Grambling State Tigers rallies to beat Jackson State, 26-23

Jackson, Mississippi -- Grambling State pulled off a late comeback and last-second defensive stand to take a 26-23 win over Jackson State in Jackson on Saturday.

Sophomore running back Dawrence Roberts scampered to paydirt from 10 yards out against a stacked Jackson State defensive line with 1:24 remaining to put Grambling up by three points. But the game was far from over with high-powered quarterback Casey Therriault behind center for JSU.

Therriault moved the home-standing JSU Tigers within scoring position in the final minute. Jackson State opted to go for the win as opposed to a field goal and overtime, but Theriault's pass to the corner of the end zone as time expired was overthrown.

"The most important thing is the way you finish and that's something we've done a good job of the past four weeks," a Gatorade-soaked GSU coach Doug Williams said. "The Grambling-Jackson State rivalry has always been big and a big part of (Southwestern Athletic Conference) football, and with (JSU) celebrating its football centennial, we knew this was going to be a big one."

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Special teams play leaves J-State kicking itself

The words rolled off of Jackson State coach Rick Comegy's lips with the most disgusting tone. "Putrid," he said, referring to the Tigers' special teams play during Saturday's 26-23 loss to Grambling.

 JSU allowed a whopping 213 yards on six kickoff returns, muffed a third punt return this season and missed a late field goal. Grambling's average field position after a JSU kickoff? The 44-yard line.

The G-men returned the first kickoff to the JSU 20-yard line, a 56-yard return that eventually led to a field goal.

Part of the kickoff troubles can be blamed on injury. Kris Selita, the team's normal kickoff specialist and punter, didn't play because of an injury to his plant leg.

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Grambling loss knocks JSU from black college title picture

Time has expired on Jackson State's bid for a black college national championship.

The Tigers tossed away a chance at a game-tying field goal Saturday, deciding not to use a timeout and allowing time to run out during a last-second throw to the end zone in a 26-23 loss to pesky conference rival Grambling.

This, a fourth straight defeat to Grambling (5-4), might burn the most.

Jackson State (7-2) entered as the No. 1 black college team in the country, three wins away from winning a mythical black college national title.

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Grambling had 'incentive' for victory

GRAMBLING, Louisiana — Doug Williams picked up the newspaper Saturday morning in Pine Bluff, Ark., and had to double-check his itinerary. For a while, the Grambling State football coach wasn't sure his Tigers were in the right place.

"When you picked up the paper in Arkansas on Saturday morning, basically we were a no-show," Williams said. "When you read that it was the clearest path to the SWAC Championship (Game) for Pine Bluff since 2006, it was like they didn't have a game to play. Even coach (Monte) Coleman, who I've known a long time, said that, from a running-game standpoint, with the running back suspended it shouldn't hurt them because that's their strongest suit. That's the kind of things that give you incentive. I certainly think it helped. Before we took the field Saturday, I certainly read the newspaper to them and let them know what some of the people thought of them."



The Tigers eventually made believers of UAPB, overcoming five turnovers to defeat the Golden Lions, 27-20, for GSU's third straight victory.

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Refreshed Grambling Tigers ready to go

Grambling, Louisiana -- Doug Williams isn't necessarily a fan of bye weeks. The Grambling coach said this weekend off from competition came at an opportune time, and he admitted players probably need some sort of break from a long season.

But now he's ready to get back into the normal swing with Concordia coming to town in just a few days.

"We worked hard the days that we did work," Williams said. "Saturday was a day that at 2 o'clock it was amazing the way the kids came out and worked hard looking forward to today to start our season from today, today on. I think that's important that we find a way to get a 'W' under our belts."

The Tigers (1-4, 1-3) held a relatively light practice load last week as they tried to heal.




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Prairie View WR Nelson steps into spotlight

Dallas, Texas - Prairie View A&M junior Spencer Nelson entered summer camp with the most game experience among the wide receivers and was expected to glide into the No. 1 role.

But Nelson struggled to gain his footing as the Panthers experienced inconsistent play at quarterback from the outset. He had only four catches for 68 yards in the first two games. What a difference two weekends make.




