The Texas Southern University (TSU) Tigers and Grambling State Tigers played this past Saturday night at PNC Stadium. It was the Battle of the Tigers, as Grambling came in riding a seven-game winning streak against TSU.
TSU’s last victory against the “G” Men was in 2013.
TSU quarterback Andrew “Mr. Excitement” Body literally put his team on his back and led them to victory. Body passed for 200 yards, threw two touchdowns, and rushed ten times for 50 yards. The TSU defensive front seven dominated the line of scrimmage all game, which culminated in a dominant 41-7 victory for TSU.
TSU Coach Clarence McKinney revealed that Body didn’t practice all week due to an illness. His mother nursed him back to health with her chicken soup.
TSU got on the scoreboard first on its second drive of the game with a one yard run by running back LaDarius Owens. The big play of the drive was a beautiful 30-yard pass from Body to Derek Morton down the middle of the field. TSU led 7-0.
The TSU defense forced a punt on the next possession, and the offense moved the ball down to the Grambling 37-yard-line. They decided to go for it on a fourth and one and were stuffed at the line of scrimmage by the “G” Men.
Grambling wasted no time in responding on the first play, as quarterback Julian Calvez found wide receiver Joshua Johnson wide open down the middle of the field for a 37-yard touchdown. The game was tied 7-7.
On the ensuing TSU kickoff, return man Kevin Harris found a hole in the Grambling kickoff coverage and the speedster broke for a 30-yard gain. That set Body and the TSU offense up at the Grambling 46-yard-line. On the third play of the drive, Owens made a beautiful run of 29 yards. On the very next play, Body hit receiver Tavaris Achane with a tight spiraling pass for a 15-yard touchdown. TSU missed the extra point try and led 13-7 at the end of the first quarter.
After a series of punts by both teams, TSU set up shop on their own 35-yard-line. On the first play of the drive, Body hit receiver AJ Bennett for a 65-yard bomb for a touchdown. TSU took a 21-7 lead into the half.
On Grambling’s second possession of the second half, they changed quarterbacks.
Quarterback Quaterius Hawkins’ pass was picked off by cornerback Isaiah Hamilton in the right flat and he made a house call with a pick-six return for a TSU touchdown. TSU led 27-7.
The “G” Men put an eight-play drive together and settled for a 45-yard field goal attempt that fell short and was returned 46 yards to the “G” Men’s 45-yard-line.
TSU went on an 11-play drive that ended with a one-yard run by Kevin Harris. TSU led 33-7 at the end of the third quarter.
TSU closed out the scoring with a one-yard touchdown run by Daveon Ford.
The final score was TSU 41-7.
Some takeaways from the game were that TSU won the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. They pressured both Grambling quarterbacks all night long.
Offensively, TSU moved the ball consistently and stayed ahead of the chains.
The Tigers’ hopes of winning the SWAC West faded away with Prairie View A&M’s win on Saturday. The future looks bright in Tiger Land.
I Just Tell It Like IT Is!!!
Burl “The Coach” Jones