Friday, November 12, 2010

Grambling blows big lead, falls to Texas Southern

HOUSTON, TX — The Grambling Tigers lost a 17-point fourth-quarter lead and their eight-game win streak deep in the heart of Texas on Thursday night. Texas Southern staged a furious fourth-quarter rally and defeated Grambling 41-34 in overtime to grab a stranglehold in the SWAC West Division.

Grambling (8-2, 7-1 SWAC) dropped its first conference game while Texas Southern improved to 7-3 (7-1). The Tigers can still claim the division title if they defeat Southern University in their regular-season finale and Texas Southern loses to Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Thursday, Texas Southern outgained Grambling 542-219. The Tigers were aided by a 95-yard kickoff return from Edward Patterson and a 39-yard interception return from Derrick Wilhite in the first half.

TSU a victory away from earning berth in title game

Move over, Grambling State.

Texas Southern is the new frontrunner in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Western Division.
TSU rallied from a 17-point, fourth-quarter deficit with 24 unanswered points, including the tie-breaking touchdown in overtime, en route to snagging a thrilling 41-34 victory before a crowd of 10,023 Thursday night at Delmar Stadium.

 Photos from Delmar Stadium

TSU (7-3, 7-1 SWAC) won its sixth consecutive game to knock Grambling (8-2, 7-1) off its perch and can win its first Western Division title and a berth in the Dec. 11 SWAC championship game with a win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff in their Nov. 20 regular-season finale. Another win would push TSU one step closer to competing for its first SWAC title since 1968.

TSU Defeats Grambling State 41-34 (OT)

HOUSTON, TX - Texas Southern University defeated Grambling State University 41-34 (OT) at Delmar Stadium in northwest Houston. With this latest victory, TSU is now two wins away from their first outright SWAC Chamionship in the 54-year history of the football program.

The TSU Tigers were coming from 17 down in the fourth quarter to beat Grambling 41-34 in overtime. With seven minutes left, Richard Samuel scored a 23-yard touchdown pass from Arvell Nelson to bring the point gap within three. Robert Hersch kicked a 20-yard field goal, tying the game with 15 seconds left on the clock.

TSU football's long climb nearing summit


Texas Southern football coach Johnnie Cole has the year 1968 stamped in his memory.

It's a reminder of the prize that has eluded his program for more than four decades. For Cole, it has been far too long since TSU won its last Southwestern Athletic Conference championship.

The 1968 Tigers, who split the title with Alcorn State and Grambling State, were of an era when TSU was a perennial contender in the SWAC. The accomplishments of those teams from 1950s and '60s have been overshadowed by the disparaging label placed on the program in recent years.

READ MORE, CLICK EACH TITLE.

ATTENDANCE: 10,023

No comments: