The Grambling State Tigers fell to the Texas Southern Tigers 23-20 in overtime Saturday night in Houston.
Grambling State dropped to 4-4 overall and 2-3 in the SWAC. Texas Southern improved to 2-5 and 2-3.
GSU tied the game on a 6-yard pass from Ashton Frye to Latavious Murphy with 4:45 left in the game.
Texas Southern drove from its 21 to the GSU 47. But the Grambling State defense forced a punt on fourth-and-10. GSU took over with 30 seconds left and ran out the clock.
GSU went on offense first in overtime. On second-and-16 from the 31, Frye completed a 17-yard pass to Jordan Brice. Three pass plays resulted in a 2-yard loss and Theodore Caballero kicked a 31-yard field goal.
On the first play of TSU’s possession, Athean Renfro ran up the middle for 20 yards. GSU then tackled Renfro for a 1-yard loss. But on the next play, Cam’Ron McCoy scored to give Texas Southern the victory.
Neither team did much offensively in the first half that ended in a 3-3 tied. TSU’s Miguel Ariana kicked a 47-yard field goal with 6:57 left in the half. Caballero answered with one from 29 yards with 2:23 left.
GSU drove 75 yards in 10 plays for a touchdown early in the third quarter. Frye scored on a 6-yard run. That was it for the third-quarter scoring and GSU led 10-3.
Renfro scored on runs on 75 and 86 yards early in the fourth quarter to give TSU a 17-10 lead.
GSU’s Christen Williams recovered a fumble forced by Jamal Jordan at the TSU 40 with 7:39 left in the game, setting up the Tigers’ final touchdown.
Grambling had 286 total yards. Frye completed 9-of-21 passes for just 98 yards. Jacobe Robinson completed 2-of-3 for 38.
Nae’Sean Dickerson had four catches for 61 yards.
Tony Phillips Jr. rushed for 61 yards on seven carries. Frye had 56 on 13.
Thanks in part to Renfro’s long touchdown runs, TSU had 317 yards rushing. Frye finished with 233 on 21 carries. McCoy had 60 on 11.
Grambling State plays Arkansas-Pine Bluff Saturday at 2 p.m. Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium. UAPB (5-3) defeated Bethune-Cookman 63-21 on Oct. 31.