5 Keys to Victory for Prairie View in the SWAC Championship

Five keys to victory for the Prairie View A&M Panthers in the 2021 SWAC Championship game against the Jackson State Tigers on Saturday, Dec. 4.

Here are Prairie View A&M Panthers' five keys to victory in the 2021 SWAC Championship game against the Jackson State Tigers on Saturday, Dec. 4.

Credit: G-Boom Photography

1.  Control the Tempo

• Jackson State prefers to dominate its opponents in all phases of the football game - offense, defense, and special teams.
• Prairie View must rush the football effectively to balance the offense against JSU's aggressive pass rushers, who tend to wear down in their run defense.
• The Panthers on fourth in the conference in time of possession at 31:31 minutes per game.
• They are the second-least penalized team in the SWAC at 54 for 44 yards/game.  Only at 4.91 penalties per game average.  
• Coach Dooley's squad is No. 3 with 166.9 yards of rushing per game.

Credit: Tyrez Montague

2.  Use Pass's Arm and Legs

• Jawon Pass can duplicate the success Felix Harper and Andrew Body had facing the Jackson State's defense.
• He has a strong arm and can be highly effective in the passing game.
• He must take advantage of the one-on-one coverages, and run quarterback draws. Harper and Body made the Tigers defense pay. The problem was it wasn't consistently done.

Prairie View Homecoming; Credit: PV Athletics

3.  Protect the Football and Create Turnovers 

• The Panthers won't win without the defense creating more possessions for the offense.
• Dooley's No. 3 defense in the SWAC must pressure Shedeur Sanders into interceptions. In 2021, PV has nine interceptions for 211 yards and two returned for touchdowns.
• Prairie View is ranked 3rd in the SWAC for defensive efficiency at a 116.1 rating.
• Jackson State is very good at ball security, so forcing out the football will challenge PV.
• James Houston (JSU) leads the SWAC with seven forced fumbles and two touchdown recoveries.  
• Jason Dumas (PVAMU) has three forced fumbles and leads the Panthers, followed by Jessie Evans (2 FF).

Sept. 4, 2021; Prairie View A & M WR Howard after he scored a 72-yard touchdown reception.  Credit: Kyle T. Mosley, HBCU Legends

4. Take Downfield Shots, Be Careful

• Pass can throw the football and take shots at will.
• I watched him abuse Texas Southern in the Labor Day Classic as he threw a 72-yard strike to Howard opening the second half - his longest touchdown pass of the season.
• The signal-caller has passed for 2,555 yards (232.3 yards/game), 62.9% completion rate, 16 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.
• Shilo Sanders will be ready in centerfield, be careful.
• Jackson State's secondary has allowed only nine passing touchdowns and 158.8 yards/game - the fewest in the SWAC.

Credit: Houston Style Magazine

5.  Play Smart Football in the Redzone

• The Panthers' redzone offense is 5th in the SWAC.
• In 11 games, 31 of 41 visits (75.6%) and 19 touchdowns; 12 of 13 on field goal attempts.
• The negatives for PV in the redzone are 4 fumbles, 1 interception, and 3 turnovers on downs.  
• They cannot afford to squander any redzone opportunities on Saturday.

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