By T. Scott Boatright
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Grambling State University football coach Mickey Joseph has preached to his team all season long about finishing games strong and not committing costly and untimely penalties.
But both of those factors came back to bite the Tigers Saturday afternoon as they played a Southwestern Athletic Conference contest at Bethune-Cookman, which had only won one game this season.
Make that two now after the Wildcats battled back from a 14-point deficit and scored 17 unanswered points to defeat Grambling 24-21 at Municipal Stadium.
The win dropped GSU to 4-5 overall and 1-4 in conference play while Bethune-Cookman moved to 2-7 overall and 2-3 in the SWAC.
Grambling’s loss also spoiled a standout performance by sophomore receiver Javon Robinson, who led the Tigers with seven receptions for 91 along with a long punt return for a score.
The G-Men struck first as senior running back Keilon Elder broke loose on a 22-yard scoring scamper that put Grambling on top 7-0 with 2:27 left of the opening stanza.
Then Robinson propelled GSU to a 14-0 lead with a punt return that was simply spectacular.
The punt sailed way over Robinson’s head, sending him running backwards in an attempt to field it.
Robinson stretched and caught the ball midstride at the GSU 28-yard line as if it was a reception, reversed the other direction and started dancing and weaving upfield, pointing out defenders for his blockers before slowing to a near complete stop to jump behind three of them, who walled off the Wildcats and allowed Robinson to cross the goal line for the 72-yard return touchdown that pushed GSU’s lead to 14-0 with 4:51 remaining in the first half.
But the Wildcats clawed into GSU’s momentum before intermission, taking over the ensuing series at their own 34-yard line.
Bethune-Cookman then methodically marched 66 yards for a score, with tight end Thomas Nance lining up on the left and running a quick post that split the zone seam in GSU’s middle of the field defense.
Wildcats quarterback Cam Ransom lofted a touch pass to Nance, who hauled it in at the goal line with 51 seconds left in the second quarter to cut Grambling’s lead to 14-7 at halftime.
The second half was all Wildcats, well most of it anyway, as the Tigers received the opening kickoff after halftime ended and marched 69 yards on nine plays with backup quarterback Deljay Bailey, playing in place of injured starter Myles Crawley, breaking free for a 9-yard scoring scamper that put Grambling on top 21-7 3:56 into the third quarter.
Bethune-Cookman countered with a 40-yard field goal at the 7:00 mark of the third period to cut GSU’s lead to 21-10.
The Wildcats were only getting started.
Grambling reached the BSU 40-yard line on the ensuing drive before turning over possession on downs, and on the next play Ransom launched a 58-yard scoring strike to Darnell Deas to pull within four points of the G-Men at 21-17 with 3:17 remaining in the third quarter.
It looked like Bethune-Cookman might take its first lead of the game late in the stanza as Ramson fired a pass on fourth-and-two from the GSU 47-yard line that hit receiver Lorenzo Jenkins in the hands inside the GSU 5.
Jenkins dropped the ball, but an untimely offsides penalty against the G-Men gave the Wildcats at least another four downs to work with from the GSU 42-yard line.
It only took one — the final play for the third quarter — for the Wildcats to grab their first lead of the contest as GSDennis Palmer burst through the gap off left tackle and raced to paydirt to give Bethune-Cookman the 24-21 lead.
After a three-and-out on their first offensive possession of the fourth quarter, Grambling drove as deep as the BCU 39-yards on its next series with the ball before Bailey was intercepted on a fourth-and-12 pass attempt that turned the ball back over to the Wildcats with 4:57 remaining.
A 45-yard aerial connection between Ransom and Nance moved the ball to the Grambling 23-yard line before the Wildcats missed on a 38-yard field goal attempt with 1:50 left on the clock.
But the Tigers couldn’t pull off the late comeback as Bailey was intercepted for a second time with 30 seconds remaining to give the Wildcats possession at the GSU 27.
One quarterback kneel later the game was over.
Bailey completed 18-of-33 attempted passes for 206 yards while Elder led the Tigers on the ground with 50 yards on eight carries.
As has been all season, Andrew Jones still again led the Tigers in tackles with 11 to push his total to 83 on the season for an average of 9.2 per game.
Grambling once again was plagued by penalties, being flagged eight times for 85 yards compared to 6-50 for BSU. GSU is the most penalized team in the SWAC, being flagged for averages of 12 times and 81.1 yards per contest so far this season.
Grambling plays its home finale starting at 2 p.m. next Saturday as the Tigers play host to Alabama State at Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium.
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