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Grambling State: 2008 Year-in-Review
Over the course of the 2008 season, Grambling State became the talk of the conference. The Tigers clinched their fifth SWAC title in the last nine years with a 41-9 dismantling of Jackson State, who had beaten them in the previous year’s championship.
Behind the arm of sophomore quarterback Greg Dillon, who threw for three touchdowns and rushed for one more, the Tigers held a 13-0 lead at halftime before pouring it on in the second half. Even with their 28 second-half points, the tone had already been set by the first quarter, when Dillon showed out with 5-for-5 passing for 75 yards and two TDs. Jackson State never really recovered, and managed a paltry 56 rushing yards for the entire game (coupled with five turnovers). The victory would be the Tigers’ 10th in a row, and pretty much spelled out what they had been doing all season.
Their story could have had a very different ending, however; the season began with two losses in their first three games. But Rod Broadway’s crew broke out in their fourth game with a 14-5 win over Jackson State. In that game, Bruna Foster scored on a 34-yard interception return late in the fourth quarter as Jackson State was driving, to lift Grambling State to the win. Who knew both teams would duel 10 weeks later to determine the SWAC champion?
After that pivotal Jackson State victory, Grambling’s margin of victory seemed to grow each week as they won all but three of their final games by 20 points or more—including a 33-7 beatdown of Texas Southern. The highlight of that game was Charles Gamble taking a fumble recovery 50 yards for a score, as the team racked up 351 rushing yards and had the ball for more than 42 minutes.
Dillon was responsible for a big chunk of the Grambling offense last year, passing for 1,387 yards and 18 touchdowns, while leading the team in rushing with 676 yards and four TDs.
Looking Ahead to 2009
With the return of Dillon, Grambling’s “Mr. Everything,” there shouldn’t be too much of a shakeup with the team—at least on offense. Dillon led the Tigers in pass attempts, completions, passing yards, touchdowns, carries and rushing yards. When you do all of that—for a team that won its conference—you’ve got a special player. Most importantly, the future looks bright. “We’ve been blessed,” said coach Broadway. “You have success when you have good people. This is a place of high expectation, so to have won a championship this soon … we’re grateful and humble.”
South Carolina State: 2008 Year in Review
South Carolina State coaches should find a way to bottle the 2008 season for later use. The Bulldogs boasted a 10-3 overall record, the school’s first outright MEAC title since 1995 and its first Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoff appearance in 26 years.
But the season didn’t start out with a bang; actually, there was nothing to brag about after Game 1, when University of Central Florida handed them a 17-0 drubbing. But the team quickly rebounded, with back-to-back wins—including a 39-point win against Benedict (in which William Ford rushed for 138 yards and three TDs) and a 28-19 win over Bethune-Cookman, where Malcolm Long threw for 211 yards. The Bethune-Cookman win gave the Bulldogs their first conference win of the season. (More on that later.)
The Bulldogs took a little foray out of the conference taking on the No. 24 Clemson Tigers, and lost badly (54-0!). But the letdown had special meaning. Clemson had either signed, or seriously considered, several of the Bulldogs players, including Ford and WR Phillip Morris. And, there was the spice of brotherly competition: Tigers safety Michael Hamlin faced brothers Markee and Marquais of South Carolina State, and Clemson linebacker coach David Blackwell schemed against his brother, Joe, the Bulldogs’ run game coordinator.
In truth, the Clemson loss could have derailed the season, but the Bulldogs got back on track the very next week, overcoming Winston-Salem, and setting the tone for the next eight games, all wins. South Carolina State steamrolled through their conference culminating in their last three victories—all shutouts—scoring points like St. Louis’ “Greatest Show on Turf”: 56 against Howard, 32 at Morgan State and 55 at North Carolina A&T.
Sophomore QB Long had an outstanding, season passing for nearly 2,000 yards and 14 touchdowns. Ford lead the team with 1,499 rushing yards while Travil Jamison led the team in rushing TDs with 16.
Looking Ahead to 2009
The 2009 campaign should be a good one for South Carolina State. Long returns, and will now have a full year of starts under his belt. His backfield tandem (Ford and Jamison) returns as well, which should make coach Oliver “Buddy” Pough feel good. Oliver Young, the team’s receptions leader (with 48) and receiving yards (605) returns as well, leaving the familiarity between quarterback and number one receiver intact. “It’s a lot different around here now,” Pough acknowledged. “We have to work to maintain what we’ve built.”
For more stories about the 2009 MSC, check out GAME TIME CENTRAL
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Veteran sportswriter Chris Wilder is the managing editor of www.insideathletics.com.
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