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SWAC West titans meet in Dallas
Lut Williams
BCSP Editor
Saturday evening is showdown time for Prairie View A&M.
The Panthers, once the doormat of all college football as losers of 80 straight games between 1989 and 1998, have been resurrected under fifth-year head coach Henry Frazier. That resurrection had its greatest showing a year ago when Frazier led the Panthers to a 9-1 finish.
But the 1 on last year's Panther's record was a 40-16 loss to Grambling at their annual meeting at the State Fair Classic at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. The teams will meet there again Saturday (6 p.m.) in this week's featured game.
Last season's loss to Grambling represents a trend that Frazier has yet to turnaround. The Panthers (1-1, 1-0 SWAC W) have beaten every other SWAC program during the last five years except the G-Men. Overall, Grambling (2-2, 0-0) has won the last 21 games.
"We've tried everything," said Frazier two weeks ago in anticipation of this weekend's showdown. "We've just got to come out and play winning football."
The game comes after the Panthers have been off for two straight weeks. The time off may work against them.
"Teams have four five games under their belt. We have two," said Frazier to the Monroe (La.) News-Star Monday. "It seems like we're back in training camp. I don't think we've made it to midseason form yet. We're still learning a lot about our football team."
He'll learn a lot more against the defending SWAC champion G-Men who are coming off a stinging 56-6 loss last week to Div. I and Big 12 power Oklahoma State. It's a game Grambling coach Rod Broadway wishes his team didn't have to play.
"It was a game we had no chance winning," Broadway said to the News-Star, while saying his biggest fear was injury.
"I hate to put the kids in that situation. I don't know of anything good that comes out of it. For the football team, there was no value in it. I like to give our guys a fair opportunity to win every week, not just most weeks." Six Grambling players were injured and required X-rays, Broadway said.
One of the biggest questions is whether Grambling's injuries or Prairie View's rustiness will be the biggest factor in the outcome of Saturday's big game.
Grambling and Prairie View both come in with potent ground games and stout defenses. "They'll be ready to roll on Saturday, just like we will.' said Frazier.
In other top games, Alabama residents Alabama A&M (3-1) and Tuskegee (4-1), ranked 7th and 8th in BCSP rankings, travel to Indianapolis for the 26th Circle City Classic (4 p.m.).
Two key games involve teams in the crowded CIAA East Division: Elizabeth City State (4-1, 2-0) is at Virginia State (3-2, 1-1) and Virginia Union (3-2, 2-0) is at St. Paul's (1-3, 0-2). In a big West Division showdown, Shaw (4-1, 1-1) faces St. Augustine's (1-4, 1-1).
The top SIAC matchup has Miles (3-2, 3-1) hosting Fort Valley State (3-2, 2-2). In the SWAC, Jackson State (0-3, 0-0) is looking for its first win of the season hosting Southern (3-1, 1-0).
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