It took overtime and more for Prairie View to top Grambling in State Fair Classic

State Fair Classic Scaled 1

The latest edition of the annual State Fair Classic was just that — an instant classic.

Lamagea McDowell scored from a yard out in the fifth overtime to give Prairie View A&M a 36-34 win over Grambling State on Saturday night at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

Both teams scored touchdowns and converted PATs in the first overtime, and both made field goals in the second, sending the game into the third overtime and mandatory two-point conversions.

Grambling and Prairie View failed on their first pair of two-point tries. Grambling (3-2, 0-1 Southwestern Athletic Conference) also failed on its third, setting up the Panthers (2-3, 1-2) for the potential win. After a holding penalty gave Prairie View the ball at the 1-yard line, and McDowell plowed through the middle for the victory.

Connor Wisham’s 39-yard fourth-quarter touchdown, coming after Terrell Coleman Jr’s interception, gave Prairie View A&M its first lead at 24-17 with under 10 minutes remaining. Another Panthers interception, this by Cameron Franklin, led to Jaden Johnson’s 9-yard keeper to tie the score earlier in the fourth quarter.

On Grambling’s final possession in regulation, quarterback Myles Crawley — who struggled most of the night — threw a 38-yard pass that tight end Marquis Harris grabbed on the sideline at the Panthers 9 with a minute to go. Two plays later, Crawley hit wide receiver Jalen Johnson for a 12-yard score to tie the game with 38 seconds left that capped off a 10-play, 82-yard drive to send the game into overtime.