Courtesy of GSU Athletic Communications
Grambling State jumped out to an early 14-point lead, but Alabama A&M scored 44 unanswered points during the second and third quarters to pull away for a 61-31 Southwestern Athletic Conference victory Saturday at Louis Crews Stadium.
The loss snapped the Tigers’ two-game winning streak and dropped Grambling State to 4-3 overall and 2-2 in SWAC play. Alabama A&M improved to 6-2 overall and 3-1 in conference action.
The Bulldogs dominated offensively, rolling up 669 yards of total offense while limiting Grambling State to 241 yards in front of 14,096 fans.
Grambling State got off to a fast start when Christen Williams intercepted Alabama A&M quarterback Cornelious Brown on the Bulldogs’ first offensive play.
The Tigers capitalized on the turnover as Jacobe Robinson connected with Tyson George on a 10-yard touchdown pass to cap a three-play, 27-yard drive.
Diego Alfaro added a 35-yard field goal later in the first quarter to give Grambling State a 10-3 advantage.
The Tigers extended their lead early in the second quarter when Robinson connected with Nae’Saan Dickerson on a 47-yard completion to set up an 11-yard touchdown run by Andre Crews. The score capped a three-play, 59-yard drive and gave Grambling State a 17-3 lead.
But the momentum quickly shifted.
Brown scored on an 8-yard run before connecting with Jaylan Bean on a 61-yard touchdown pass. David Faulk’s 56-yard field goal as time expired in the first half gave Alabama A&M a 19-17 advantage at intermission.
The Bulldogs put the game away with a 35-point explosion in the third quarter, scoring four touchdowns during an eight-minute stretch.
Brown threw touchdown passes of 6, 67 and 19 yards to Bean, while Kolton Nero added a 14-yard scoring run.
Alabama A&M controlled the ball for 11 minutes, 18 seconds in the third quarter, compared to just 3:42 for Grambling State.
The Tigers briefly showed signs of life when Tony Phillips Jr. returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown with 1:41 remaining in the third quarter. Lantavious Murphy added the two-point conversion to cut the Bulldogs’ lead to 47-25.
However, Alabama A&M answered immediately as Brown connected with Jarel Williams on a 46-yard touchdown pass to close the quarter.
Tyler Thomas added a 52-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to extend the Bulldogs’ advantage to 61-25.
Grambling State closed the scoring when Zerrick Jones broke loose for a 15-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-1 with 22 seconds remaining.
Brown led Alabama A&M’s offensive assault, completing 22 of 38 passes for 417 yards and five touchdowns with one interception. He also rushed for a score.
Bean was his favorite target, hauling in 10 receptions for 240 yards and four touchdowns. Williams added five catches for 112 yards.
The Bulldogs finished with 433 passing yards and 236 rushing yards, averaging 8.5 yards per offensive play. Alabama A&M also converted six of 13 third-down opportunities and recorded 29 first downs.
For Grambling State, Robinson completed 7 of 12 passes for 131 yards and one touchdown. George led the Tigers with seven receptions for 93 yards, while Crews rushed for 40 yards on eight carries.
The Tigers struggled to sustain drives, finishing with just 92 rushing yards and converting only two of 12 third-down opportunities. Grambling State managed 13 first downs but converted all four of its red-zone opportunities.
Phillips provided a bright spot on special teams, finishing with 178 yards on four kickoff returns, including his 100-yard touchdown. The Tigers totaled 227 kickoff return yards on seven attempts.
Defensively, Marcellius Johnson led Grambling State with 14 tackles, while Demone Green added 12 stops, including two tackles for loss. The Tigers recorded six tackles for loss as a team.
Alabama A&M’s defense registered four sacks, while Preston Clendenin intercepted a pass.
Grambling State punter Alexander Davis averaged 42.8 yards on eight punts, including three of at least 50 yards and a long of 58.
