Besean McCray rushed for 91 yards including the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter to lead Southern to a 34-17 win over Grambling State in the Bayou Classic on Saturday.
Trailing 17-14 in the final period, the much-maligned sophomore quarterback took a read-option for a 22-yard TD to give the Jaguars a 21-17 lead. McCray, who was named the Bayou Classic MVP, finished the game with 168 total yards of offense on the day.
Southern (7-4) overall, 5-3 SWAC), got defensive scores from defensive back Jordan Carter and later safety Kriston Davis to put the game out of reach.
With the win, Southern clinches the SWAC West division and a spot in the SWAC championship game against Jackson State next Saturday in Jackson, Miss. JSU beat Southern 35-0 when the teams met on Oct. 29.
Southern leads the all-time series 25-24 over Grambling.
For Grambling, freshman quarterback Julian Calvez threw for 152 yards, 1 TD and 1 interception. Floyd Chalk IV rushed for 120 yards and Maurice Washington tallied 8.2 yards per carry on six attempts.
