Sports

Prairie View SHOCKS Jackson State; wins the SWAC Championship

Published

5 months ago

December 6, 2025

Photo: Prairie View A&M Athletics

Prairie View A&M claimed the 2025 Pepsi SWAC Football Championship with a stunning 23–21 victory over Jackson State on Saturday at Veterans Memorial Stadium, where 32,187 fans witnessed the upset. It is the Panthers’ first SWAC championship since 2009.

Quarterback Cameron Peters was named the game’s Most Valuable Player after generating nearly 400 yards of offense. He went 17-of-28 passing for a touchdown and an interception, while adding 100 rushing yards and another score on 24 carries.

“He’s a dog,” said Prairie View A&M Head Coach Tremaine Jackson of his quarterback. “Made a mistake down there on the goal line. He’s a dog. That’s the deal with dogs. Do they come back and they fight harder?” Jackson said. “Nobody thought we’d be able to do this in such a short time. We got injuries all over the place, short rosters. Man, that dude just stands up and fights every single day. I think it’s a really good deal that he’s on our team. I’m glad that I was his coach. Glad we got one more week together.”

Linebacker Darrell Starling anchored the defense with a standout outing, especially in the opening half. He finished with eight tackles—four of them solo—along with half a sack, a tackle for loss, and an interception. HBCU All-American Travor Randle contributed five crucial tackles and a pass breakup.

Prairie View A&M struck first, taking a 7–0 lead with 4:22 remaining in the first quarter. Jackson State answered to tie the game at 7–7, but the Panthers regained control with a 19-yard field goal to move ahead 10–7. The Panthers added another field goal in the final seconds of the second quarter, extending the margin to 13–7, and later pushed the lead to 16–7. After Jackson State closed the gap to 16–14, Prairie View A&M responded once more, scoring with 3:21 left in the third quarter to go up 23–14. They wouldn’t score again, but their earlier surge held off a late Jackson State touchdown.

The Keys

Prairie View A&M outgained Jackson State 424–244, with a 294–160 advantage in passing yards.
The Panthers struck first and never surrendered the lead.
Their highest-scoring frame came in the third quarter, producing 10 points.
Prairie View A&M converted 10 of 21 third-down attempts, while Jackson State managed just 2 of 10.
Starling paced the defense with eight tackles.
Diego Alfaro connected on three field goals, including a long of 42 yards.
Prairie View A&M dominated time of possession, holding the ball for 38:56 compared to Jackson State’s 21:04.

What’s Next

Prairie View will face South Carolina State in the Celebration Bowl on Saturday, December 13. Kickoff is set for 12:00 PM Eastern Time inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium on ABC.

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Itoro N. Umontuen

Itoro Umontuen serves as the National Sports and Entertainment Editor with Black Press USA. He is also a veteran photographer for 20 years, based in Atlanta for the past 15 years. His photography and videography style is a blend of portraiture and contemporary photojournalism. Previously, Umontuen served as the Managing Editor for The Atlanta Voice. While at the historic publication, Umontuen reported on local, statewide, and national politics. He also photographed thousands of sporting events, including Super Bowls and National Championships. He also engineers podcasts while mentoring emerging journalists. Umontuen is a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana and is a proud graduate of Tennessee State University.