A mere four months after first-year coach Stump Mitchell projected his Jaguars would go 12-0, the Grambling State Tigers gave Mitchell his final lesson in humility with a 38-17 victory in the 37th installment of the Bayou Classic.Coach Rod Broadway tried to make the game as sentimental as possible to a certain group of players. “We did this for our seniors,” Broadway said. “We wanted them to go out with a win.”
Southern struck first, taking a 3-0 lead in the first quarter, which was a result of a muffed punt by WR Kiare Thompson; however, that would be the only time Southern led in front of a crowd of 43,494.
On ensuing possession, the Tigers orchestrated a picture-picture drive, which was capped by a Frank Warren touchdown with 4:24 left in the first quarter. Subsequently, the Tigers never trailed again.
Warren would score again in the 2nd quarter, which put Grambling up 17-3.
DT Jomaracus Savage scored Grambling’s final points of the half on a interception turned touchdown deep in Grambling’s territory. “[QB] stared me down. and threw it,” a jubilant Savage said. “It all happened in slow motion.”
Grambling opened the second half on the same note they closed the first half on, scoring touchdowns. Frank Warren scored another touchdown with 12:16 left to go in the quarter, which brought the score to 31-10.
After a failed Southern drive, TE Larry Donnell ended the Grambling scoring with a ten yard pass play that made the score 38-10
Warren put an end to an illustrious Grambling career, where he finished with 3,910 yards and ranks second on the SWAC All-Time rushing list.
A humble Warren could have never foreshadowed his successes when he arrived on campus. “I never thought when I came on campus in 2007 that I would end the second all-time rusher in the SWAC,” the nonchalant Warren said. “Its big.