Nelson rebounded with the first two 100-yard, one-touchdown performances of his career. He caught seven passes for 113 yards in a 36-29 loss to Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Sept. 17 and had nine catches for 117 yards in last Saturday's 43-34 win over Mississippi Valley State.

Nelson (5-8, 175) has quickly become ...

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Alabama State aims to change fortunes vs. GSU

Montgomery, AL -Listening to Alabama State coach Reggie Barlow could lead you to believe Grambling was the team taking the field Saturday in Montgomery, Ala., that had been in last December's SWAC title game.

In actuality, Texas Southern ended the Tigers' season in November and clinched the Western Division, then dismissed the Hornets for the championship. Barlow still sees Grambling and coach Doug Williams, returning to the program after a seven-season hiatus, as one of the kings of the SWAC castle he and his team are trying to storm.

"If you wanna be the best and you wanna be tops in the conference, you always have to go by who's the big-time program and who's had the success," Barlow said. "Grambling's name speaks for itself.

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Grambling, Alcorn State coaches have long history

Shreveport, LA - You know all the old favorite sayings, don’t you? Life has a funny way of coming full-circle. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Stuff along those lines. Sometimes, they’re overused. Sometimes, they’re right on the money.

Clearly, Saturday’s game in Shreveport is a case of the latter.

At Independence Stadium, Grambling and Alcorn State will square off in the latest chapter a long-running, old-fashioned football rivalry. They’ll kick off the season in a game that will give the winner an early leg up in the Southwestern Athletic Conference standings.



In other words, this meeting feels like old times.

“Even back in the good old days, Alcorn was always that first game for Grambling,” Grambling coach Doug Williams said. “I think that’s the way it should be.”

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Grambling will have new quarterback this season

Grambling, LA - Ask Grambling football coach Doug Williams about how it feels in his second stint as the Tigers head coach, and he'll tell you that he thinks the program is in better shape than it was for his first time around.

Ask him how his quarterback situation is shaping out, and he'll tell you that it's a spirited competition between two untested players — sophomore Frank Rivers and freshman D.J. Williams.

No mention, however, of last year's quarterback — Anthony Carrothers — who threw for 1,443 yards on the 2010 season and 115 yards in April's Black and Gold game. The 5-foot-10 Carrothers has transferred out of Grambling.

That, said Williams at the SWAC Media Day at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex on Tuesday, leaves Rivers and his own son, D.J.

"If you've only got two eggs to put in the cornbread, you have to put them in there," said Williams, who returned to the school in February after Rod Broadway left for North Carolina A&T."



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Alabama State Beats Grambling State, Wins SWAC, NCAA Bid

ASU Coach Lewis Jackson and the Hornets are rolling to the Big Dance

GARLAND, Texas - Tremayne Moorer scored 14 points and Tramaine Butler added 13, lifting Alabama State to a 65-48 victory over Grambling on Saturday night to win the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship and a trip to the NCAA tournament.

The Hornets are sure to be a low seed considering they are only 17-17. At least they have momentum going for them — they were 6-16 at the start of February, but head into the tournament on an 11-1 run. This victory avenged their only loss in their recent spurt, a one-pointer on the road in the regular-season finale.

Grambling (12-21) reached the SWAC tournament finals for the first time on a big roll of its own, winning nine of 11. The sixth-seeded Tigers led 28-26 at halftime, then fell apart.

Grambling falls, 65-48

The red-hot Grambling basketball team's fire finally burned out in the second half of the SWAC tournament championship game. The Tigers led Alabama State by two points at halftime, but were badly out-played in the second half and lost 65-48 at the Special Events Center in Garland, Texas.

The second half opened with GSU leading 28-26, and Alabama State quickly tied the game at 30-30 after a jump shot from Shareif Adamu. A Tramaine Butler layup gave the Hornets the lead, and from that point the lead only continued to grow.



