NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana -- Johnathan Williams threw three touchdowns and ran for a fourth as Grambling State scored 28-consecutive points in a 34-23 comeback victory over Southern University in the Bayou Classic on Saturday.
“Our coaches did a great job of calling plays that put our athletes in space with chances to make plays,” said Williams. “The 28 points, it was just a matter of time before we got rolling. Our defense played well, and everything fell into place for us.”
The Tigers (9-2, 9-0 Southwestern Athletic Conference) ended three-straight wins by Southern (6-5, 6-3) in the game between the Louisiana rivals. Grambling advances to next week’s SWAC championship game against Alcorn State in Houston for the first time since 2011.
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Williams, who leads the SWAC in total offense, completed 20-of-34 passes for 272 yards and rushed for 78 yards on nine carries. He threw scoring passes to KaJandre Domino and Verlan Hunter in the second quarter. He rushed for a touchdown in the third and completed a 54-yard scoring pass eight seconds into the fourth quarter that all but sealed the outcome.
“Southern made a couple of mistakes early that helped us get back in the ball game,” Grambling State coach Broderick Fobbs said. “I thought we did a really good job of making them turn the ball over, putting the ball in the end zone and taking advantage of the whole situation from the second quarter on.”
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Sunday, November 29, 2015
Ted Lewis: Its football team back on top after Bayou Classic win, ‘Grambling will never die’
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NEW ORLEANS -- Grambling football, former Tigers quarterback and coach Doug Williams likes to say, has special meaning and standing in the sport.
But in Williams’ second go-round, that something unfortunately meant chaos in the program in 2013, the embarrassment of having to forfeit a game after a player boycott and going through three coaches that season, which concluded with a single victory for the second straight year.
Two years later, though, Grambling is back.
Saturday’s come-from-behind 34-23 victory against archrival Southern in the 42nd Bayou Classic wrapped up an undefeated SWAC Western Conference championship for the Tigers.
Now it’s on to next Saturday’s conference championship game against Alcorn State and, with a victory, a trip to Atlanta to face MEAC champion North Carolina A&T in the inaugural Celebration Bowl.
But this one — in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome against the team that Tigers fans and players want to beat above all others — is the one that they’re likely to remember most about this season.
“This is a childhood dream,” said senior cornerback Nicholas Peoples, whose end-zone second-quarter interception and return to the Grambling 46-yard line was the biggest of several momentum-turning plays that got the Tigers out of a 20-3 deficit. “It’s every Louisiana kid’s dream to make it to the Superdome and win the state championship. That’s what this feels like today.”
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Notebook: Grambling overcomes longest, largest SWAC deficit to finish undefeated in league play
NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana -- Southern put Grambling in an unfamiliar position early in the Bayou Classic.
But down the stretch it was in a familiar position as it competed an undefeated Southwestern Athletic Conference regular season with a 34-23 victory Saturday in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
The Tigers had trailed in just two of their previous eight SWAC games — against Alabama State and Alcorn State — and for a total of just 21 minutes and nine seconds.
The Jaguars took a 6-0 lead with 13:13 left in the first quarter and maintained a lead for 32:28.
The attendance was 62,507.
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Southern also built the biggest lead against Grambling in SWAC play when it went ahead 20-3 with 12:08 left in the second quarter. The Tigers’ biggest deficit in SWAC play had been 14 points against Alcorn State.
But Grambling took its first lead when Johnathan Williams ran 1 yard for a touchdown that gave it a 24-20 edge with 10:45 left in the third quarter. The Tigers led the rest of the way.
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But down the stretch it was in a familiar position as it competed an undefeated Southwestern Athletic Conference regular season with a 34-23 victory Saturday in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
The Tigers had trailed in just two of their previous eight SWAC games — against Alabama State and Alcorn State — and for a total of just 21 minutes and nine seconds.
The Jaguars took a 6-0 lead with 13:13 left in the first quarter and maintained a lead for 32:28.
The attendance was 62,507.
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Southern also built the biggest lead against Grambling in SWAC play when it went ahead 20-3 with 12:08 left in the second quarter. The Tigers’ biggest deficit in SWAC play had been 14 points against Alcorn State.
But Grambling took its first lead when Johnathan Williams ran 1 yard for a touchdown that gave it a 24-20 edge with 10:45 left in the third quarter. The Tigers led the rest of the way.
