Prairie View Defeats Grambling in State Fair Classic Rivalry
Prairie View A&M and Grambling State meet in the Cotton Bowl for the annual State Fair Classic.
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Cotton Bowl - In typical fashion, the large fanbase for both the Grambling State University Tigers and the Prairie View A&M University Panthers packed Dallas’ Cotton Bowl for the annual duel on the football field. As has been the case for the past five years, the Panthers walked away with a victory, defeating the Tigers 34-14.
Both teams struggled offensively Saturday night, but Prairie View was able to capitalize on a less than stellar first half by Grambling. The Panthers went into halftime with a 27-0 lead, thanks in part to the excessive Grambling penalties and the Tigers’ inability to convert first downs. The Tigers had only two first downs in the entire first half.
More than 53,000 fans witnessed the one-sided first half. After an electrifying halftime performance by both bands - it appeared more than half of the crowd dispersed into the State Fair of Texas. Those who exited missed Grambling’s efforts to make the game more competitive.
At the midpoint of the third quarter, Grambling made a switch at quarterback, inserting true freshman Julian Calvez. Starting quarterback Quaterius Hawkins had only completed five of nine pass attempts for a total of 37 yards. Calvez made an immediate difference on offense and was able to score Grambling’s first touchdown on a five yard run. The following drive, Calvez connected with tight end Noah Bean for a five-yard score.
As the fourth quarter began to wind down, Grambling took over on offense down by 13. There was still a bit of hope remaining on their sideline when Calvez threw an interception at the team’s 33-yard line. All was not lost until Grambling’s muffed punt was returned for a touchdown.
Prairie View’s only second half score put the Panthers up 34-14 and inevitably secured their victory.
While the football game and its statistics will dominate the reports, the State Fair Classic provided another glimpse into the thriving culture of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Both Grambling and Prairie View have a dedicated collective of alumni that make it a practice to support their respective institutions each year.
The two HBCU’s are about a four hour drive from the Dallas area, and both boast large numbers of enrolled students from the Dallas area. Of course the rivalry will remain in tact, but it is incredibly important to acknowledge how both schools have produced successful professionals throughout the country and world.