ASU Throttles Grambling; Wins SWAC Tournament Championship

Garland, Tx. –Alabama State defeated Grambling State 65-48 at the Special Events Center in the 2011 Farmers Insurance Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament Championship. The victory gave Lewis Jackson his second conference tournament crown in his six years as head coach and the school's fourth.

ASU led 10-4 at the 15 minute mark of the first half. GSU responded with a pair of layups each from Justin Patton and Donald Qualls tying the game at 10 apiece. Qualls scored 35 points the night prior in the semi-finals against Jackson State. He finished with only 12 points on the night to lead Grambling.

Grambling's first lead came off of a Peter Robinson jump hook to make the score 22-20, with just under seven minutes to play before halftime. Four free throws later from Qualls and all of a sudden GSU led 26-20. The biggest deficit the hornets would see all tournament long.

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VISIT: BAMASTATESPORTS

SWAC track and field: Grambling, Alabama State win titles

Baton Rouge, La. - The second day of the Southwestern Athletic Conference Indoor Championship Track and Field Championships featured few surprises in the team competitions, but an overflow of meet records kept things interesting.

Alabama State’s women and Grambing State’s men began the day leading their respective team competitions, and both ran away with comfortable wins Sunday afternoon at LSU’s Carl Maddox Field House.

The Grambling men totaled 173 1/3 points, enough to easily surpass Jackson State’s second- place tally of 91. Alabama State was third with 81 1/3 points.

On the women’s side, Alabama State scored a winning total of 151 points. Prairie View was next with 103 points, and Jackson State was third at 79.

Lady Hornets Win Indoor Track and Field Championship; Men Finish Third

BATON ROUGE, La.—The Alabama State University women's track and field team had a commanding 33 point lead heading into today's final round, and did nothing but expand that lead as they won the SWAC Indoor Track and Field Championship with a combined 151 points. Prairie View was the second closest team in the points with 103.

Kesia Derilus took home Most Outstanding Performer honors as she led the Lady Hornets in scoring with 29 individual points. She had a championship in the 3,000 meter run, finished second in the mile run, third in the5,000 meter run and fourth in the 800 meter run.

Head coach Ritchie Beene took home the Coach of the Year Honors.

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Rain can't dampen Urban Invitational festivities

COMPTON, Calif. -- Rain was the only thing that could get in the way of Saturday's marquee doubleheader on the second day of the fourth annual Urban Invitational presented by the U.S. Army at the MLB Urban Youth Academy.

Luckily, despite forecasts calling for heavy precipitation, the rain didn't come until the eighth inning of the second game and the day's events carried on mostly as planned with several former big leaguers in attendance to help mark the biggest day of the three-day tournament that aims to spotlight Historically Black Colleges and Universities by giving them national exposure.

That national exposure was certainly evident, as both of the day's games were aired live by MLB Network and MLB.com with Greg Amsinger and Harold Reynolds calling the action. And plenty of former stars were there to take part in the event such as...

Video: MLB Network wraps up day at Urban Invitational

Urban Invitational kicks off in SoCal

COMPTON, Calif. -- Cloudy skies carrying the threat of rare Southern California rain couldn't put a damper on the first day of the fourth annual Urban Invitational presented by the U.S. Army at the MLB Urban Youth Academy on Friday.

The three-day tournament, which helps spotlight Historically Black Colleges and Universities by giving them national exposure, got off to a great start even though both opening games began at 1 p.m. PT -- five hours ahead of schedule -- to avoid evening rainfall.

SCOREBOARD
Friday
Grambling State 5, Bethune Cookman 3
UC Irvine 7, Southern 1

Saturday
UC Irvine 9, Bethune Cookman 3
Grambling State 8, Southern 4

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ULM and Grambling State Sign Two-Year Football Agreement

MONROE, La. - The game which produced the largest on-campus collegiate football crowd in north Louisiana history will feature a second and third installment over the next three years. ULM will host Grambling State on Sept. 10, 2011, and Sept. 7, 2013, in Malone Stadium, ULM Director of Athletics Bobby Staub announced Friday afternoon in a press conference at the Monroe Convention Center.

"We're excited about our two-game series with Grambling State University," Staub said. "Our 2007 contest was an overwhelming success and provided an electric atmosphere for fans of both schools as well our student-athletes."