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After a few hiccups, Grambling’s defense stands strong and stops Southern in the Bayou Classic
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NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana -- It was fitting that Grambling defensive end Michael Jolivet sacked Austin Howard to finish off Southern’s last-gasp drive Saturday in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
The play capped a game of comebacks for Grambling and sealed a 34-23 win at the 42nd Bayou Classic.
For a maligned defense that fell into a 20-3 hole early in the second quarter, the results provided proof that Grambling believed in itself when things looked bleak.
Photos: The sights, celebrations and big plays of another thrilling Bayou Classic
“Its outstanding to finally get some recognition for what we do on our side of the ball,” Jolivet said. “We work extremely hard all during the week, and it’s great for it to finally pay off on a big stage.”
Grambling was pushed around in the first half as two touchdown passes from Howard helped Southern take a 20-3 lead with 12:08 left before the break. But the Jaguars managed just three points the rest of the way.
Grambling’s offense began to find a groove as the Tigers pulled within 20-10 on Johnathan Williams’ 3-yard touchdown pass. Seemingly unfazed, Southern took the kickoff, and quickly moved to the GSU 41 where Nicholas Peoples made a momentum changing interception.
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'Those guys were hungry': Huge second half boosts Grambling to 34-23 victory over Southern in the Bayou Classic
NEW ORLEANS -- Grambling established itself as the best team in the Southwestern Athletic Conference regular season as it won its first eight games.
But even with a West Division championship in hand, the Tigers had much more to accomplish against Southern in the Bayou Classic on Saturday in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
Despite a slow start, they did just that. Grambling put the final touches on a perfect SWAC regular season, overcoming a 17-point second-quarter deficit to beat the Jaguars 34-23.
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The Tigers, 9-2 overall and ranked No. 1 among historically black colleges and universities, ended a three-game losing streak against Southern. They will face defending conference champion Alcorn State in the SWAC championship game next Saturday in Houston.
“This has always been a championship game for me,” said Grambling second-year coach Broderick Fobbs, who participated in four Classics as a player. “I never looked at it as an opportunity to rest my guys so we can be ready for next week. That’s crazy.”
The Jaguars, who won the West the previous two years, finished 6-5 and 6-3 after losing for the first time in 12 November games.
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But even with a West Division championship in hand, the Tigers had much more to accomplish against Southern in the Bayou Classic on Saturday in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
Despite a slow start, they did just that. Grambling put the final touches on a perfect SWAC regular season, overcoming a 17-point second-quarter deficit to beat the Jaguars 34-23.
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The Tigers, 9-2 overall and ranked No. 1 among historically black colleges and universities, ended a three-game losing streak against Southern. They will face defending conference champion Alcorn State in the SWAC championship game next Saturday in Houston.
“This has always been a championship game for me,” said Grambling second-year coach Broderick Fobbs, who participated in four Classics as a player. “I never looked at it as an opportunity to rest my guys so we can be ready for next week. That’s crazy.”
The Jaguars, who won the West the previous two years, finished 6-5 and 6-3 after losing for the first time in 12 November games.
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Saturday, November 28, 2015
Tuskegee Football Punches Ticket to NCAA D2 Quarterfinals
FLORENCE, Alabama -- With their backs against the wall and the clock winding down, the Tuskegee University Golden Tigers punched their ticket to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II playoffs for the first time in school history, with a thrilling 35-31 victory over second-seeded North Alabama at Braly Municipal Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Following a North Alabama field goal that put the Lions ahead 31-28, Tuskegee took over with 3:54 to play in the game. Following three plays that resulted in a fourth down, Tuskegee (10-2) called a timeout and pitched the ball to Dennis Norfleet who picked up six yards and a first down.
The Golden Tigers faced another big play later in the drive on another third down. That is when Kevin Lacey dropped back and dropped a pass into the waiting arms of Desmond Reece, who found his way down to the North Alabama two-yard line with just 25 seconds remaining.
"That was probably the most confident pass I threw all day," Lacey said. "Coach (Slater) made the call and we just had to execute. I felt a little bit of the butterflies through the game, but knew I had to execute to give us a chance."
Tuskegee was forced to call a timeout on the play, which set the stage for Norfleet to send the Golden Tigers into celebration mode for the second consecutive week. The senior took the pitch from Lacey, went around the left end and dove into the end zone with just 19 seconds remaining to give Tuskegee a four-point lead.
