JOURNAL SPORTS
It was the best of times Saturday in Lincoln Parish for Grambling and Louisiana Tech, but Centenary could not get untracked in its conference opener. Northwestern State was open.
LOUISIANA TECH 32, UL-LAFAYETTE 31: Tech erased a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit and scored the go-ahead touchdown with 46 seconds remaining, securing the Bulldogs’ first Sun Belt Conference football victory in their return to the league.
The Bulldogs (3-2) scored twice in the final four minutes to edge the Ragin’ Cajuns (4-2, 1-1 SBC),
Quarterback Blake Baker completed 32 of 42 passes for 319 yards and three touchdowns while adding a 12-yard rushing score with 3:44 to go. Eli Finley caught a 7-yarder to cap a game-winning eight-play, 66-yard drive.
Tech finished with 485 yards of total offense, including 338 through the air, heading into next week’s visit to long-spurned rival ULM.
GRAMBLING 45, JACKSON STATE 38: The Tigers made a big statement in the Southwestern Athletic Conference race at home Saturday when they rallied from an early 14-point deficit and delivered a clutch fourth-quarter performance to defeat previously unbeaten, 22nd-ranked Jackson State.
Grambling (4-2, 2-1 SWAC) overcame a late Jackson State (5-1, 2-1) surge to earn a key conference victory in front of 15,434 fans at Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium.
Quarterback Jacobe Robinson accounted for five touchdowns, completing 17 of 21 passes for 212 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 52 yards and a score.
Grambling erased a 38-35 deficit by scoring twice in 35 seconds in the final two minutes, going up on a 1-yard D’Shaun Ford run with 1:36 left, then getting a Marcellus Johnson 24-yard interception return setting up the insurance 24-yard Theodore Caballero field goal with 61 seconds left.
HENDRIX 41, CENTENARY 20: The Gents managed only 252 offensive yards and lost to Hendrix College in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference opener for both teams on Saturday afternoon at Young-Wise Memorial Stadium.
Outscored 27-8 after halftime, the Gents dropped to 1-4 overall and 0-1 in SCAC play while the Warriors improved to 4-1 and 1-0 in league action.