The Grambling State University Tigers played up against PAC 12 Conference competitor University of California Berkeley Golden Bears in a nearly packed California Memorial Stadium. The G-Men came up short, losing 73-14.
GLENN LEWIS/The Yearbook
No. 36 Derwin Butler and No. 56 Troy Roach tackles Cal-Berkeley’s No. 15.
“We’ve got to go back to the drawing board. We always become a better team between week one and week two,” said head coach Broderick Fobbs during a post game news conference. “I think it was a little bit of overexcitement. Our guys were itching to get back on the field. ….We’ve got to settle down and play our style of football.”
It was a beautiful sunny afternoon in northern California with temperatures floating around 72 degrees. GSU fans from across northern California joined GSU’s World Famed Tiger Marching Band, cheer squad and Hall of Famer and Grambling legend Willie Brown to cheer on the football team.
In the first half, the Golden Bears made a statement by scoring 52 points. No. 2 Daniel Lasco made the first touchdown for the Golden Bears in the first minute after a 4-yard run. With 7:15 remaining in the first quarter, Cal Berkeley scored another touchdown, after Cameron Walker intercepted a ball intended for GSU’s Cameron White. The Golden Bears scored 35 points in the first quarter and the defense prevented the Tigers from scoring in the first and second.
Though the Tigers remained scoreless during the first three quarters, the Tigers’ special teams added a spark later in the game, scoring two touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
No. 1 Ka’Jandre Domino ran 68 yards with four kick return carries during the first half and No. 4 Martez Carter ran 68 yards with three carries. Domino ran 60 yards with a couple of receptions.
In the fourth quarter the Tigers thrilled GSU fans scoring two touchdowns, and allowed only one touchdown from the Golden Bears.
There were some special G-Men moments.
No. 15 Trevon Cherry threw a four-yard pass to No. 83 Brandon Byrdsong for a Tiger touchdown. Then Carter, a Monroe native, had an unbelievable 90-yard touchdown after a kickoff return. This is Carter’s second time scoring a 90-yard touchdown since last season. He finished the game with 135 yards with five carries in kickoff returns and had 20 receiving yards.
Another Tiger standout was No. 19 Nicholas Peoples. He finished the game with two interceptions and nine tackles (five solo and four assisted).
The Tigers regroup after the season-opening loss to prepare the first home game against the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats on Saturday (Sept. 12) at 6 p.m. at the Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium in Grambling. Both teams will come into this game with a 0-1 record.