, the first from 35 yards out. Jovante Ham scored from two yards out after a dropped snap on the next ASU punt gave the Panthers the ball at the five.
ASU then had a bad snap on its next punt which caused the punt to be partially blocked. The Hornets defense held PVAMU to a field goal, this one from 25 yards out which gave PVAMU a 20-7 lead.
With only 33 seconds left, ASU was able to drive down to PVAMU’s 17 where Preston Clark hit a 34 yard field goal on the final play of the first half to cut the lead to 20-10.
Courtesy; bamastatesports.com
