GRAMBLING, La. | Grambling State opened the 2026 football season in impressive fashion Saturday night, racing past Clark Atlanta, 49-7, at Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium.
The Tigers scored 28 unanswered points in the first half and added three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to pull away for the convincing victory before 11,337 fans.
With the win, Grambling State opens the season 1-0, while Clark Atlanta falls to 0-1.
Grambling State's offense piled up 487 total yards, including 223 rushing and 264 passing. The Tigers also produced 28 first downs and averaged 6.6 yards per play.
Quarterback Reginald Johnson provided an efficient performance in his season debut, completing 15 of 17 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown.
Johnson helped Grambling State establish control during the second quarter, completing several key passes on a 55-yard scoring drive that ended with an 11-yard touchdown connection to Tyson George.
Johnson's performance was part of a balanced Grambling State passing attack that finished 26-of-35 for 264 yards and two touchdowns without an interception.
The Tigers wasted little time creating momentum.
Tony Phillips Jr. opened the scoring by returning the opening kickoff 89-yards for a touchdown.
Phillips Jr. later found the end zone for real, breaking loose for a 20-yard touchdown run with 14:54 remaining in the second quarter to give Grambling State a 14-0 lead.
George extended the advantage to 21-0 with his 11-yard touchdown reception from Johnson at the 7:47 mark of the second quarter.
Grambling State then put together one of its most impressive drives of the night, going 97 yards on 11 plays. Robinson capped the drive with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Byron Eaton Jr. with 17 seconds remaining in the half.
The score gave the Tigers a 28-0 halftime advantage.
Clark Atlanta briefly cut into the deficit early in the third quarter when Xzavier Jackson connected with Chry'shawn Sellers on a 64-yard touchdown pass.
The Tigers, however, responded with a dominant fourth quarter.
Clyde McClendon Jr. opened the quarter with a 21-yard touchdown run with 13:53 remaining. Zerrick Jones followed with a 4-yard touchdown run at the 8:53 mark before D'Shaun Ford capped the scoring with a 2-yard touchdown run with 5:42 remaining.
Grambling State outscored Clark Atlanta 21-0 in the fourth quarter.
The Tigers' rushing attack produced 223 yards on 39 attempts, averaging 5.7 yards per carry.
Andre Crews led the way with 50 yards on six carries, including a 37-yard run. Ford added 41 yards and a touchdown on six carries, while McClendon Jr. rushed for 24 yards and a touchdown.
Phillips Jr. finished with 21 rushing yards and a touchdown, while Jones added 16 yards and a score.
Through the air, Jordan Bride led all Grambling State receivers with seven catches for 72 yards. George also caught seven passes for 45 yards and a touchdown, while Kingston Jones recorded a 38-yard reception.
Grambling State's defense limited Clark Atlanta to 224 yards of total offense, including just 94 rushing yards.
The Panthers managed only 10 first downs and converted 1 of 13 third-down attempts.
Jalen Guillard led the Tigers with five tackles and forced a fumble. Markeis Sykes recorded a sack, while Grambling State finished with four tackles for loss.
The Tigers also won the time-of-possession battle, 34:03 to 25:57.
Alexander Davis provided a strong performance in the punting game, averaging 44.8 yards on five punts with a long of 54 yards.
Phillips Jr.'s 89-yard kickoff return also gave the Tigers an early glimpse of their big-play ability on special teams.
Up Next
Grambling State returns to action next weekend when it hosts Central State. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at Eddie G. Robinson Memeorial Stadium and will be streamed via SWAC TV
FOLLOW GRAMBLING ATHLETICS
Stay updated with Grambling State Athletics by following @GSU_Tigers on X, @gramblingathletics on Instagram and /GramblingStateTigers1901 on Facebook, or by visiting gsutigers.com.
