PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas – Northwestern State and Prairie View A&M have played two football games against one another following Saturday night's matchup with both going down to the wire.
 
The visiting Demons came up just short of their first road victory of the 2025 season, falling 27-24 to the homestanding Panthers, who relied on a powerful running game to build the lead and then salt away the victory.
 
Prairie View (2-2) rushed for 346 yards – including topping the 100-yard mark in the first and fourth quarters. The final 46 of those yards came as the Panthers ran the final 4:08 off the clock.
 
"We didn't play well enough to win," second-year head coach Blaine McCorkle said. "We didn't take advantage of opportunities when they were there. We didn't play complementary football. The offense would make a play, and the defense wouldn't back it up. Then the defense would make a play, and the offense wouldn't back it up. We didn't do the things we needed to do to give ourselves an opportunity to win tonight, and that's very disappointing."
 
In a second half where momentum ping-ponged between sidelines, the Demons (1-3) could not fully take advantage of the opportunities provided by the Panthers.
 
Down 20-17 early in the fourth quarter, Northwestern cornerback Caesar Magee III corralled his second turnover of the day, recovering a Jyzaiah Rockwell fumble at the Prairie View 36-yard line. One play later, the Demons gave the ball back as a double pass turned into an interception that Prairie View's Travor Randle returned to the Panther 46-yard line.
 
That swing in momentum hearkened back to the second quarter where Northwestern had a chance to put more pressure on the Panthers.
 
Under heavy pressure, Prairie View quarterback Tevin Carter's pass on a first-and-25 was intercepted by Magee along the right sideline near midfield. A roughing the passer penalty negated the interception, and the Panthers quickly took advantage.
 
Six plays later, Lamagea McDowell's 1-yard touchdown run gave the Panthers a 17-10 halftime lead.
 
Magee cut short the Panthers' first drive of the second half with an interception in the end zone – the Demons' fourth end-zone pick of the season – before Northwestern's defense delivered back-to-back stops that were sandwiched around a lost fumble on a punt return.
 
Much like Northwestern's first scoring drive, the Demons' first score of the second half was built on explosive plays.
 
After forcing a turnover on downs at the Demon 33, Myion Hicks started the quick-strike drive with a 35-yard run before quarterback Abram Johnston scrambled for a 29-yard, game-tying touchdown run.
 
A three-and-out ahead of the first-play interception followed for the Demon offense while Prairie View built a 27-17 lead.
 
"Consistency was the key," McCorkle said. "That's part of being really, really tired and really, really young. When you're really tired and really young, those things are going to happen. We have to learn how to put together a complete game. This bye week will help us heal up and learn a little bit."
 
Down 10 midway through the fourth quarter, Johnston fought through a late hit that forced him to the sidelines for one play to find Ben Buisson for a 44-yard, catch-and-run touchdown that cut the margin to three. Buisson's first career touchdown grab came with the Demons facing a third-and-15 from the Prairie View 44.
 
Johnston finished the game 12 for 19 for 156 yards and two touchdowns – including a 21-yarder to Camryn Davis to open the scoring in the first quarter. In addition to his first multi-touchdown passing game, Johnston led the Demons with 71 rushing yards and a touchdown.
 
He became the first Demon to account for three touchdowns in a game since Zachary Clement threw for four touchdowns in a Nov. 5, 2022, win at then-Texas A&M-Commerce.


"Abram's one of the toughest guys on our team, and he's just a freshman," McCorkle said. "We're going to look up before we know it, and he'll be lighting up this league. He's tough. We showed in moments tonight what we're capable of."
 
The Demons will take their open week next week before returning to action against East Texas A&M on Oct. 4. Kickoff for the Homecoming game against the Lions is set for 6 p.m.