NEW ORLEANS, La. | The Grambling State University football team suffered a 24-14 loss to archrival Southern University in the 51^st Bayou Classic on Saturday afternoon at the Caesars Superdome. 
 
GSU (5-7 overall, 2-6 SWAC) struggled to find consistency on offense, gaining a season-low 148 yards of total offense. On the other side of the ball, the Tigers had no answer for Southern's rushing attack, surrendering 209 yards on the ground. 
 
Grambling State's Myles Crawley and Deljay Bailey both saw action at quarterback. Crawley was 6-for-16 for 34 yards and an interception, while Bailey went 5-for-8 for 65 yards. 
 
Keilon Elder paced the GSU running game, churning out 47 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. 
 
Bryce Cage earned the Bayou Classic MVP for the defense after registering nine total tackles, with 2.5 tackles for loss. Andrew Jones notched another double-digit tackle game, logging 10 total stops. 
 
Grambling State's special teams unit started the game on fire, when Ken Pierre-Charles blocked SU's first 
 
Southern broke the scoreless tie on a 2-yard run by CJ Russell with 5:20 left in the first quarter. The TD was set up by 42-yard reception by Chandler Whitefield.
 
In the second quarter, the Jaguars stretched their lead to 10-0 on a 26-yard field goal by Joshua Griffin with 9:37 to go until halftime.
 
Tylon Williams gave the Tigers a spark when he returned the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown. Reed Harradine split the uprights on the PAT making it a 10-7 game with 9:07 left in the half. 
 
Both defenses stepped up to keep the score set at 10-7 heading into halftime. 
 
The third quarter got off to a rocky start for the Tigers after Crawley was picked off by SU's Herman Brister at the GSU 45-yard line on the first play from scrimmage. Grambling State's defense held the Jaguars to a field goal attempt that was blocked by Blake Davis and returned to the Tigers' 49-yard line. 
 
Neither team scored again until SU's Whitfield took a pass from Jalen Woods 41 yards for a touchdown, growing the Jaguars lead to 17-7 with 2:04 left in the third quarter. Whitfield caught five passes for 146 yards. 
 
Grambling State responded on its ensuing drive on a 4-yard TD tun by Keilon Elder, making it a 17-14 game with 13:13 remining in the fourth quarter. 
 
Southern's Kendric Rhymes put the game away on a 45-yard touchdown run with 3:24 left. 
 
The Tigers did get one more possession, but a three and out ended any hopes of a comeback.  
 
SU's Jalen Woods threw for 188 yards, one touchdown and one interception on 9-of-17 attempts. Kendric Rhymes ran for 110 yards and a TD on 12 carries.