By T. Scott Boatright
So close, so far away.
It was that kind of game to end that kind of season.
So it was for the Grambling State University football team Saturday afternoon at the 50th annual Bayou Classic.
After falling behind early in the game before battling back, GSU’s hopes for a late come-from-behind to victory crashed to the Caesar’s Superdome turf on an incomplete fourth-and-goal attempt that allowed Southern to escape with the 27-22 win over the G-Men.
The loss ended GSU’s season at 5-6 while Southern finished at 6-5 and with a 26-24 Bayou Classic series advantage.
It was also Grambling’s third loss of five or fewer points during a season that the G-Men at times seemed on the brink of something special but never seemed to click into any kind of consistent gear.
Grambling opened scoring with a one-yard quarterback sneak by Myles Crawley, who went low and used his 6-3 frame, along with a little help from his big offensive linemen, to stretch his way for the touchdown that put the Tigers on top 7-0 with 1:17 remaining in the opening stanza.
But after that strong start for Grambling, Southern surged into control late in the second quarter, tying things up at 7-7 early in the period on an eight-yard pass thrown by former G-Man Noah Bodden before the Jaguars took a 14-7 lead with 2:02 left in the first half on a two-yard run by Kendric Rhymes.
The Tigers had a prime opportunity to cut into the Southern late before halftime. Runs of 26 and 10 yards by Floyd Chalk IV followed by a 28-yard pass from Crawley to Javon Robinson pushed Grambling down to the Southern 18-yard line before three straight incompletions forced a punt attempt.
That play ended up being a game-changer as Southern’s Horacio Johnson blocked the field goal, sending the ball bouncing backwards on a journey that continued that direction as players scrapped and scrummed to secure it.
Southern’s Demetri Morsell finally snatched the ball and took it 32 yards for the score that pushed the Jaguars’ lead to 21-7 with 32 seconds left in the first half.
It didn’t take long for the Jaguars to extend that lead after intermission as Bodden threw a six-yard pass before handing off to Rhymes who went 73 yards to stretch Southern’s lead to 28-7 only 49 seconds into the third quarter.
But Grambling’s defense wasn’t ready to call it a day.
Andrew Jones’ pick six interception return at the 8:36 mark of the third quarter cut the SU advantage 27-14 before the G-Men forced a Southern punt attempt near its own goal line.
With the ball placed near his own goal line, Southern punter Robens Beauplan had to dip his knee onto the turf to receive a low snap in his own end zone for a safety that cut the Jaguars’ 27-16 with 6:58 to play in the third quarter.
Grambling moved into prime scoring opportunity early in the fourth quarter as Crawley directed the Tigers down to the Southern 8-yard line before being intercepted by the Jaguars’ Jordan Carter.
But still the Tigers battled back, cutting the Southern lead to 27-22 on a three-yard scoring scamper by Chalk with 7:02 left on the clock.
After another defensive stop forced a Southern punt, Grambling took possession at its own 36-yard line with 3:59 remaining.
Runs of four,15 and 13 yards by Chance Williams followed by a 28-yarder by Chalk set Grambling up with a first-and-goal situation at the Southern 4-yard line.
But Grambling only managed one yard on three consecutive runs before Crawley’s attempt to loft a pass over the back shoulder of receiver Lyndon Rash for the score sailed high and was batted down to the turf by Morsell, allowing Southern to run off the final 1:11 off the clock.
Chalk was the offensive workhorse for the Tigers, rushing for 172 yards and his score on 22 carries while adding a pair of receptions for 16 yards.
Williams added 87 rushing yards for GSU on 19 carries while Jones and Robinson totaled five catches each, with Jones totaling 49 receiving yards and Robinson adding 45 more.
Crawley finished with 183 passing yards, connecting on 19-of-30 attempts.
Defensively, Sundiata Anderson led the Tigers with six tackles, including a half-sack, while Lewis Matthews and Jones added five takedowns each.
