By: Candice Dixson, Sports Information Graduate Assistant
GRAMBLING, La. | The Grambling State University football team will look for its second straight Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Championship when the Tigers take the field on Saturday afternoon against Alcorn State. Kickoff is set for 3:32 p.m. at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
The Tigers and Braves will meet in the 19th and final SWAC Championship title game as the conference announced prior to the season to forgo the championship game.
The game will be broadcasted live on ESPNU (Eric Clemons, Jay Walker and Tiffany Greene). Grambling State will broadcast the game on the Grambling State Sports Radio Network. The game can be heard in Ruston (KPCH 99.3 FM) and in Monroe (KJMG 97.3 FM). The Tigers' broadcast crew of Santoria Black, Ossie Clark, Leon Thomas and Nick Harrison will call all of the action.
"It's business as usual for us," Grambling State head coach
Broderick Fobbs said. "For us, it's about preparing for a football contest. We don't get into 'this is the last one, this is the first one.' It's a football game and we're going to be ready to play."
While Saturday's game will be the final post-conference meeting for the two SWAC contenders, these two teams are no stranger and have been meeting in the championship game for the past two seasons; Alcorn State (7-4) being victorious in 2015 and Grambling State (10-1) taking the title in 2016.
What to Watch For
* Grambling State is seeking its eighth SWAC Championship title win. The Tigers are 7-2 in the SWAC Championship game.
* Alcorn State is anticipating a win against Grambling, which last occurred at the 2015 SWAC Championship game.
* The winner of Saturday's game will represent the SWAC in the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 16 against Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champion, North Carolina A&T State.
Grambling State- Alcorn State Connections
* Grambling State leads the series, 45-21-3.
* Tigers' head coach
Broderick Fobbs is 5-1 against Alcorn State.
* Grambling State won the last matchup, 41-14, on Oct. 21.
* In the 2015 season, Alcorn State defeated Grambling State, 49-21, for the Championship title.
* Both schools were predicted to face each other in the preseason.
* This will be the third year in a row Grambling State and Alcorn State have met in the Championship game.
* Separated by 153 miles, this will be the 70th meeting between the two schools.
Football Facts
* Grambling State remained in the No. 12 spot in the latest FCS Coaches Top 25 Poll and No. 13 in the STATS FCS Top 25 Poll.
* The Tigers also remained in the top spot in the SBN Sports Network Black College Football Poll and in the Urban Media Today Black College Football Poll.
* In the BOXTOROW Coaches and Media Poll, Grambling State kept its position at No. 2 behind North Carolina A&T State.
* Grambling State is ranked first in the conference in 17 categories, including fourth down conversion percentage, defensive touchdowns and fumbles recovered.
* The Tigers are ranked No. 1 in the conference and nation in team sacks.
Inside the Numbers
*
De'Aumante Johnson continues to lead the SWAC (eighth nationally) in interceptions per game.
* Kicker
Marc Orozco ranks first in the conference (second nationally) in field goals per game and scoring (ninth nationally).
*
Martez Carter is ranked No. 1 in the SWAC in rushing touchdowns and No. 3 in the in all-purpose yards.
*
Devante Kincade leads the conference in four categories: passing efficiency, passing yards, passing yards/game, yards/pass attempt.
*
De'Andre Hogues and
Brandon Varner are ranked No. 2 in the SWAC in fumbles recovered.
*
De'Arius Christmas has been in the top-five ranking in the conference in tackles for loss since Grambling State's fifth week, where he currently holds the No. 3 spot.
*
La'Allan Clark continues to lead the SWAC in forced fumbles and sacks.
*
Ja'Terious Pouncy is ranked second in the conference in blocked kicks.
Awards and Accolades
*
Devante Kincade was named the Third Annual Ben L. Cavil, Sr. "Big Ben" winner for the second consecutive year.
*
Devante Kincade was selected a Black College Football Player of the Year Finalist.
*
Devante Kincade earned the 2017 SWAC Offensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.
*
De'Arius Christmas was named the SWAC Defensive Player of the Year.
* For the fourth year in a row,
Broderick Fobbs was named the SWAC Coach of the Year.
* Twelve Grambling State football players were placed on the All-SWAC football teams:
Devante Kincade,
Martez Carter,
Trenton Scott,
William Waddell (First-Team Offense), La'Allen Clark,
Brandon Varner,
De'Arius Christmas,
De'Aumante Johnson (First-Team Defense)
Marc Orozco (First-Team Special Teams),
Darrell Clark,
Jordan Jones (Second-Team Offense), and
Linwood Banks (Second-Team Defense).
* Percy Cargo received the United States Marine Corps Excellence in Leadership Award during the Bayou Classic Coaches Luncheon in New Orleans last week.
*
Marc Orozco was selected the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Special Teams Player of the Week.
About the SWAC Championship game
* Following the 1998 season, the conference announced that the league would be split into two divisions with the divisional winners meeting at a championship game.
* The first game was played between Jackson State and Southern before 47,621 fans in 1999 at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala.
* In May 2013, SWAC officials announced the game was to move from Legion Field to NRG Stadium (formerly Reliant Stadium).
* In the summer of 2017, the SWAC announced the end of the Conference Championship Football Game, with the final game to be played Dec. 2 at NRG Stadium
(home of the Houston Texans).
Follow Grambling State Athletics
For complete coverage of Grambling State athletics, please follow the Tigers on social media at @GSU_Tigers (Twitter), /gramblingstateathletics (Facebook), @gramblingathletics01 (Instagram) or visit the official home of Grambling State Athletics at gsutigers.com.
