GRAMBLING, La. — In an intense showdown, the Grambling Tigers secured a narrow victory over Alabama State with a final score of 24-23 on Saturday, aided by a crucial missed field goal by Brandon Gilliam in the last moments of the game. Keilon Elder highlighted the Tigers’ performance with one of their three rushing touchdowns, while the team erupted with 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to clinch the win.

At halftime, Grambling found themselves trailing 20-10 and faced a 13-point deficit with 6:22 remaining in the third quarter, following a surge of 20 consecutive points from Alabama State. Tre Bradford ignited the Tigers’ comeback with a 6-yard touchdown run that began just before the end of the third quarter. This was followed by Dedrick Talbert, who contributed a 14-yard touchdown run with 6:19 still on the clock.

After Grambling’s subsequent possession ended in a punt, Alabama State gained control on their own 20-yard line with only 1:46 left in the game. Quarterback Kareem Keye connected on two impressive passes for 36 and 27 yards, pushing the Hornets to the Grambling 17-yard line with just over a minute to go. However, a series of incomplete passes led to a fourth-and-4 situation at the 11-yard mark, where Gilliam’s attempt from 28 yards out resulted in a miss, sealing the victory for the Tigers.

Deljay Bailey showcased a mixed performance for Grambling, completing 6 out of 12 passes for 76 yards, although he did throw one interception. For Alabama State, Keye had a productive outing, finishing the game with 16 completions on 28 attempts for 280 yards, in addition to contributing two short touchdown runs to his team’s effort.