NEW ORLEANS -- As a quarterback at Grambling State, Doug Williams never lost at the Bayou Classic. As the Grambling coach, Williams can't make that claim.
"I wanted to leave here a winner," Williams said after Grambling lost the silver anniversary game 26-14 to Southern University. "We're not at that point, but once we mature, we'll do it."Williams, the Bayou Classic MVP for three of the four years he played in the game, on Saturday watched the Southern quarterback rally his team for the victory. Sam George threw three touchdown passes in the second half to give Southern its sixth straight title.
It was Williams' first Classic as Grambling coach. Eddie Robinson, who ended his 57-year career as Grambling's only football coach after last year's Classic, watched from one of the luxury suites.
Grambling, which won or shared 17 Southwestern Athletic Conference championships under Robinson, finished 5-6 in its first season under Williams.
"Doug has done a great job, coming into a situation where he didn't know the chemistry of the team and had to get rid of some players," Southern coach Pete Richardson said. "The main thing is, he's turned the corner. He's going to be a good coach."
The victory gave Southern (8-3) the outright Southwestern Athletic Conference championship. It's Southern's third SWAC title in six years and second in a row.
After Southern took a 3-0 lead on Justin Mattingl's 37-yard field goal in the first quarter, Grambling scored two touchdowns in the second period to take a 14-3 halftime lead.