Prairie View Delivers Heartbreak For Texas Southern In the Overtime

HOUSTON - Texas Southern and Prairie View had a back-and-forth battle at the 38th Labor Classic in Houston. The Tigers and Panthers clawed out to a 17-all tie in the first half. The opposing quarterbacks, Andrew Body (TSU) and Trazon Connley (Prairie View), guided their squads to three scores.   

Curtis Falkenberg kicked a 20-yard field goal to put the Tigers up 3-0 after an 11-play, 48-yard drive. Prairie View answered with a 6-play, 85-yard drive with a 38-yard touchdown pass from Connley to Jahquan Bloomfield to lead 7-3 at 4:37 in the first quarter. The Panthers increased their lead in the first quarter to 14-3 on a David Murray two-yard touchdown plunge.   

In the second stanza, Andrew Body found A.J. Bennett for a 9-yard strike to inch closer, 14-10, after an 8-play, 73-yard possession. Panthers placekicker Carlos Villagomez booted a field goal following a 10-play drive that stalled at the 23.   

Before intermission, Body launched a 35-yard missile to wideout A.J. Bennett in four plays and 54 yards in 1:12.

Body was 12-of 20 for 195 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. Connley was 5-of-10 for one touchdown and an interception. Ahmad Antoine had eight rushes for 46 yards before halftime. 

Texas Southern dislodged the football from Trazon Connley shortly after the start of the third quarter at the 22-yard line.

Andrew Body completed a touchdown pass to Quaydari Davis for 16 yards. Texas Southern would recapture the lead 24-17 at 13:16 in the 3rd quarter. The game was in slow motion until LaDarius Owens broke through the Prairie View defense for a 77-yard touchdown burst to expand the Tigers lead 34-17 after K Falkenburg's extra-point kick.  

Prairie View's wideouts didn't help Connley with several drops in the contest. Caleb Johnson bulldozed over several TSU defenders for a hard-fought 11-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to 10 points, 34-24, with 1:03 remaining in the 3rd quarter. 

Pearson II intercepted Body and returned the football 23 yards to the TSU 36-yard line. The Tigers' defense prevented a fourth-down attempt by sacking Connley. Two plays later, Andrew Body had an errant pass to Quay Davis for an interception. Bubba McDowell's team would take advantage when Villagomez boomed a 39-yard field goal to come within 10 points of the Tigers, 34-27 at 9:17 left.

Texas Southern needed points, but offensive coordinator David Marsh called consecutive running plays. A holding call sent the Tigers back inside the ten-yard line. Andrew Body hit Morton for a 19-yard gain for the first down and out of trouble.   

4:45 remained, and Prairie View started their final drive.  

Connley got the first on 4th and 4. Later, he found Spiller in the endzone for a 15-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 34 after Villagomez's extra-point kick. The Panthers squared the match on a 12-play, 75-yard drive in 3:56.

Texas Southern got the football at the 17-yard line and ran out the clock to decide the game in overtime tied at 34 apiece.

Body and TSU had the football first in overtime and could not convert a first down.   Falkenburg missed the field goal attempt from 42 yards.   Prairie View got the football and seven plays later, Carlos Villagomez boomed a 35-yard field goal to win the game.