Saturday, September 12
Waco, Texas
7 p.m.
Baylor
vs
Prairie View A&M
Football Hosts Defending SWAC Champ Prairie View A&M
9/7/2026 1:19:00 PM | Football
WACO, Texas -- Baylor returns for the home opener on Saturday, hosting Prairie View A&M, the defending SWAC Champions, at 7 p.m. at McLane Stadium. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and the Baylor Sports Media Network.
Central National Bank is the presenting sponsor of the game, which is also dubbed 254 Night, which included Baylor fans selecting the uniform combination the Bears will wear on Saturday.
Calling the game on ESPN+ will be Mark Neely (play-by-play) and Barrett Brooks (analyst) voicing the action. For the Baylor Sports Media Network the game will be called by the Voice of Baylor Football, John Morris (play-by-play), Geff Gandy (analyst) and Bryson Jackson (sideline).
The Bears are coming off a thriller in Atlanta at the Alfac Kickoff Game vs. Auburn that saw BU attempt a game-winning two-point conversion with nine seconds remaining. The pass to Matthew Klopfenstein was stopped inches short of the goal line, allowing Auburn to escape with the win.
Baylor (0-1) will face Prairie View A&M (1-1, 1-0 South West Athletic Conference) for the first time in series history. It will mark the first of a three-game homestand, including Louisiana Tech and Colorado.
SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
• The defending champions of the SWAC, Prairie View A&M enters the season as the preseason pick to defend its league crown. Led by star RB Chase Bingmon, the 2025 SWAC Freshman of the Year, the Panthers advanced to the HBCU National Championship Game a year ago, falling in a heartbreaker four overtime loss that saw PVAMU lead 21-0 early int he game. Jackson has crafted a motto for 2026, coined from Acts 20:24, "Finish the Fight".
• Tremaine Jackson is in his second season leading the Panthers, a year after posting a 7-1 record in conference to earn SWAC Coach of the Year accolades. He previously served as the head coach at D2 powerhouse Valdosta State, where he was named the AFCA National D2 Coach of the Year, leading the Blazers to the national championship game vs. Ferris State. Valdosta State went 13-0 in 2024, is 40-11 overall as a head coach and 30-8 at Valdosta State. He previously served as the head coach at Colorado Mesa, going 10-3, and has made coaching stops at Texas State, Abilene Christian and Sioux Falls.
• Jackson is assisted by Trent Early, the associate head coach at co-defensive coordinator, a finalist for FCS DC of the Year. He joined Jackson from Valdosta State and Colorado Mesa, and had coaching stops at South Florida, North Texas and Oklahoma Baptist and Texas as a GA or analyst. Darrell Colbert is the assistant head coach and Christopher Buckner is the offensive coordinator. Buckner was at Sam Houston in 2023-24, and 2020-21, with a tenure at Texas State mixed in, which followed time at Western New Mexico, Arkansas State, Southern Miss and NC Central. Brandon Anderson is the defensive coordinator, coming with Jackson from Valdosta State and Colorado Mesa, with time at Lindenwood and Sioux Falls. Jackson Hadley, a former personnel staffer at Tennessee (2015-19), and analyst at Samford for Chris Hatcher, is the special teams coordinator, and came with Jackson from Colorado Mesa and Valdosta State.
• Anton Goff is the AD at PVAMU and has been since August of 2023. He took over after serving as the senior associate AD at Northern Illinois, working with academics, and previously worked at St. John's, Hartford and Bowie State, with academic stops at Maryland, Michigan State and Kent State. He played football at Bowling Green and has a pair of degrees from VCU.
• PVAMU opened the 2026 season on Aug. 29 with a 49-30 loss at Tarleton State but rolled to 519 yards of total offense in the setback, including 331 passing. Tarleton had 505 yards of total offense, including 231 on the ground. QB Tevin Carter completed 25-of-40 passes for 309 yards and rushed 14 times for 130 yards and a score. Bigmon had 15 totes for 36 yards and a TD. Damien McDaniel had four catches for 75 yards and Rodny Ojo had five grabs for 74 yards, while Bingmon had a team-leading six catches for 40 yards. Defensively, Damani Maxson had nine tackles to lead the team.
