Prairie View A&M’s dream season came to an end Saturday with a 40-38 four-overtime loss to South Carolina State in the Celebration Bowl.
The Panthers, fresh off their first 10-win season in a decade and SWAC championship, jumped up to what seemed to be an insurmountable 21-point first-half lead, fueled by a dazzling offense and stifling defense.
From there, the Bulldogs would outscore Prairie View 40-17 in regulation and overtime to take the HBCU national title.
“I’m really proud of these guys for the season that we’ve had,” Jackson said afterward. “We started this thing back in July, and I think we were the only ones in our building that thought we could be here. So to be here was a good deal.”
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Prairie View had chances to put the game away, though.
With the Panthers up 35-28 and SC State facing a fourth-and-16 with 3:45 left, backup quarterback Ryan Stubblefield found Jordan Smith for an 18-yard gain. The Bulldogs would punch it in three plays later on a Smith TD reception to tie it with 1:45 remaining.
In triple overtime, Prairie View had a chance to win it, but Diego Alfaro’s game-winning 38-yard field goal missed by inches to the right, keeping the game tied 38-38.
South Carolina State then took the lead on a successful two-point conversion attempt and then stopped Cam Peters on the Panthers’ next possession.
“We had our chances to win,” Jackson said. “We didn’t capitalize on those. I told the young guys in the locker room, ‘If you’ve got a chance to take control of your own destiny, you’ve got to take control of it.’”
The Panthers finish the season 10-4, marking their most successful campaign in a new era.
Jackson said the challenge now is to build on that foundation and turn belief into consistency. “We learned who we can be,” he said. “Now it’s time to go become that every Saturday.”
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