By Curtis Ford, Grambling State AD for Athletic Communications
The Grambling State football team is set to open Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) play versus rival Prairie View A&M in the 100 State Fair Classic at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas on Saturday night. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. and will be broadcast on SWAC TV
GSU enters to game 3-1 overall, while PVAMU comes into the contest 2-2 overall and 1-0 in the SWAC.
GAME PREVIEW
This will be the 77th all-time meeting between GSU and PVAMU. Grambling State leads the series 52-23-1. The Tigers and Panthers began meeting in the State Fair Classic in 1985. PVAMU has won six of the past seven meetings.
Saturday's game will also be the first Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) game of the season for the G-Men.
Last season, GSU and PVAMU played a five-overtime thriller that saw the Tigers fall 36-34.
GSU enters Saturday's contest after defeating East Texas A&M 31-28 last weekend. The Tigers erased an early 14-0 deficit to scoot past the Lions to snag the win.
The Tigers gained 321 yards of offense in the victory. Starting QB completed 14-of-26 passes for 179 yards and a touchdown. The Grambling State defense surrendered 352 yards but forced an interception and registered two sacks on the night.
Prairie View A&M beat Northwestern State 27-24 last Saturday in Prairie View, Texas.
PVAMU outgained Northwestern State 494-320, including a 346-164 advantage on the ground.
The Panthers are led by head coach Tremaine Jackson, who is in his first year leading the PVAMU football program. Jackson sports 42-14 career record with head coaching stints at Colorado-Mesa and Valdosta State.
MORE NOTES
RABY LEADS THE SWAC
Grambling State defensive back has burst onto the scene in his first season starting for the Tigers.
Raby currently leads the SWAC in interceptions with two INTS.
Raby also has a fumble recovery that was returned for an 83-yard touchdown is GSU's 37-31 win over Kentucky State.
OFFENSIVE IMPROVEMENT
The Grambling State offense have improved upon its offensive woes from last season.
Currently, the Tigers rank second in the SWAC in scoring offense, averaging 30.8 points per game.
Last year, GSU scored just 11 passing touchdowns during teh season. Through Grambling State's first four games, the Tigers have seven passing TDs
BALANCED RUN GAME
Grambling State features a five running back rotation in the offensive backfield.
, , , and Clyde McCelendon Jr. have all been used extensively in the offense.
Eaton leads the Tigers with 175 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries.
As a unit, Grambling State ranks third in the SWAC in rushing offense. The Tigers average 171.5 yards per game.
TEASETT EMERGES
Replacing two-starter is and .
Teasett, a transfer from Southern Univeristy
Teasett emerged as the starting QB and has completed 56-of-93 of his passes (60.2%) with six TDs and one INT