Prairie View A&M upsets Florida A&M after Daniel Richardson injury
11/11/2024 10:11 PM
Prairie View A&M halted Florida A&M’s two-game winning streak with a 31-12 win this past Saturday. The Rattlers traveled to face their Southwestern Athletic Conference rival in a game that began with disappointment. Starting quarterback Daniel Richardson suffered a concussion early in the first quarter. The loss of Richardson caused the Rattlers to turn to redshirt junior Junior Muratovic stepped in to lead the offense.
Muratovic threw for a season-high 150 yards, completing 16 passes and one touchdown. Despite the strong passing performance, the Rattlers’ running game proved to be their brightest spot. Levontai Summersett rushed for 87 yards on just nine carries, including a 57-yard run. Thad Franklin Jr. added 35 yards on five carries.
Florida A&M won the time of possession battle, 33:06 to 25:47, and converted 8 of 15 third downs. Prairie View A&M was successful on 3 of 8. Despite outgaining the Panthers 354 yards to 344, the Rattlers faced an uphill battle, trailing 17-3 at halftime.
Florida A&M responded in the second half, starting with a field goal at 4:54 in the third quarter. They then capped a five-play drive with a 7-yard touchdown pass from Muratovic to Jamari Gassett, narrowing the gap to 17-12 heading into the fourth quarter.
However, Prairie View A&M took control in the final period, scoring 14 unanswered points on 15 plays. James Burns, Freddie Byrd III, and Lamagea McDowell combined for all four of the Panthers’ touchdowns. Burns caught a 70-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jaden Johnson, while Byrd returned an interception for a touchdown. McDowell sealed the victory with two rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
Johnson finished the game with 193 yards, completing 12 of 16 passes and one touchdown. Chase Bingmon led the Panthers' rushing attack with 68 yards, averaging 9.7 yards per carry. McDowell added 43 yards on the ground.
In the SWAC conference call Monday morning, Florida A&M head coach James Cozie praised Prairie View's performance but noted that losing Richardson early had a significant impact on his team’s game plan.
"I can't say how different the game would've been without the guy leading the conference in passing with 19 touchdowns," Cozie said. "Losing him early definitely made us adjust."
With the loss, Florida A&M dropped to 5-4 overall and 3-2 in conference play. The Rattlers will look to bounce back when they return home to Bragg Memorial Stadium to host Mississippi Valley State on Nov. 16 at 1 p.m.
Prairie View A&M will face Alcorn State on Nov. 16 at Panther Stadium, looking to build on their current momentum and finish the season strong.
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