GRAMBLING, La. | Grambling State defensive back
Tyrell Raby returned a fumble 83 yards for a game winning touchdown in overtime to secure a 37-31 win over Kentucky State on Saturday night at Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium.
GSU rallied from a 14-point first-quarter deficit and sealed the win in dramatic fashion.
After trailing 14-0 early and 21-10 late in the second quarter, the Tigers clawed back behind a balanced offensive attack led by quarterback
C'zavian Teasett, who threw for 228 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 99 yards and two more scores.
Kentucky State struck quickly with a pair of first-quarter touchdowns to jump ahead 14-0. Grambling got on the board in the second quarter with a
23-yard field goal from
Josh McCormick, then Teasett found
Keith Jones Jr. for a 12-yard touchdown strike.
The Thorobreds answered with an 11-yard scoring pass to push their lead back to 21-10, but Teasett kept the Tigers close with a 13-yard touchdown run just before halftime, cutting the deficit to 21-17.
Teasett connected once again with Jones Jr. on a 36-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter to give Grambling its first lead at 24-21. Kentucky State briefly regained control in the fourth, capitalizing on a muffed punt to score on a 33-yard touchdown pass.
The Thorobreds then recovered an onside kick and added a 43-yard field goal to go up 31-24 with under two minutes remaining.
But Teasett engineered a clutch eight-play, 75-yard drive in the final minutes, capping it with a 17-yard touchdown run with just 10 seconds left to force overtime tied at 31-31.
In overtime, Kentucky State moved to the Grambling 17 before Raby forced a fumble and scooped it up, racing 83 yards for the game-winning touchdown to send the home crowd of 5,025 into a frenzy.
By the Numbers
- Grambling outgained Kentucky State 458-356, including 230 yards on the ground.
- Jones Jr. led GSU receivers with 96 yards and a touchdown.
- The Tigers defense recorded 7 tackles for loss and 2 sacks, highlighted by Raby's decisive scoop-and-score.
With the victory, Grambling improves to
2-1 overall, while Kentucky State falls to
1-2.
UP NEXT
Grambling State returns to action next week when the Tigers host East Texas A&M. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. and will be streamed on SWAC TV.
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