By: Deja Harrison, Sports Information Staff
GRAMBLING, La. | The Grambling State University football team will look for its third straight win and second consecutive Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) victory this weekend as the Tigers face off against SWAC East Division rival Alcorn State on Saturday in Lorman, Miss. Kickoff from Jack Spinks Stadium is set for 2 p.m.
The game will be streamed live on ESPN3 with on air talents Eric Clemons (play-by-play) and Jay Walker (color) on the call. The game will be broadcasted later Saturday night on ESPNU. 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, Nick Harrison and Leon Thomas will call all of the action.
The two teams are no strangers to each other and have met in the SWAC Championship for the last three seasons. Alcorn took the 49-21 victory in 2015, but Grambling State has won the last two conference crowns (27-20 in 2016 and 40-32 in 2017).
Grambling State (3-3 overall, 2-1 SWAC) comes into Saturday's showdown having beat Oklahoma Panhandle State (Oct. 6) and Texas Southern (Oct. 13). The Tigers got 345 passing yards and three touchdowns by
Geremy Hickbottom in the win last weekend against Texas Southern, while
De'Arius Christmas, who was named the SWAC College Sports Madness and SWAC Defensive Player of the Week, led the team with eight tackles, including seven solo stops.
Alcorn State (5-2, 3-1), winners of five out its last six games, enters off a 35-26 victory over Alabama A&M last weekend. The Braves racked up 501 total yards of offense and 20 first downs against the Bulldogs. Noah Johnson had a big day for Alcorn State as the quarterback rushed for 154 yards on 15 carrries and was 16 of 27 passing for 160 yards.
About this Game
> This will be the 70th meeting between Grambling State and Alcorn State
> The series began in 1952 with GSU capturing a 27-13 victory
> The most points scored combined came in 1994 with 118 points as Grambling State defeated Alcorn State in a thriller, 62-56.
> The Tigers lead the all-time series, 45-21-3 and have won four straight meetings
> Grambling State holds the longest win streak in the series at 11 games
STADIUM AND GAMEDAY INFORMATION
ADA and Construction Zones
> The university has limited designated ADA/handicap parking spaces at the football stadium. The Agriculture Extension Building Parking Lot is designated for ADA overflow parking. Those with ADA needs may request transportation by notifying a lot attendant. Wait times vary for shuttle cart transportation. Please exercise patience as we try to accommodate requests. The transportation pick up location for those with ADA needs after the game is Gate 6. Please do not obstruct the entrances or park in a construction zone.
Game Day Tailgating
> For the homecoming game, tailgaters are reminded that setup begins at noon on Friday prior to the game. Further, tailgaters must present and display a tailgate pass prior to being allowed to set up. General Tailgate areas will be marked with signage. The IT Parking Lot is designated a General Tailgate lot. Once filled to a safe capacity, tailgaters will be directed to other areas. All tailgating equipment (trailers, tents, grills, chairs, etc.) must be removed from the campus by midnight on game day. No caution tape, flags, or other cordoning devices are allowed.
Traffic Flow and Parking
> Game Day patrons should familiarize themselves with the new traffic patterns and adjustments. The Special Event Parking Facility is designated as the General Event Parking Lot (Green) and the vehicle parking cost is $15. There are no reserved spaces in this lot and tailgating is not allowed in the facility. Grills, tents, lawn chairs, and unauthorized motorized vehicles and carts are not allowed in the parking lot. Additionally, no RVs, semi-trucks, travel trailers nor campers may park or overnight in the facility.
Traffic adjustments will be approached in the safest manner possible through a collaborative effort between the Alcorn Campus Police, MDOT, Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol, and other local, county, and state law enforcement partners. Personnel will be present to assist in directing traffic. All traffic will proceed as signs and officials direct. Three lanes off Highway 552 Bypass will be utilized to enter the new Special Event Parking Facility.
Visitors approaching the campus who wish to use the General Event Parking Lot (Green - $15) should veer/keep right at the fork on to the Highway 552 Bypass to access the new Special Event Parking Facility.
