Box Score
“The team worked hard and did a great job,” said head coach Anthony Jones. “It was a team effort and the team did the job tonight.”
This was coach Jones first victory over his former NFL teammate. During the tenth year coach tenure he is 1-3 versus Williams and 3-9 against GSU.
The game started off slow as both offenses moved the ball but couldn’t produce points. A&M’s offense ran eight plays that produced 21 yards on their first three possessions. Their next three resulted in punts. As the offense continued to put together a drive the Bulldog defense stood tall forcing the Tigers into three turnovers. A fumble, which Phillip Harvey recovered for one of three an interception, which Denzel Cotton picked off for his first of the year and another pick by senior free safety Rico Porch.
When the clock hit zero, at the end of the second quarter, there was no score in a conference contest that saw 117 yards on 27 plays for the Maroon & White and 165 on 41 plays for Grambling.
The second half saw the Tigers give up the ball on four straight possessions, three fumbles and an interception. The Bulldogs used those turnovers to produce the game’s first points and took a 14-0 lead.
GSU would not go away as they recovered a Terrell Badie fumble with: 36 seconds remaining in the third quarter. The Tigers would use that turnover to score their first touchdown at home. The Tigers next TD came after A&M’s quarterback Deaunte Mason threw his only interception of the game. The Tigers QB Frank Rivers then threw a 77-yard TD to Mario Louis to even the score at 14.
On the ensuing kickoff red-shirt freshman Montarius Smith took the ball 51 yards into the Tiger’s side of the field to give A&M great field position. As Smith went out-of- bounds the Tiger’s Caleb George tackled Smith which drew a 15 yard penalty. That set the Bulldogs up at the GSU 34 yard line.
Unfortunately the Maroon & White couldn’t produce points but All-conference punter Chance Wilson squibbed the punt pinning the Tigers on their own 12 yard line. The Bulldog defense held GSU to a three and out resulting in the Black and Gold’s fourth punt of the contest.
Alabama A&M started their game winning drive with 4:02 on the clock on their own 46 yard line. Jones and his coach staff used a steady diet running the ball wearing down the Tigers defense and chewing up time on the clock. After a GSU timeout junior running back Kaderius Lacey ran in for his second score of the game giving the Bulldogs their final lead.
After the failed PAT Grambling took over and completed two straight passes. Their third pass of the drive was incomplete while the fourth was intercepted by freshman Luther Snipe to secure A&M’s second consecutive victory.
Lacey finished with 30 carries for a career high 178 yards and two touchdowns. Mason posted eight carries for 68 yards and six of 16 passing for a season low 58 yards and a pick. Porch led the Bulldog defense with nine tackles and his second pick of his career while Willie Fuller totaled eight stops.
The Tigers wide receiver Mario Louis accounted for six receptions for 147 yards while Roberts finished with 198 yards on 27 carries.
Next up Bulldogs will have a three game home stand which starts on October 1st when they welcome the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the annual Hall of Fame game. Kick-off is set for 6 p.m.
