Nov. 28, 2005

Final Stats

Houston-TX -- No. 11 Grambling State (9-1, 8-0 SWAC), led by senior quarterback Bruce Eugene, outscored the Southern Jaguars 50-35, to win the 32nd Annual State Farm Bayou Classic in Houston's Reliant Stadium on Saturday afternoon. This marked the first time the game had been played outside of New Orleans. The Classic had a crowd of 53,214, the second-lowest in history.

Eugene had the numbers, throwing for 418 yards and six touchdowns, while running for 63 yards and another score. Ab Kuuan had a solid 130-yard rushing day, while Clyde Edwards with 161 yards and three TDs on five catches. Henry Tolbert added 102 yards and a touchdown on six catches, and Moses Harris had 82 yards and a TD on four catches.

Grambling rang up the most points on SU since Florida A&M won 50-49 in November 2000

For Southern, sophomore quarterback, JC Lewis threw for 301 yards and two touchdowns and scored two other touchdowns, while James Vernon, the Jaguars' Bayou Classic MVP, had 113 yards and one touchdown on six catches and had an 85-yard punt return for a third-quarter touchdown. And sophomore Gerard Landry, playing with an injured thumb, had career highs of 123 yards and 10 catches.

Despite Southern never leading, there was always an air that this game could easily turn in a heartbeat.

"I thought they were just as tough as nails today," GSU head coach Melvin Spears said of Southern. "They gave their us best effort."

"I'm proud of my football team," Richardson said. "It's been a tough year for them. A lot of them have went through adversity to be in a position to keep playing. (The Bayou Classic) was a matter of pride for us."