GRAMBLING, La. | Grambling State fought hard to the end and had a chance to win the game in the final seconds, but came up short in a 20-16 loss to Florida A&M in the 2022 home opener on Saturday at Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium.
Grambling State (1-6 overall, 0-4 SWAC) trailed 20-16 in the final two minutes and drove to the Florida A&M 12 before an offensive pass interference penalty forced the Tigers out of the red zone. Four plays later, Julian Calvez’s pass toward the end zone fell short as the Rattlers escaped with the 20-16 victory.
“I want so bad for them to get over that hump of winning because that’s the last hurdle,” Grambling coach Hue Jackson told The News-Star. “We’ve planted good seeds, but we’ve got to continue to fight harder and make crucial plays at crucial times to win games.”
After a scoreless first quarter, Florida A&M (5-2, 3-1) broke the tie as Jose Romo-Martinez booted a 29-yard field goal, capping a 14-play, 68-yard drive with 12:33 remaining in the second quarter.
Grambling State tied the game at 3 with just over one minute left in the half as Garrett Urban connected on a 39-yard field goal.
The Tigers’ special teams wasn’t done and on the ensuing kickoff, Urban’s kick was recovered by Kevin Thomas at the FAMU 16. GSU was aided by an unsportsmanlike penalty on the drive before Calvez found Lyndon Rash on the slant for the 7-yard touchdown with 23 seconds remaining before halftime as Grambling State took a 10-3 advantage.
Florida A&M tied the game at 10 with 7:04 remaining in the third period as Jeremy Moussa found Jeremiah Pruitte on a 4-yard touchdown pass, completing an 8-play, 68-yard drive.
The Rattlers broke the 10-10 tie right before the end of the quarter as Moussa scored on a 2-yard keeper to give FAMU a 17-10 advantage.
Grambling State’s special teams provided the next score as Donald Johnson III raced down the left sideline 80 yards for the score, but the extra point failed as FAMU held a slim, 17-16, lead.
Courtesy: Grambling State Athletics
