Southern quarterback Quincy Richard, center, plagued the GSU defense with three passing touchdowns and a rushing one of his own.
Double the pain
GSU''s magic season loses some sparkle, 48-24
Scott Beder / Tech and GSU Reporter
Posted on December 1, 2002
NEW ORLEANS - Grambling State has made a living off second-half comebacks this season.
On Saturday, the calvary never came as the Tigers got ambushed in a 48-24 loss to Southern in the 29th Bayou Classic.
Grambling (10-2), which has had to rally from behind in five of its wins this season, never found that magic against a determined Southern team before a crowd of 59,745 at the Louisiana Superdome.
"I always said that against a team like Southern you can't do like you did against Langston and Prairie View and that's what happened today," GSU coach Doug Williams said. "They got off to a good start and rode the crest and made big plays when they had to."
Southern (6-6) delivered the first blow, starting the game with an onside kick, which it recovered at its own 42-yard line. Six plays later, Kenneth Peoples scored on a 1-yard run to give the Jaguars a 6-0 lead.
"We knew we had to be aggressive," Southern coach Pete Richardson said. "That set the tone for us. Their offense spreads you all over the field and you know they're going to get some touchdowns, so I knew we had to score."
Like a boxer on the attack, Southern took the fight to Grambling. The Jaguars, who finished the season by winning five of their last six games, converted 4-of-5 fourth downs and forced six turnovers, including four in the second half.
"I'm disappointed with our play, but you've got to give it up to Southern," said Grambling quarterback Bruce Eugene, who passed for 325 yards and three touchdowns, but was victimized by three interceptions. "They played their best against us."
Southern led 12-0 at halftime and opened a 19-3 lead in the third quarter when the fog started to lift for Grambling.
It began with a five-play, 71-yard scoring drive. Eugene hit Tramon Douglas with a 14-yard touchdown pass with 13:14 left in the period to cut the lead to 19-10. Douglas finished the game with 13 receptions for 188 yards and one touchdown to earn Grambling's Most Valuable Player honors.
Finally, it seemed, the Southwestern Athletic Conference's top offense was finding its groove.
"We were a little bit out of sync, but once we got rolling we got comfortable and started moving the ball," GSU center Lance Wright said. "But the turnover bug hit and it was doomsday for us."
Indeed. Southern took a 26-10 lead when Chris Davis scored on a 26-yard reverse with 11:49 left in the third quarter, but in the final 9 minutes, 20 seconds of the third quarter, Grambling's fate would be decided.
It began at the 9:20 mark when the Tigers' Antonio Hughes picked off a tipped pass from Southern's Quincy Richard at the Southern 7-yard line. But three plays later, Douglas caught a pass over the middle and had the ball stripped by Southern's Randy Williams. The Jaguars' Lenny Williams recovered at the 3-yard line, killing a sure scoring opportunity.
The Grambling defense held Southern to three plays and out and after the ensuing punt, the Tigers took over at the Southern 31. At this moment, the momentum began to finally shift in Grambling's favor and the Tigers responded with a four-play, 31-yard drive that Eugene finished off with an 18-yard scoring strike to D.J. Clay. Eugene hit Douglas for the 2-point conversion and Grambling was suddenly within a touchdown and 2-point conversion.
Again, the Grambling defense did the job, pinning Southern deep in its territory and forcing a punt, which gave the Tigers possession at the Southern 35. Grambling was poised for one of its patented comebacks.
"We believed we would come back," Douglas said. "We never truly believed we were out of the game."
But on second-and-10, Eugene threw a sideline pass intended for Corey Brownfield. Southern's Lenny Williams battled Brownfield for the ball and tipped it in the air, right into the waiting arms of D'Angelo Lewis, who returned it to the Grambling 31.
"That was the biggest play of the game," Douglas said. "You can look at any play, but that one turned it around."
It was one of several big plays for Lenny Williams, who also intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble.
"I was just trying to do my part," Lenny Williams said. "Coach expects me to make big plays. This game meant everything to us today."
Ten plays later, Southern quarterback Quincy Richard hit Leon Miller with a 6-yard scoring pass and Thomas Ricks ran in the 2-point conversion to give Southern a 34-10 lead, dropping an anvil on Grambling's comeback hopes.
"It seemed the ball fell their way all day," Wright said. "They played with a lot of emotion and heart. I give them credit."
Richard finished the game 21-of-36 for 242 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions to earn Southern's MVP.
"That was major," Doug Williams said. "The one turnover at the goal that Tramon fumbled and the one on the sideline that was tipped made the difference in the football game."
The floodgates then opened as Eugene threw interceptions on each of Grambling's next two possessions. Southern cashed in with touchdowns and closed the game with a 21-0 run.
"The little tipped ball swung momentum," Eugene said. "Our defense had made a big stop and we were going for the tie. Unfortunately I threw the interception and Southern capitalized."
While disheartened with the loss, the Tigers kept it in proper perspective. In two weeks they travel to Birmingham, Ala., where they will play Alabama A&M with a chance to win their third straight SWAC championship.
"This loss is tough, but our main goal is to get a championship," Douglas said. "The main thing is to recover from this and get back on our game and get ready for Alabama A&M. If we lose that game, it's a wasted season."