GRAMBLING, La. | The Grambling State University football team took advantage of a pair of turnovers and exploded for 28 first-half points in a 35-6 rout of Alcorn State in a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) game on Saturday afternoon at Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium.
"I am excited, not just for the team, but I am also excited for our fans," Grambling State head coach Hue Jackson said. "I think our fans have hung in there with us. They showed up again, we can hear them and can feel them. I just can't thank them enough for being there. It's great to win here at home.
"I think our players deserve it and we've been so close the last couple weeks. We were looking for the break through and we knew it was coming and we just didn't know when. The coaches did well to prepare our guys and we were able to come through with the victory."
Alcorn State (3-5 overall, 2-3 SWAC) received the opening kickoff, but fumbled the football, allowing Grambling State to begin the game in good field position at the Braves' 22. Five plays later Maurice Washington scored on a 4-yard touchdown run, giving Grambling State an early 7-0 lead with 11:53 remaining in the opening quarter.
The Tigers' special teams played significant part for the second consecutive game as Patrick Marshall blocked a punt, setting up GSU at the Alcorn State 17. Three plays after the blocked punt, Chance Williams punched in the score from the Braves' 1 as Grambling State extended its lead to 14-0 with 9:56 left.
GSU's defense accounted for the next points Aaron Allen was intercepted by Myron Stewart and went 68 yards down the left sideline for the pick-six score as the Tigers built a 21-0 advantage with 7:01 remaining in the half.
The Tigers (2-6, 1-4) put an exclamation mark on the first half as Julian Calvez scored on a 2-yard keeper as Grambling State extended the lead to 28-0 with just under two minutes left in the second period.
Alcorn State broke into the scoring column with 19 seconds left in the third when Tavarious Griffin caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Tre Lawrence, but the extra point failed as GSU led, 28-6.
Grambling State answered on its next drive as Antonio Jones returned the kickoff 47 yards and a personal foul penalty moved the ball to the Alcorn State 30. Three plays later, Floyd Chalk IV bolted through the defense for a 23-yard touchdown run as the Tigers extended the lead to 35-6 with 14:15 remaining.
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