The first meeting between the two schools drew 30,101 fans to ULM's Malone Stadium on Nov. 20, 2007. The game established a new precedent for Football Bowl Subdivision schools in Louisiana as ULM became the first such institution to play Grambling in football - the Warhawks defeated the Tigers 28-14.


Videographer: RayHigginsTV

"For our football team and our fan base, this is a wonderful opportunity to renew a series that is significant due to the proximity of the two schools," ULM head coach Todd Berry said. "A lot of our players know guys on their team which always makes the game more interesting. The first time ULM and Grambling played the game had a great atmosphere and we are excited to bring that kind of environment back to Malone Stadium."

Three of ULM's four non-conference games for the upcoming season are now in place. The Warhawks open the season at Florida State on Sept. 3 and travel to Iowa on Sept. 24.

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Courtesy: ulmwarhawks.com           Release: 01/28/2011

Doug Williams hoping for more visibility for Grambling-Southern Bayou Classic

After quarterbacking Grambling State against Southern University in the inaugural State Farm Bayou Classic 36 years ago and coaching the Tigers from 1998-2002, Doug Williams is enjoying the spectator's view of the annual game between African-American universities. It's visibility he hopes maintains its relevance beyond Saturday's contest at the Louisiana Superdome.

"I'm always going to be involved around the game," the former NFL quarterback and Super Bowl XXII MVP said. "It's been affected by the economy, but it's still viable. I mean, you can't take away black college rivalries like Jackson State-Alcorn, Alabama State-Tuskegee and Grambling-Southern."

Grambling RB Frank Warren earns praise on and off the field

Grambling senior running back Frank Warren sat among the crowd during Monday’s Bayou Classic news conference on the floor of the Superdome, donning an old-school letterman’s sweater. Nothing flashy. And one by one, someone from either Grambling or Southern took the podium and showered him with compliments in anticipation of Saturday’s State Farm Bayou Classic.

First, it was Grambling Athletic Director Lin Dawson.

“Not only do I respect him as the leading rusher in the history of Grambling, but also as a man of character,” Dawson said. “And I will tell you after the Bayou Classic is over, years from now, people will be hearing about this young man. He is a man of integrity and a young man of character.”

Bayou Classic keys to victory

Grambling State and Southern have to focus on playing for pride, and make it the driving point. Texas Southern swiped the Tigers’ chances of playing in next week’s SWAC championship game a couple of weeks ago. Yet, Tigers Coach Rod Broadway continues to talk up this game to his team. The Jaguars have endured one of their worst seasons in school history. They’re riding a five-game losing streak and have lost eight of the past nine games. A win today for first-year coach Stump Mitchell could make up for this season’s struggles.

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Bayou Classic: Southern athletic director gets flak as new coach Stump Mitchell struggles

BATON ROUGE, LA — Greg LaFleur chuckles a little bit, almost as if he knew the questions were coming. Does he regret hiring Stump Mitchell as coach? Did he pull the trigger too soon on Pete Richardson, who won 105 games, a national championship and five SWAC championships in 17 seasons at Southern?

Southern’s athletic director has sat through a difficult season, watching the crown jewel of his department — football — and the good friend he hired as coach struggle to a 2-8 record and a last-place finish in the SWAC Western Division.

To players, coaches Classic still a big deal

Yes, of course it’s still a big game. It is, after all, still Southern and Grambling.

At 1 p.m. Saturday in the Superdome, the two archrivals meet for the 37th Bayou Classic — and while attendance has lagged over the past few years, and even though both teams are out of the running for the Southwestern Athletic Conference football title, none of that will probably mean much to the coaching staffs and players at kickoff time.


Videographer: Realwidit5 (GSU Homecoming Half-Time Show 2010)

Southern defense ready for Grambling challenge

Southern defensive tackle Jordan Miller peered across the ground floor of the Superdome late Monday morning, sneaking a peek at the main attraction for this year’s Bayou Classic.