"It was a play we had been running all day," Norfleet said. "They overloaded to the right side, and (Kevin) Lacey made a change at the line. I told our fullback Jerome (Lewis) that if he made the block I was going to jump over top of him. He did his job and I had to do mine."
North Alabama had one final chance as they completed a pass, but the lateral was knocked down by Daryl George and recovered by the Golden Tigers to send Tuskegee into their first quarterfinal game in school history.
"I am just tickled to be back up here," Tuskegee University head coach Slater said. "It is great to be back in this area. I am stunned, and it is unbelievable the way the game ended. My hats off to our players, they played hard and played with their heart. I am just happy for them."
The Golden Tigers defense came into the game as one of the best in the nation and held North Alabama – with Harlon Hill nominee Luke Wingo – to just 288 yards of total offense.
Junior defensive end Julian Morgan led the Golden Tigers with 12 tackles, including three tackles for loss and a pair of sacks. Meanwhile, Jewell Ratliff finished with nine tackles and the Golden Tigers finished with five sacks and eight tackles for loss in the win.
"We have just been preparing all week to get ready," Morgan said. "The coaches made sure we were ready, and we just came out and fought hard – the hardest we have all year. We are playing for each other, we all know what the goal is now and want to work hard to achieve that."
Offensively, Tuskegee piled up 434 total yards – including 258 rushing yards. Norfleet led all rushers with 136 yards on 21 carries with a pair of touchdowns. Devozea Gaines, thrust into a backup role at running back, finished with 73 yards on just four carries.
Lacey finished with 51 yards rushing and was 10-for-20 for 176 yards, including a 28-yard touchdown to Marquel Gardner.
The game featured big play after big play the entire game, with the teams trading the lead seven times.
"We know how it feels to be down," Norfleet said. "We have had games this year where it has happened, and we have found ourselves down. We don't want to have that feeling again, not this late in the year because we know it is one and done.
"Deep in our hearts and souls, we know we are playing for us and for Tuskegee University. If we dig deep and play, good things will happen."
The Golden Tigers set a new school record in the victory – early in the contest – as Terence Webb intercepted a North Alabama pass on their first drive. The interception was the 23rd overall for the Golden Tigers, breaking the mark of 22 that was set in 1974 and matched in 1990 (and again in 2012).
With their victory, Tuskegee advances to face the top-seeded Wolves of the University of West Georgia in the quarterfinals next Saturday in Carrollton (Ga.). The game is a rematch of the first round game from last season in which West Georgia won by three at Tuskegee.
Game time and ticket information will be announced on Monday.
For more information on Tuskegee University athletics, follow us on Twitter @MyTUAthletics and like us on Facebook.
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Following a North Alabama field goal that put the Lions ahead 31-28, Tuskegee took over with 3:54 to play in the game. Following three plays that resulted in a fourth down, Tuskegee (10-2) called a timeout and pitched the ball to Dennis Norfleet who picked up six yards and a first down.
The Golden Tigers faced another big play later in the drive on another third down. That is when Kevin Lacey dropped back and dropped a pass into the waiting arms of Desmond Reece, who found his way down to the North Alabama two-yard line with just 25 seconds remaining.
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| Dennis Norfleet |
Tuskegee was forced to call a timeout on the play, which set the stage for Norfleet to send the Golden Tigers into celebration mode for the second consecutive week. The senior took the pitch from Lacey, went around the left end and dove into the end zone with just 19 seconds remaining to give Tuskegee a four-point lead.
"It was a play we had been running all day," Norfleet said. "They overloaded to the right side, and (Kevin) Lacey made a change at the line. I told our fullback Jerome (Lewis) that if he made the block I was going to jump over top of him. He did his job and I had to do mine."
North Alabama had one final chance as they completed a pass, but the lateral was knocked down by Daryl George and recovered by the Golden Tigers to send Tuskegee into their first quarterfinal game in school history.
"I am just tickled to be back up here," Tuskegee University head coach Slater said. "It is great to be back in this area. I am stunned, and it is unbelievable the way the game ended. My hats off to our players, they played hard and played with their heart. I am just happy for them."
The Golden Tigers defense came into the game as one of the best in the nation and held North Alabama – with Harlon Hill nominee Luke Wingo – to just 288 yards of total offense.
