At most Historically Black Colleges and Universities, “Homecoming” is a sacred game marked on the schedule by Alumni, former students, and even individuals who have college hours at an HBCU.

Although most players and coaches will tell you that it is just another game, they know the magnitude of the homecoming carries more weight, and they look to avoid that loss at all costs.

For three quarters on Saturday at Blackshear Field, it looked as if the Prairie View A&M football team was heading towards disappointing all the extra fans in attendance. They trailed Alabama State by double digits heading into the fourth quarter until a pair of touchdowns helped the Panthers pull off the 24-20 victory over the Hornets.

The Panthers extended their winning streak to six games on Saturday, as they remain undefeated in Southwestern Athletic Conference play.

Prairie View (7-1, 6-0 SWAC) trailed Alabama State (3-5, 2-4 SWAC) by a score of 20-10 at the half after allowing the Hornets to score on four of their first six possessions in the first half including a 50-yard pass play from quarterback Ryan Nettles to Terrance Ellis.

That play highlighted the issues that plagued the Panthers in the first half on the defensive side of the ball.

The Panthers headed into the locker room, looking to find their identity from, two weeks ago when they scored 48 points against Southern University.

“We had 30 minutes to determine who we were and what type of football team we wanted to be,” said head coach Eric Dooley. “I keep telling people that this conference is very competitive, and guys are not going to lay down because of their records. We knew that we were not playing our best football.”

That message must have resonated throughout the Prairie View locker room as they came back to the field like a team on a mission. They held the Hornets scoreless in the second half and only allowed 80 total yards of offense.

“We just came out in the second half and realized who we were,” said defensive lineman Jason Dumas who put constant pressure on Alabama State quarterbacks after halftime. "During halftime, we made the adjustments with our position coaches and a defensive meeting on what we were going to do in the second half.”

After going scoreless in the third quarter, Prairie View finally got things going in the fourth with a five-play, 71-yard drive that resulted in a 14-yard touchdown by running back Lyndemian Brooks to bring the Panthers within three points of the lead.

Another strong defensive effort by the Panthers helped get the offense the ball back midway through the fourth quarter, and they capitalized on it after quarterback Jawon Pass rushed in from the Hornets six-yard line to take the lead for the first time since the first quarter.

Pass, who finished the day 21-for-33 with 171 yards passing, knew that it was only a matter of time before the offense would get going.

“We knew once we scored a touchdown, we were going to get rolling,” Pass said. “Once we scored our first touchdown in the fourth quarter, we came back and got another one and got the win.”

The Panthers travel to Lorman, Mississippi, on Saturday, November 13, to take on Alcorn State, as they look to secure a date in the SWAC Championship Game in December.