There he was, neatly attired in a black sweater, with a mustard-gold “G” on his chest: Mr. Frank Warren, the leading rusher in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, a running back whom Prairie View coach Henry Frazier III once referred to as a “stud, plain and simple.”

Bayou Classic win could ease SU pain

NEW ORLEANS — By the time Stump Mitchell strolled into the Superdome, just before 10 o’clock on a beautiful Monday morning in this city of second chances, the New Orleans Saints logos had already vanished from the playing field.

A team of workers and their paint-removing chemicals had taken care of that, and with five days to go until the biggest game in black college football, the crew had started to transform this giant building into a place fit for the Bayou Classic, which, as always, gets under way at 1 p.m. Saturday, with a national television audience looking in.


Videographer: Wayla2010 (Southern University Marching Human Jukebox, 11/8/2010)

SOUTHERN NOTES: McGinty to start at QB

NEW ORLEANS — During last season’s Bayou Classic, then-freshman quarterback Jeremiah McGinty walked up and down the Southern sideline, watching fifth-year senior Bryant Lee run for his life against a dominant Grambling pass rush.

McGinty assumed that the next time the Jaguars played in the Superdome, he’d be the one in charge, trying to lead the Jaguars toward better results. Evidently, at the end of an up-and-down season, he’ll get that chance after all.

A year of adversity

RUSTON — Grambling's championship hopes were on life support after the team's 41-34 overtime loss to Texas Southern on Nov. 11, and any remaining hope was dashed when Texas Southern beat Arkansas-Pine Bluff 20-13 on Saturday to clinch the SWAC's Western Division.

So there will be no championship for Grambling (8-2 overall, 7-1 SWAC) in 2010. But by no means does that mean the Tigers' season is over.

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Bayou Classic coaches Broadway, Mitchell ready for showdown

The 37th annual State Farm Bayou Classic football game featuring Grambling State University and Southern University will take place at the Louisiana Superdome with kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday in New Orleans. The game will be televised nationally by NBC.

The Bayou Classic series is tied at 18-18 and the overall Southern-Grambling series is led by Southern, 29-28. Grambling has a 8-2 overall record and a 7-1 record in the SWAC Western Division under 4th year Head Coach Rod Broadway. Southern is 2-8 and has...

House, Southern reflect on lost 2010

A simple, narrow tunnel stretches between the playing field at A.W. Mumford Stadium and Southern’s locker room inside the field house. On one side is the equipment room, where players receive their practice gear every afternoon. On the other side is a set of three meeting rooms, separated by folding walls. At the north end, near the locker room, is a set of long, wooden benches.

Players who need medical treatment often sit there, waiting for treatment. This season, free safety Jason House has seen more of those benches than he ever cared to. A preseason All-American who led the nation with 10 interceptions last year, House has missed the last seven games with...

Championship wealth spread throughout SWAC

You want parity? For years — no, decades — the Southwestern Athletic Conference was the wrong place to look for it. Not all teams were created equal, and by Thanksgiving weekend, that was plainly obvious.

Now, however, when it comes to parity, the SWAC is your one-stop shop. Consider this: Over a 27-year stretch from 1977-2003, one of three teams — Jackson State, Southern or Grambling — won or shared the SWAC title 24 times.

No titles at stake in Bayou Classic

There was a time when the winner of the Bayou Classic would play in the SWAC Championship Game. Not this year. Grambling (8-2, 7-1) could have gone to the SWAC title game, but the Tigers lost their last game to Texas Southern and TSU defeated Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday to wrap up the Western Division title.

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Warren's 5 TDs fuel Grambling State Tigers

GRAMBLING, LA — Running back Frank Warren continued his stellar senior season with a career-high five touchdowns Saturday against Alcorn State. Grambling needed every one of them, despite building a 35-14 lead in the third quarter, as the Braves (3-3, 2-2) fought back with two fourth-quarter touchdowns before falling 38-28 to the Tigers (5-1, 5-0).

"They're never easy, never easy," Grambling coach Rod Broadway said. "We had an opportunity to put 'em away, but we just weren't good enough to do it, and we let 'em hang in there." Four of Warren's touchdowns came by the rush, another on a 9-yard reception at a critical moment in the second quarter.

