PINE BLUFF, Ark. – QB Jalen Morton had a record-setting game in a record-setting night for Prairie View A&M football in a 62-13 win at Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the Southwestern Athletic Conference opener for both teams.
Morton accounted for 511 yards and six touchdowns as he set a single-game school record with 255 rushing yards, and tied a school record with four rushing touchdowns. Morton broke John Payton’s 65-year old school record of 253 rushing yards set in 1953. It was the fourth time in school history a Panther player rushed for four touchdowns (Ed Price 1952; Payton 1954; Archie Seals 1958).
The Panthers (2-3 overall, 1-0 SWAC) set a school record with 815 total yards, breaking the previous mark of 772 yards in a 62-59 double overtime loss at Southern on Sept. 14, 2013.
RB Dawonya Tucker, who entered the weekend as the leading rusher in Division I (both FBS and FCS), had his third 100+ yard rushing game of the season with 11 carries for 120 yards and a touchdown.
PVAMU exploded for 35 first-quarter points. It took the Panthers only 10 plays to score four touchdowns:
Morton scored on a career-long 89-yard run on the second play of the game.
On the next snap from scrimmage following a UAPB field goal, Morton connected with TE Zarrian Holcombe on a career-long 75-yard scoring pass.
Morton’s 37-yard scoring run ended a three-play, 83-yard drive.
Following a fumble recovery by Jason Dumas, a Morton-to-Markcus Hardy 6-yard scoring pass ended a four-play, 29-yard drive for a 28-3 lead with 6:54 to play in the first quarter.
Caleb Broach’s nine-yard scoring run ended a seven-play, 84-yard drive for 35-3 lead after one quarter.
Tucker (24 yards) and Morton (1 yard) had scoring runs sandwiched around an Arkansas-Pine Bluff touchdown as the Panthers led 49-10 at halftime.
Following a 40-yard punt return by Ju’Anthony Parker, Morton ended a 48-yard drive with his rush into history. His 21-yard scoring run set the school record for rushing yards in a game and tied the school record for rushing touchdowns in a game.
In the fourth quarter, Trazon Connley connected with Kaleb O’Bryant on an 88-yard scoring pass for the final Panthers, who had their highest-point total since a 67-12 win over Allen in 1959.
Prairie View A&M returns to action Saturday facing Grambling in the 93rd State Fair Classic at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. The Panther Sports Network pregame show begins with Panthers Countdown To Kickoff at 3:30 p.m. at pvpanthers.com/sportsnetwork prior to kickoff at 4 p.m.
Courtesy: PVAMU Athletics