• Bingmon had 980 yards of total offense and eight TDs last year. The offensive line returns four starters after just allowing eight sacks last year. Calvin McMillon was a first-team All-conference WR and Travon Jones ia a 6-foot-7 TE, who had three catches in the opener. Ojo had 30 catches for 427 yards and three TDs last year, and the Panthers must replace 1,000 yard receiver Jzyaiah Rockwell. Carter went 2-1 last year in relief of UTSA transfer QB Cam Peters. All-conference corner back Eric Zachery led PVAMU with 13 PBUs last year, DL Malik Gucake had 42 tackles and 10.5 TFLs last year, and DL Molik Mason also returned to help anchor the front.
• PVAMU rolled to a 52-14 win over Texas Southern in its home and conference opener on Sunday afternoon. The Panthers scored the first 17 points of the game and opened up a 45-7 lead after three quarters. PVAMU rushed for 216 yards and two scores, and threw for 102 yards, with 318 yards of total offense. Carter was 16-for-22 for 217 yards and four TDs, Bingmon rushed 10 times for 60 yards and one TD and Ojo had three grabs for 68 yards, with Bingmon adding four for 59 yards and a score. Defensively, Kamrin Canterbury had 11 stops and Malachi Williams had three sacks.
SEASON LID-LIFTER IN ATLANTA
• Baylor opened its season in thrilling fashion in the 2026 Kickoff Game in Atlanta, hosted by the Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Auburn outlasted the Bears 17-16 in a game that came down to the last nine seconds.
• The Bears rallied to tie the game at 10 with seven minutes remaining but Auburn mounted a three-minute drive to take a 17-10 lead with 3:21 left in the game. Baylor rode the heroics of QB DJ Lagway - playing through an injury suffered early in the game - and WR Gavin Freeman and WR Jadon Porter to stoke for a TD with nine seconds remaining as Lagway found Freeman for his 12th catch of the game.
• Baylor elected to go for the win, attempting a two-point conversion. Lagway found TE Matthew Klopfenstein, who was stood up just inches short of the goal line, handing the Bears a narrow loss.
• The Baylor defense was strong throughout the game vs. the high-paced Auburn attack under first-year coach Alex Golesh, who was leading the 13th most talented roster according to advanced metrics. Baylor held AU to 389 yards of total offense and rolled to 436, including 333 yards passing from Lagway, who found Freeman and Louis Brown IV for TDs. Freeman had 12 catches for 154 yards, both career highs, while Porter had five grabs for 77 yards. RB Dawson Pendergrass rushed 25 times - a career-high - for 88 yards.
NEXT UP
• Baylor will continue a three-game home stand by hosting Louisiana Tech at 3 p.m. on ESPNU.
Central National Bank is the presenting sponsor of the game, which is also dubbed 254 Night, which included Baylor fans selecting the uniform combination the Bears will wear on Saturday.
Calling the game on ESPN+ will be Mark Neely (play-by-play) and Barrett Brooks (analyst) voicing the action. For the Baylor Sports Media Network the game will be called by the Voice of Baylor Football, John Morris (play-by-play), Geff Gandy (analyst) and Bryson Jackson (sideline).
The Bears are coming off a thriller in Atlanta at the Alfac Kickoff Game vs. Auburn that saw BU attempt a game-winning two-point conversion with nine seconds remaining. The pass to Matthew Klopfenstein was stopped inches short of the goal line, allowing Auburn to escape with the win.
Baylor (0-1) will face Prairie View A&M (1-1, 1-0 South West Athletic Conference) for the first time in series history. It will mark the first of a three-game homestand, including Louisiana Tech and Colorado.
SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
• The defending champions of the SWAC, Prairie View A&M enters the season as the preseason pick to defend its league crown. Led by star RB Chase Bingmon, the 2025 SWAC Freshman of the Year, the Panthers advanced to the HBCU National Championship Game a year ago, falling in a heartbreaker four overtime loss that saw PVAMU lead 21-0 early int he game. Jackson has crafted a motto for 2026, coined from Acts 20:24, "Finish the Fight".
• Tremaine Jackson is in his second season leading the Panthers, a year after posting a 7-1 record in conference to earn SWAC Coach of the Year accolades. He previously served as the head coach at D2 powerhouse Valdosta State, where he was named the AFCA National D2 Coach of the Year, leading the Blazers to the national championship game vs. Ferris State. Valdosta State went 13-0 in 2024, is 40-11 overall as a head coach and 30-8 at Valdosta State. He previously served as the head coach at Colorado Mesa, going 10-3, and has made coaching stops at Texas State, Abilene Christian and Sioux Falls.
