Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Southern and Grambling preparing for Bayou Classic battle

New Orleans, Louisiana -- Needing a win against Southern in this Saturday’s Bayou Classic to clinch a berth to next month’s Southwestern Athletic Conference championship game, Grambling Coach Doug Williams said his team will be ready.

Williams and Southern Coach Stump Mitchell were in New Orleans today for the annual coaches news conference at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome that kicks off the week of events related to the big rivalry game.

Grambling (6-4, 5-3) is on a five-game winning streak since starting the season at 1-4. Southern (4-6, 4-4) can clinch a four-way tie for a share of the SWAC Western Division with a victory. Grambling has won the previous three games against Southern.

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Win Saturday puts GSU in title game

GRAMBLING, LA ­— Grambling head football coach Doug Williams had forgotten Alabama A&M and Prairie View were playing last Saturday afternoon until he heard A&M had a 14-0 lead on the Panthers.

And the reason for his distraction wasn't because he was watching the Tigers men's basketball team's home opener.

"It's not that I didn't have an idea, but it wasn't on my mind at the time," Williams said of A&M's 17-15 win that left Grambling alone atop the Southwestern Athletic Conference West Division. "I was probably thinking next week. Scotty (Boatright) came to me and said it's 14-0 A&M. At that time, my heart was like, 'Ummph.' I forgot."

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New events planned for Bayou Classic weekend

The 38th Annual State Farm Bayou Classic kicks off this weekend starting Thanksgiving Day. For the first time, a Bayou Classic Thanksgiving Day parade will be held.

This annual extravaganza features one of America's greatest college sports rivalries, bringing the fans and alumni of Southern University and Grambling State University for a celebration of football, family and the traditions and pageantry surrounding Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

The Bayou Classic parade will begin at 4 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 24)-- starting at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and ending at the French Market on North Peters. It will feature the Human Jukebox as well as the Marching Tigers and several other local bands.

The weekend culminates with the Bayou Classic football game at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 26. Other events include the annual Battle of the Bands and Greek Show on Friday, an HBCU Summit which features a conversation about the challenges facing Black Colleges moderated by CNN's Soledad O'Brien also on Friday, a Coaches' Luncheon, and an Inspirational Gospel Brunch.

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Evans seeking first Bayou Classic win after 3 losses

This is it. For three seasons, Southern wide receiver LaQuinton Evans stood on the field level at the Superdome, watching the final seconds of the Bayou Classic fade away. Three seasons, three losses. Now, he’s a senior. Now, this week, Evans has one more shot at the one win he wants more than all the others.

At 1 p.m. Saturday in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, Evans and Southern (4-6, 4-4 Southwestern Athletic Conference) face archrival Grambling (6-4, 5-3).  The Jaguars once dominated this series, winning 10 of 11 meetings from 1993-2003. Now, they’ve lost three straight to Grambling.



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