Warren Outdoes Bridge as Grambling Stops Alcorn State

Frank Warren scored five touchdowns to edge out Brandon Bridge's four scores as Grambling State outlasted Alcorn State, 38-28, in a SWAC conference game Saturday.

Warren, the no. 2 rusher in the Football Championship Subdivision, ran for 202 yards on 29 carries and four touchdowns. He scored the other TD on a 10-yard pass from GSU backup quarterback Danny Reyes just before the half.

Bridges threw for touchdowns of 44, 25, 19 and 30 yards for the Braves (3-3, 2-2). He completed 33 of 47 passes for 404 yards.

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Attendance: 6980

Defense comes up big for Grambling 22-7 win

GRAMBLING, LA — Grambling State's defense came up with one of its best performances in recent years Saturday despite struggling with penalties at times. And in the end the flags and the Alabama State Hornets (3-3, 3-3) weren't enough to stop the Tigers (4-1, 4-0) from lighting a victory cigar for the fourth consecutive week.

The defense wrapped the game up with one final stop as ASU quarterback Demetric Price dropped back on a fourth-down play from his own 28-yard line with about a minute remaining in the fourth quarter.

GRAMBLING STATE 22, ALABAMA STATE 7: Grambling humbles Hornets in SWAC

GRAMBLING, La. -- Zoltan Riazzo kicked three field goals and Anthony Carrothers accounted for a pair of touchdowns as Grambling State handed Alabama State its third consecutive loss on Saturday. The Tigers' freshman quarterback broke open a defensive struggle a minute into the fourth quarter when he hit Larry Donnell with a 4-yard touchdown pass for the game's final points and a 22-7 victory.

"I'm very disappointed," said Alabama State coach Reggie Barlow. "This is our third game in a row we've lost. Our defense played well enough to win this game. We had plenty of chances down in the red zone and couldn't score. We hurt ourselves with penalties and fumbles, especially in the first half when one of our fumbles killed a drive."

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Attendance: 4,360

JSU Darkside defense anything but against G-men

GRAMBLING, LA. — Milton Patterson dropped his head and frowned as he walked into the locker room following Jackson State's 28-21 loss to Grambling State on Saturday night. JSU's starting inside linebacker didn't have an answer for all of those gaping holes in the run defense or for all of those missed tackles.

"Frustrated right now," he mumbled. "I can't even think about it."

Clearly, Patterson was still awestruck by it all - and that's before he saw the statistics. Jackson State allowed 379 rushing yards, the most by an opponent under coach Rick Comegy and defensive coordinator Darrin Hayes' five years at the school. A defense once dubbed the Darkside was anything but Saturday.

Defense bends for GSU, holds

GRAMBLING — Grambling State and Jackson State's matchup Saturday lived up to the all the hype of the SWAC rivals' sixth meeting in less than three calendar years. In the end, coach Rod Broadway's Tigers needed a little bit of everything junior defensive back David Stuckman had to offer to hang on for a thrilling 28-21 victory.

Jackson State junior quarterback Casey Therriault spotted Anthony Mayes breaking toward the left side of the end zone as he dropped back on fourth-and-2 from the Grambling 12-yard line with the clock winding down to less than 10 seconds.

Air Raid grounded

GRAMBLING, LA. — High-powered and having fun, quarterback Casey Therriault and Jackson State's Air Raid offense entered Saturday's game at Grambling State overflowing with a confidence that this program hadn't seen in nearly a decade. They left with bruises - the kind that'll take more than a night to fade away.

Behind a stiff rushing attack and a hard-hitting, ball-hawking, blitz-crazy defense, Grambling beat Jackson State 28-21 Saturday night, ending the team's euphoric start to the 2010 season with one pounding of a loss.

Grambling opens SWAC schedule

Grambling State head coach Rod Broadway wasn't pleased with the way his defense played early in the season opener against Louisiana Tech. However, the Tigers' defense stiffened after the opening quarter at Independence Stadium and has since had what must seem like an eternity to improve.

