Southern's goal-line defense secured their victory in the 50th Annual Bayou Classic

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana - Doug Williams and Pete Richardson, renowned figures from HBCUs, were present at Caesars Superdome to witness Southern thwarting a fourth-quarter comeback by Grambling and securing a 27-22 victory in the exciting 50th Annual Bayou Classic.

Grambling initially took the lead when Myles Crawley executed an RPO perfectly for a 1-yard touchdown, putting them ahead 7-0 with 1:17 remaining in the first quarter. Southern responded in the second quarter with two offensive touchdowns and a special teams touchdown from a blocked punt.

Noah Bodden connected with Darren Morris for an 8-yard touchdown to level the score at 7, followed by Kendric Rhymes scoring a 2-yard rushing touchdown to give the Jaguars a 14-7 lead.

During the final moments of the first half, Grambling's field goal attempt was blocked by Southern's special teams, led by interim head coach Terrence Graves. Joshua Griffin then ran along the sidelines with the ball, increasing Southern's lead to 21-7.

Coming back from halftime, the Jaguars continued their strong performance. On the second play, running back Kendric Rhymes sprinted past the Tigers defenders for a 73-yard rushing touchdown, increasing the lead to 27-7. However, placekicker Joshua Griffin missed the extra point attempt. 

Grambling gained momentum after Andrew Jones intercepted Noah Bodden for a pick-six, narrowing the lead to 27-14 in the third quarter.

During Southern's following possession, punter Robens Beauplan knelt in the endzone to receive the snap, resulting in the G-Men scoring an effortless two points. Southern's lead began to dwindle, reaching 27-16 at 6:58 in the 3rd quarter.

Grambling initiated a comeback with a first and goal situation. However, Jordan Carter intercepted a pass from Myles Crawley in the endzone, preventing a potential touchdown.

After failing to advance the football, Southern punted to GSU. Chalk executed a 3-yard touchdown run behind Grambling's imposing offensive line. Despite an unsuccessful two-point conversion, the Jaguars maintained a 27-22 lead with 7:02 remaining in the thrilling game. The Tigers scored 15 unanswered points, putting pressure on Southern to secure at least a field goal to secure an eight-point advantage.

.