Wednesday’s HBCU Football Notebook

HOUSTON — Prairie View running back Donald Babers rushed for 202 yards and two touchdowns as the Panthers defeated Arkansas-Pine Bluff 15-0 at Golden Lion Stadium Saturday.

Babers scored on runs of 1 and 6 yards while rushing for over 212 yards for the second time in his career.

The Panthers, 6-1 (3-1 SWAC) kept the Golden Lions winless (0-7, 0-3). This was the second time this season that Arkansas-Pine Bluff was shut out in a game.

Baber’s first touchdown gave the Panthers a 7-0 lead with 10:04 left in the first quarter. Prairie View extended the lead to 9-0 in the second quarter when Riante Jones blocked a Carlos Reyes punt that was recovered in the end zone by Pine Bluff’s John Keith.

Babers later scored his second touchdown with 1:39 left before halftime.

The Panthers, ranked sixth in this week’s BoxToRow/BASN poll, limited the Golden Lions to 88 total yards and recored six sacks in the game. PVAM will meet Southern (4-3, 3-0) this Saturday in a SWAC battle at Reliant Stadium.

TSU LOSES REID IN LOSS Jackson State quarterback Trae Rutland threw two touchdown passes to help the Tigers defeat host Texas Southern 30-14 at Delmar Stadium.

TSU (3-5, 0-3 SWAC) lost quarterback Bobby Reid on the second play of the game to a right knee bruise. Reid is expected to have an MRI done to assess the injury.

Back-up quarterback Cornelius Harmon threw touchdown passes to Lucas Caparelli and B.J. Haith, but the Tigers (3-5 ,2-1) held TSU to only 216 total yards.

Eric Perri kicked three first half field goals for the Tigers, who broke the game open when Rutland found Marcell Wilder for a 50-yard touchdown pass to give Jackson State a 23-7 lead late in the third quarter.

JSU has won two straight since a home loss to Southern back on October 4.

They’ll look to maintain their winning ways this Saturday when they host Mississippi Valley State (2-4, 0-2) for its homecoming game. In another homecoming contest, TSU will travel to Mississippi to take on Alcorn State (2-6, 1-2) this weekend.