Junior defensive end Julian Morgan led the Golden Tigers with 12 tackles, including three tackles for loss and a pair of sacks. Meanwhile, Jewell Ratliff finished with nine tackles and the Golden Tigers finished with five sacks and eight tackles for loss in the win.
"We have just been preparing all week to get ready," Morgan said. "The coaches made sure we were ready, and we just came out and fought hard – the hardest we have all year. We are playing for each other, we all know what the goal is now and want to work hard to achieve that."
Offensively, Tuskegee piled up 434 total yards – including 258 rushing yards. Norfleet led all rushers with 136 yards on 21 carries with a pair of touchdowns. Devozea Gaines, thrust into a backup role at running back, finished with 73 yards on just four carries.
Lacey finished with 51 yards rushing and was 10-for-20 for 176 yards, including a 28-yard touchdown to Marquel Gardner.
The game featured big play after big play the entire game, with the teams trading the lead seven times.
"We know how it feels to be down," Norfleet said. "We have had games this year where it has happened, and we have found ourselves down. We don't want to have that feeling again, not this late in the year because we know it is one and done.
"Deep in our hearts and souls, we know we are playing for us and for Tuskegee University. If we dig deep and play, good things will happen."
The Golden Tigers set a new school record in the victory – early in the contest – as Terence Webb intercepted a North Alabama pass on their first drive. The interception was the 23rd overall for the Golden Tigers, breaking the mark of 22 that was set in 1974 and matched in 1990 (and again in 2012).
With their victory, Tuskegee advances to face the top-seeded Wolves of the University of West Georgia in the quarterfinals next Saturday in Carrollton (Ga.). The game is a rematch of the first round game from last season in which West Georgia won by three at Tuskegee.
Game time and ticket information will be announced on Monday.
For more information on Tuskegee University athletics, follow us on Twitter @MyTUAthletics and like us on Facebook.
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Chico is the man: AAMU Senior has his day in win over Texas Southern
NORMAL, Alabama -- It was Senior Day for the Bulldogs and the upperclassmen all did their part in helping lead Alabama A&M to a resounding 38-7 season-ending win over Texas Southern.
Brandon Eldemire rushed for 102 yards, had a kickoff return for 24 yards and scored a touchdown; Anthony Lanier had 6 tackles and 2 1/2 sacks; Corey Johnson had assists on two tackles, a sack and a tackle for loss and David Dagrin had a key tackle as the Bulldogs dominated on both sides of the ball.
The Bulldogs rushed for 238 yards and had 259 yards passing while giving up just 156 yards rushing and 146 yards through the air.
Some underclassmen also put in their contributions.
De'Angelo Ballard was 15-of-22 for 251 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He also had 69 yards rushing and a touchdown for 320 yards.
Octayvious Miles had just one kickoff return, but it was for 11 yards, giving him 1,002 for the season.
Damion May had 8 yards passing but, used as a slot receiver, he also had 17 yards rushing on five carries.
DeVon Johnson had 93 all-purpose yards.
Devonte Simon had an interception return for 34 yards and a fumble return for 84 yards.
Nick Carden punted just once for the first time this season and it was for 38 yards.
The Bulldogs, finishing 3-6 in the SWAC and 3-8 overall, took the opening kickoff and drove 77 yards in 7 plays, capped by Ballard's 37-yard touchdown pass to Ladarion Heath.
Early in the second quarter, Devonte Simon intercepted a pass at the A&M 15 and returned it to the Bulldogs 49. Seven plays later, Harvey Harris scored on a 29-yard run and a Cesar Ramon-Diaz point-after made it 14-0 with 11:24 left in the half.
After a Texas Southern touchdown, the Bulldogs made it 17-7 on Ramon-Diaz's 20-yard field goal with 40 seconds to go.
After a Ballard 3-yard touchdown run in the third quarter ran the score to 24-7 the defense took over with a big play at the one-minute mark of the quarter.
Texas Southern had a first and goal at the A&M 2-yard-line when Brad Woodard fumbled and Simon returned it 84 yards to the Tigers 12 yard-line. On second down, Ballard connected with Jonathan Dorsey for a 12-yard TD pass and a 31-7 lead.
The Bulldogs wrapped up the scoring when Eldemire scored on a two-yard run late in the fourth quarter.
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