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GSU quarterback promising

SHREVEPORT, LA — Grambling might be lacking experience at quarterback, but if Saturday night's game against Louisiana Tech is any indication, the Tigers are not lacking talent. Tech defeated GSU 20-6, but even in defeat Grambling's Anthony Carrothers, making the start as a true freshman, showed flashes of being an explosive playmaker.

He completed 9-of-16 pass attempts for 86 yards and was intercepted once. He was also an elusive threat on the ground, gaining 39 yards (he ended the game with 14 net yards, having lost 25 yards on sacks).



Opening survivor: Bulldogs start fast, struggle but beat Tigers

SHREVEPORT — The question heading into Saturday night's Louisiana Tech-Grambling State game wasn't "Who is going to win?" The questions were "How good is Tech going to feel about its win, and how bad is Grambling going to feel about its loss?"

No disrespect to the Tigers, but they're probably the weakest team Tech will face this year. In turn, the Bulldogs are nowhere close to being...

Grambling loses 3 to injuries

The pomp and pageantry of college football was in full display on Saturday night in Shreveport's Independence Stadium with Grambling State University and Louisiana Tech University meeting for a historic first time.

Located just five miles, in the piney woods of Lincoln Parish, the schools have met in other sports but avoided the gridiron, where emotions can run to a fever pitch, for oh these many years. Fortunately for both schools, they picked a perfect fall night for the meeting that attracted one of the largest crowds either school will draw this season.

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Grambling State locals honored for contributions

The Monroe-Ouachita Chapter of the Grambling State University National Alumni Association will host its eighth annual Evening with the GSU Athletic Department tonight at the Monroe Civic Center. Athletics Director Lin Dawson and head football coach Rod Broadway are expected to be on hand to discuss the upcoming season, and a selection of local alumni will be honored for their contributions to GSU: James "Shack" Harris, Delles Howell, Lee Fobbs.

The event begins at 6 p.m. in the Fort Miro Room, with a silent auction beginning at 5:30 p.m. Admission is $10. Door prizes will be given away, including Bayou Classic tickets and GSU football season tickets. Ezzard Burton, a former president of the Monroe-Ouachita Chapter, said the event drew a crowd of about 180 last year and raised about $4,000 for GSU athletics. He hopes for a turnout of over 200 this year.

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First Port City Classic boasts new title sponsor

Grambling, LA - Louisiana Tech Sports Properties announced yesterday that Community Trust Bank is the title sponsor of the inaugural Port City Classic which will be played Sept. 4 at 6:00 p.m., at Independence Stadium in the first ever match-up between Grambling State University and Louisiana Tech University.

Mason Ellenberger, general manager for LA Tech Sports Properties, said that CTB is expanding their support of both Louisiana Tech and Grambling State with this commitment. This will be the first time the two schools will face each other in Tech's 108-year history of intercollegiate football.

"Community Trust Bank is honored to be the title sponsor of this historic matchup between Louisiana Tech and Grambling State," said Lance Hall, Regional President of CTB. "These great Universities play such a vital role in Lincoln Parish and in the state of Louisiana, and CTB is excited for the opportunity to strengthen these partnerships."

Ellenberger stressed that more key sponsorship opportunities still exist for the game, including VIP corporate hospitality. For more information on sponsorship opportunities, interested parties should call Ellenberger at 318-257-5331 (x2000).

The contest will serve as the season opener for both teams as LA Tech opens the Sonny Dykes era while Grambling State and Rod Broadway begin pursuit of a SWAC title run.

"I am really looking forward to playing Grambling for the first time in school history," said Louisiana Tech head coach Sonny Dykes. "Shreveport is a great place to host the game. The Shreveport-Bossier City community's support is critical to our success, and I can't wait to play in such a great facility as Independence Stadium."

Ironically, Dykes will be making his head coaching debut at the same facility that his father Spike made his head coaching debut.

Tickets for the contest are on sale and can be purchased by calling the Grambling State Ticket Office at 318-274-2625, Monday – Friday 9:00am to 4:00pm.