• Jackson is assisted by Trent Early, the associate head coach at co-defensive coordinator, a finalist for FCS DC of the Year. He joined Jackson from Valdosta State and Colorado Mesa, and had coaching stops at South Florida, North Texas and Oklahoma Baptist and Texas as a GA or analyst. Darrell Colbert is the assistant head coach and Christopher Buckner is the offensive coordinator. Buckner was at Sam Houston in 2023-24, and 2020-21, with a tenure at Texas State mixed in, which followed time at Western New Mexico, Arkansas State, Southern Miss and NC Central. Brandon Anderson is the defensive coordinator, coming with Jackson from Valdosta State and Colorado Mesa, with time at Lindenwood and Sioux Falls. Jackson Hadley, a former personnel staffer at Tennessee (2015-19), and analyst at Samford for Chris Hatcher, is the special teams coordinator, and came with Jackson from Colorado Mesa and Valdosta State.
• Anton Goff is the AD at PVAMU and has been since August of 2023. He took over after serving as the senior associate AD at Northern Illinois, working with academics, and previously worked at St. John's, Hartford and Bowie State, with academic stops at Maryland, Michigan State and Kent State. He played football at Bowling Green and has a pair of degrees from VCU.
• PVAMU opened the 2026 season on Aug. 29 with a 49-30 loss at Tarleton State but rolled to 519 yards of total offense in the setback, including 331 passing. Tarleton had 505 yards of total offense, including 231 on the ground. QB Tevin Carter completed 25-of-40 passes for 309 yards and rushed 14 times for 130 yards and a score. Bigmon had 15 totes for 36 yards and a TD. Damien McDaniel had four catches for 75 yards and Rodny Ojo had five grabs for 74 yards, while Bingmon had a team-leading six catches for 40 yards. Defensively, Damani Maxson had nine tackles to lead the team.
• Bingmon had 980 yards of total offense and eight TDs last year. The offensive line returns four starters after just allowing eight sacks last year. Calvin McMillon was a first-team All-conference WR and Travon Jones ia a 6-foot-7 TE, who had three catches in the opener. Ojo had 30 catches for 427 yards and three TDs last year, and the Panthers must replace 1,000 yard receiver Jzyaiah Rockwell. Carter went 2-1 last year in relief of UTSA transfer QB Cam Peters. All-conference corner back Eric Zachery led PVAMU with 13 PBUs last year, DL Malik Gucake had 42 tackles and 10.5 TFLs last year, and DL Molik Mason also returned to help anchor the front.
• PVAMU rolled to a 52-14 win over Texas Southern in its home and conference opener on Sunday afternoon. The Panthers scored the first 17 points of the game and opened up a 45-7 lead after three quarters. PVAMU rushed for 216 yards and two scores, and threw for 102 yards, with 318 yards of total offense. Carter was 16-for-22 for 217 yards and four TDs, Bingmon rushed 10 times for 60 yards and one TD and Ojo had three grabs for 68 yards, with Bingmon adding four for 59 yards and a score. Defensively, Kamrin Canterbury had 11 stops and Malachi Williams had three sacks.
SEASON LID-LIFTER IN ATLANTA
• Baylor opened its season in thrilling fashion in the 2026 Kickoff Game in Atlanta, hosted by the Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Auburn outlasted the Bears 17-16 in a game that came down to the last nine seconds.
• The Bears rallied to tie the game at 10 with seven minutes remaining but Auburn mounted a three-minute drive to take a 17-10 lead with 3:21 left in the game. Baylor rode the heroics of QB DJ Lagway - playing through an injury suffered early in the game - and WR Gavin Freeman and WR Jadon Porter to stoke for a TD with nine seconds remaining as Lagway found Freeman for his 12th catch of the game.
• Baylor elected to go for the win, attempting a two-point conversion. Lagway found TE Matthew Klopfenstein, who was stood up just inches short of the goal line, handing the Bears a narrow loss.
• The Baylor defense was strong throughout the game vs. the high-paced Auburn attack under first-year coach Alex Golesh, who was leading the 13th most talented roster according to advanced metrics. Baylor held AU to 389 yards of total offense and rolled to 436, including 333 yards passing from Lagway, who found Freeman and Louis Brown IV for TDs. Freeman had 12 catches for 154 yards, both career highs, while Porter had five grabs for 77 yards. RB Dawson Pendergrass rushed 25 times - a career-high - for 88 yards.
NEXT UP
• Baylor will continue a three-game home stand by hosting Louisiana Tech at 3 p.m. on ESPNU.
- BaylorBears.com -
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