GRAMBLING, La. — Grambling State just pulled off one of the wildest comebacks of the HBCU football season.
The Tigers erased a 59-42 fourth-quarter deficit to stun Alcorn State 63-59 Saturday at Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium in a Homecoming thriller that featured 122 combined points.
And somehow, Grambling still needed one more score after all of that.
FOURTH-QUARTER CHAOS
Alcorn appeared to have the game under control.
The Braves opened the fourth quarter with Ernest Temple’s 4-yard touchdown run to extend their lead to 45-35. Grambling answered with an Ashton Frye 5-yard touchdown run, but Alcorn immediately responded. Jaylon Tolbert found Jamarr Ebron for a 40-yard touchdown, and Fredrick Robertson added a 2-yard rushing touchdown just 34 seconds later.
Suddenly, Alcorn led 59-42 with 10:18 remaining.
Game over?
Not even close.
Frye led Grambling on a 68-yard scoring drive that ended with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Nae’Saan Dickerson, cutting the deficit to 10.
Then D’Shaun Ford scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with 3:20 remaining.
59-56.
The Tigers were still alive.
THE FINAL 2 MINUTES
Grambling’s defense finally came up with the play it needed, forcing an Alcorn fumble to give the Tigers possession.
But the Braves still had another opportunity to close it out.
Instead, Grambling got the ball back with 2:19 remaining.
Frye immediately went to work, connecting with Jordan Bride for 51 yards, and then found Bride again for 24 yards to move the Tigers inside the Alcorn 11.
With only 19 seconds remaining, Frye found Tyson George for an 11-yard touchdown.
GRAMBLING 63.
ALCORN 59.
Ballgame.
TYSON GEORGE WAS UNSTOPPABLE
George finished with:
- 6 receptions
- 96 receiving yards
- 3 touchdowns
- Including the game-winning TD
His other scores came on receptions of 54 and 8 yards from Jacobe Robinson. (Grambling State University Athletics)
GRAMBLING’S OFFENSE
The Tigers finished with a ridiculous 599 total yards:
Passing: 370 yards
Rushing: 229 yards
Total: 599 yards
Average: 8.7 yards per play
Ashton Frye completed 11-of-17 passes for 203 yards and 2 TDs, while adding 61 rushing yards and 2 rushing touchdowns.
Jacobe Robinson added 167 passing yards and 2 touchdowns.
Jordan Bride led Grambling with 7 catches for 108 yards, while Byron Eaton Jr. added 4 catches for 97 yards.
Jamarion Parker also exploded for 98 rushing yards on only six carries, including a 59-yard run.
ALCORN’S OFFENSE WAS JUST AS CRAZY
Alcorn wasn’t exactly slowing down.
Jaylon Tolbert threw for:
411 yards — 5 TDs — 0 INTs
Fredrick Robertson added 105 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns, while Damien Jones had 140 receiving yards and 2 TDs.
Alcorn finished with 566 total yards.
Combined, the two teams produced:
1,165 TOTAL YARDS
122 POINTS
8 PASSING TDs
7 RUSHING TDs
THE STAT THAT MATTERS
Grambling improves to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in SWAC play.
Alcorn falls to 3-3 overall and 2-1 in conference play.
And according to the game statistics, this was Grambling’s first game with at least 60 points since 2016.
Grambling State 63, Alcorn State 59.
A 17-point fourth-quarter comeback.
A game-winning touchdown with 19 seconds left.
HBCU football. You can’t beat it.