Last Time Out
> Grambling State enters the game off a 34-21 SWAC win over Texas Southern
> The Tigers racked up 27 first downs and 529 total yards against Texas Southern
>
Geremy Hickbottom, who threw for 297 yards in a win against Oklahoma Panhandle State, set a new career high with 345 yards on 29 of 44 passing, with three touchdowns
>
Geremy Hickbottom completed 29 passes to 11 different receivers and now has six passing touchdowns over the last two weeks
>
Devante Davis became the first Grambling State wide receiver to surpass the 100-yard pla- teau as he nished with seven catches for 114 yards and one score
> The defense forced five turnovers, with three fumbles and two interceptions, and the special teams also provided a boost with a blocked punt, which resulted in the game's rst score
> Senior kicker
Marc Orozco is just 14 points shy of tying the all-time GSU leader by a kicker. Orozco now has 311 total points in his career, needing only 14 points to tie and 15 points to surpass Brian Morgan as the school's all-time leading kick scorer
Last Time Against Alcorn State
> Grambling State scored 28 unanswered second-quarter points and held on for a 40-32 victory to capture its 26th SWAC Football Championship
> The Tigers racked up 439 total yards, including 268 through the air, and 19 first downs
>
Devante Kincade was 14-of-24 passing for 223 yards, with a pair of touchdowns, and rushed 11 times for 75 yards and two scores
>
De'Andre Hogues led the defense with seven tackles, including four solo stops, one sack and one forced fumble
>
Devante Kincade and
De'Andre Hogues were selected SWAC Offensive and Defensive MVPs of the SWAC Championship game
Inside The Numbers
> Grambling State has won 27 out of its last 28 SWAC games, dating back to the beginning of the 2015 season
> The Tigers are 15-0 in the month of October under head coach
Broderick Fobbs
> Grambling State is 6-1 all-time against Alcorn State during the
Broderick Fobbs era
>
Marc Orozco needs just 15 points (14 to tie) to become the all-time GSU scoring leader by a kicker
> Alcorn State is averaging 34.4 points and 472.4 total yards per game
> Grambing State is averaging 28.3 points and 383.8 total yards per game
Accolades
>
De'Arius Christmas earned two honors last week as he was selected the SWAC College Sports Madness SWAC Defensive Player of the Week and the SWAC Defensive Player of the Week
>
De'Arius Christmas is a semifinalist for the National Football Foundation William V. Campbell Trophy
Three-Way Tie In The West Division
> While there is still a lot of football left to be played, Grambling State, Southern and Prairie View A&M sit atop the West Division with one loss
> Grambling State's remaining schedule includes: at Alcorn State, vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, vs. Mississippi Valley State, at Alabama A&M (non-conference game) and vs. Southern (Bayou Classic)
> Southern's remaining slate includes: vs. Texas Southern, vs. Jackson State, vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff and vs. Grambling State (Bayou Classic)
> Prairie View A&M's remaining schedule includes: vs. Alcorn State, at Jackson State, vs. Alabama State and vs. Texas Southern
> For those trying to look ahead, despite the remaining schedule, below is the breakdown of the SWAC Tiebreaker scenario
SWAC Tiebreaker Involving Three-or-more teams
> a. Head-to-head competition between the tied teams
> b. Records of the tied teams within the division
> c. Head-to-head competition versus the team within the division with the best overall conference record and proceeding through the division. Multiple ties within the division will be broken from the first to last.
> d. Overall record versus the non-division teams
> e. Combined record versus all common non-divisional teams
> f. Record versus common non-divisional team with the best overall conference record and proceeding through other common non-divisional teams based on their order of finish within their division.
> g. Best point differential between the tied teams in head-to-head matchups
> h. Coin flip
Up Next
The Tigers will be back at home on Saturday, Oct. 27 for Military Appreciation Day and Breast Cancer Awareness Day as Grambling State plays host to Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Kickoff from Eddie G. Robinson Stadium is set for 2 p.m.
Remaining Home Game Tickets Still Available
Remaining home game tickets are on still sale at the GSU Ticket office and fan are encouraged to visit
www.gsutigers.com or call the ticket office to purchase tickets. For more information on purchasing season tickets, call (318) 274-2625 or (318) 274-2629.
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.
