Standing on Business: Jaguars Top Tigers in the 50th Bayou Classic Over GSU

The 50th Anniversary of the Bayou Classic took place in the “Big Easy.” The highly anticipated game lived up to its name and meaning once again. Before the 50th Bayou Classic matchup, Southern University led the series 25-24 over Grambling State University. Southern won 4 of the last 5, including a 34-17 win last year. Coming into this game, both teams were 5-5 overall with a 4-3 conference record. For Southern, Interim Head Coach Terrence Graves made history by coaching both teams in the Bayou Classic. In addition, Graves was in a similar position when he won with Grambling State in 2021, 29-26. Graves would also be joined by acting head coach, Sean Wallace.
Southern defense would start slow in the 1st quarter, giving up an early touchdown to Grambling, making the score 7-0 at the end of the first quarter. However, a critical decision was made by Graves for the Southern offense, as the sophomore quarterback Grambling State transfer, Noah Bodden, would be named the starting quarterback over graduate student quarterback Harold Blood. On Southern’s 3rd offensive drive, Bodden would go 3-5 on his passes for 68 yards and a touchdown pass to redshirt freshman wide receiver Darren Morris. Southern would score again on a 2-yard rushing touchdown from junior running back Kendric Rhymes, taking the lead 14-7. Southern would enhance their lead on special teams as they would block a field goal, and senior cornerback Demetri Morsell would run 68 yards for a touchdown, allowing the halftime score to be 21-7.
Coming out of the second half, the Southern offense would waste no time scoring as Rhymes would score on a 73-yard rushing touchdown, which was his longest of the season. The score was now 27-7, and the Jags seemed to have control of this game, but that was not the case. Historically, the Bayou Classic has always had tight finishes and momentum shifts. It all started with a Grambling State interception returned for a touchdown in the 3rd quarter to make the game 27-14. Grambling would continue to score, narrowing the score to 27-22. Late in the 4th quarter, a sudden death opportunity was pushed to the forefront as the Southern Dog Day defense would have to make a critical stop to stop Grambling from taking the lead. Morsell would answer the call as he deflected the ball away from the Grambling State receiver, allowing Southern to win the 50th Bayou Classic 27-22.
Southern assures their lead in the classic 26-24. It was a rough day for the run defense of Southern, giving up 249 yards on the ground. Bodden stepped up in a critical game, going 13-26 for 231 yards 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. Coach Graves made history, becoming the first coach to win the Bayou Classic as head coach for both programs. Coach Graves provided his comments, “I hear my mother… You are ordained to do great things. Every time you try and hide in the back, God will push you to the front.” Rhymes was named Bayou Classic MVP as he rushed for 103 yards and 2 touchdowns, but he was humble with his comments. “It feels great, but to be honest, I don’t feel like I am the MVP; the team is the MVP.” Bodden was excited for his opportunity to shine, and he shared his thoughts on the moment. “It’s a blessing…grateful enough to be able to impact the game and be the quarterback for the game.” Morsell made some crucial plays in the game after overcoming adversity to get to this point, he shared his journey and what his moment meant to him. “It meant so much; I have been through a lot since I have been down here.” Most importantly, the Jags got the win for Sean Wallace and lived up to the phrase “Sean Strong.” The Jags end the season with a winning record.