It was all a dream.
Or maybe we should say nightmare.
Two years ago, the Grambling football team was in shambles and the team’s 1-10 record was the least of its problems. Once the program synonymous with black college football excellence, the G-Men had become the team that most-exemplified its current struggles. In a matter of weeks it had fired its coach, endured a player revolt and had the less-than-stellar condition of its facilities put on blast for the world to see.
Fast forward to 2015, Grambling (9-2) is on the brink of fully returning to glory, eyeing its seventh SWAC Championship Game win since the conference went to that format. The only team standing its way is Alcorn State, the defending SWAC Champs.
Alcorn State (8-3) is coming off its second-straight SWAC East title after getting their first championship game win in school history in 2014. ASU is led by a crushing rushing attack featuring running backs Darryan Ragsdale (956 yards and 7 touchdown) and Lennoris Footman (860 yards and 10 touchdowns). They also have the added motivation of paying back GSU for the 35-34 overtime loss they suffered at homecoming.
The opposite is true for Grambling, which is led by senior quarterback Jonathan Williams, the SWAC Offensive Player of The Year. Williams threw three touchdowns against Southern in the Bayou Classic last Saturday and will be looking for more against Alcorn State.
The SWAC Championship Game has been the pinnacle of the conference’s football season since it started back in 1999. This year’s game will take on even more importance as the winner will face the MEAC’s North Carolina A&T in the first-ever Celebration Bowl in Atlanta on Dec. 19.
Expect a lot of points and another tight battle when these two hookup.
