BJ Curry runs for 2 TDs as UAPB rallies to beat Prairie View A&M 21-17

PINE BLUFF, Ark. — BJ Curry ran for two touchdowns, JaVonnie Gibson had nine receptions for 183 yards and a TD and UAPB rallied from an early deficit to beat Prairie View A&M 21-17 on Friday night to snap a three-game losing streak.

Mekhi Hagens hit Gibson for a 59-yard touchdown catch-and-run and, after the Guillermo Garcia Rodriguez missed a 42-yard field-goal attempt on the ensuing drive, Hagens ripped off a 20-yard run to ignite an eight-play, 74-yard drive that culminated with Curry’s 8-yard touchdown run that gave UAPB (2-4, 1-1 Southwestern Athletic Conference) the lead for good at 14-8 midway through the second quarter.

Garcia Rodriguez connected from 50-yards out to make it a three-point game about 5 minutes later but the Golden Lions went 75 yards in one minute, 27 seconds to take a 21-11 lead when Curry ran it in from the 10.

Scooter Adams returned the ensuing kickoff 32 yards and Jaden Johnson, after taking a sack for a 10-yard loss on first-and-10, hit Trejon Spiller twice and David Murray once to set up a 54-yard field goal by Garcia Rodriguez to make it 21-14 at halftime.

UAPB went three-and-out on the game’s opening possession and the snap on the ensuing punt was bobbled out of the end zone for a safety and Jaden Johnson was 4-of-4 passing for 55 yards, including a 16-yard touchdown pass to Jeremiah Ratliff that made it 8-0 after the PAT attempt was no good with 11:17 left in the first quarter.

Garcia Rodriguez capped the scoring late in the third quarter when hit a 49-yard field goal.

Johnson completed at least one pass to 12 different targets and finished 25-of-37 passing for 286 yards with an interceptions for Prairie View A&M (2-5, 1-3).

The Panthers have lost back-to-back games and four of their last five.