Our First Hail Mary Win Of The Year

((HT: Bluedogsu))

And it comes from one of the more prestigious HBCU rivalry games of the year...

Jackson State was trailing Florida A&M 17-16 with time running out when this happened...


So, DeSean McKenzie gets the tip drill down and JSU wins 22-17...

"We worked on that — a matter of fact, all of fall camp," first-year head coach Harold Jackson told the Jackson Clarion-Ledger's Ros Dumlao. "It was something we worked on to the right side, and we threw it to the left side this time. And we never worked on it in the left side. ... But it doesn't matter what side we worked on. Hey, it works as long as we come out with a victory."

And, you did...

Here's QB LaMontiez Ivy and McKenzie after the game...
((HT: Clarion-Ledger))

Speaking Of CWS History: Here's One For Jackson State

((HT: KLFY-TV))

They've lost since, but Jackson State got their first-ever win in College World Series history against 6th-national seed Louisiana-Lafayette in Lafayette, 1-0.

The HQ has covered the rough season the JSU team has had- that all started with their bus burning to the ground on the side of the road with their equipment in it. Other Mississippi schools pitched in and have given them the basics to get through their season. The group have galvanized and have run through everyone since.

Here's their first-round win
KLFY News 10

Good for them, indeed...

Unless, of course, it's a "different color"
JSU Head Coach Omar Jackson was asked about Miss State's donation...
((HT: Sporting News/ESPN))

Jackson State's Bus Catches Fire On The Road

((HT: ABC3340))

The Jackson State University baseball team was travelling to Savannah for a series, but didn't make it because of this:
ABC 33/40 - Birmingham News, Weather, Sports

Thankfully, no one was injured. But, obviously, the team has to get equipment since it was all lost in the fire. The series with Savannah State was cancelled.

Bruce Thomas took some really engrossing pictures that can be also found on the 3340 website...

Jackson State Suing Over Grambling Flap, Probably...

((HT: ESPN/WAPT-TV))

As if Grambling didn't have enough problems this season- most of them seemingly created by their own hand...

But, now, it appears that Jackson State University is suing Grambling over the no-show for their homecoming game...

The JSU family was damaged. Our Homecoming game draws tens of thousands of fans. The university intends to use litigation to be made whole for our direct and indirect financial losses,” Eric Stringfellow, Jackson State's director of university communications, wrote in a message on the JSU website.

“We have a fiduciary responsibility to Mississippi taxpayers and the JSU community to mitigate our ongoing and substantial losses. Jackson State plans to pursue litigation against Grambling State and others.”

Stringfellow also maintained that Grambling told them, as late as Friday afternoon, that they were still coming.

Here's Andrew Kinsey discussing with Toni Collins...


Stringfellow maintains that the financial losses for the university and the city could be in the millions of dollars, but Grambling spokesperson Will Sutton told Ros Dumlao Gannett of the Shreveport Times that he hoped any kind of legal stuff could be avoided:

“It’s one thing to say litigation, it’s another thing to file. So if there is further action, we’ll look for the filing of the suit. And we’ll proceed from there,” Sutton said. “But we certainly meant no harm to our neighbor to the east, and we did everything we could to get everybody there (Jackson) and be an important part of their weekend celebration.”

This will be interesting to see of this makes it to the courts, and if it does, what kind of financial recourse Jackson State (and, maybe, even the city of Jackson) has in this case. It could set up some kind of precedent for bailouts like this in the future. But the Grambling case is so extreme, that it may have to be held on its own pedestal...

Grambling Players Decide to Come Back and Finish Season

((ht: shreveporttimes.com))

So, the protest lasted for a couple of practices and a now forfeited game.

The Tigers of Grambling University decided on Monday that they'd finish their football season. Of course this comes after what we mentioned in the first sentence of our story.

By now, most sports fans have heard the rallying cry. The team basically walked out early last week, complaining about: facilities, conditions, bus rides and their then interim coach (in no particular order). They then decided after not practicing half the week, to not play against Jackson State.

On short notice for Jackson State. On their homecoming.

So...the players decided today (Monday) to return to practice, senior Naquan Smith said in a released statement; "As part of the athletic program at Grambling State University, the football team took a stance on something we thought was right. We did not quit on our university. There are many problems that exist and if no one says anything, nothing will come of our institution. We hope coach Eddie Robinson and his legendary players can appreciate that we stood up for what we believe is right"

More from the Shreveport Times RIGHT HERE

Interesting.

We too admire the players for uniting and standing up for something. But. At what cost? Yes, the Grambling facilities appear to be substandard, particularly if you compare them to the palaces of the SEC or Big 12.

But that should not be a surprise.

We feel for them and for all the schools who don't have the gazillions of dollars that the BCS schools do. But the school also has the obligation to keep the facilities clean. Look at what the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are going through right now with MRSA.

Good luck to the players and we hope that all have learned something from this. Grambling and many of the schools on their level of competition play college football for the love of the game. They don't get the bazillion dollar contracts from ESPN and unfortunately never will. But they, as much as anyone have been a pipeline to NFL teams.

Grambling President Speaks... If You Wanna Call It That...

((HT: ESPN))

Pedro Gomez has been hip-deep in the shenanigans going on at Grambling these days...

The university president has finally given a sit-down and you tell me how this sounds...


Grambling had to forfeit the game with Jackson State when only 22 players showed up on the bus that was heading to play the game Saturday. The school had to pay a $20,000 fine for the "no contest" and practice should be an adventure this week if players want to still sit out.

President Pogue sent a letter of apology to JSU:

“It was with deep regret that I called Dr. Meyers and told her what had happened,” Pogue said. “We have had our financial challenges this year, and unfortunately too many of our players don’t understand the degree of our fiscal challenges. We are sorry.”

“We share many of the frustrations of our players and we continue to work to balance those concerns with the financial restraints that have been placed on our institution by the state. However, though recent events have resulted in an unfortunate homecoming gap in the always exciting JSU homecoming weekend of activities, we ask that JSU alumni and fans respect the right of our football players to freely express their concerns as we do.”

But there aren't a whole lot of people who are talking about it these days in town and those who do aren't giving any names...

Reports: Grambling Football Team Boycotting Saturday Game

((ht: shreveporttimes.com))

It appears the mutiny/boycott by players on the Grambling University Football team isn't over.

Multiple reports say the team has made a decision NOT to travel to their game on Saturday at Jackson State. A 3:30 p.m central time deadline on the team departing Shreveport, Louisiana to travel to Jackson has come and gone and the team is nowhere to be found.

The Shreveport Times reports the buses that were to be used to transport the team to Jackson, Mississippi are sitting empty, in a parking lot at the school, with the school's band standing in wait and practicing while waiting to see if the team arrives.

However, reports from Jackson says Jackson State has not been told the game has been cancelled. The game, which is Jackson State's homecoming, would be a forfeit if Grambling doesn't show and would cost the Tigers a significant amount of money.

More from the Shreveport Times RIGHT HERE

The Jackson Clarion-Ledger chimes in RIGHT HERE

Monroe Times (LA) reporter Sean Isabella took this photo of the bizarre scene:

Five-minute warning. Still no signs of players. Busses are incredibly lonely. pic.twitter.com/52NYCjSDlQ
— Sean Isabella (@ST_IsabellaTNS) October 18, 2013

We won't go too deep on the back story to all of this. The school on Thursday reassigned interim head coach George Ragsdale and promoted Dennis Winston to be the school's 3rd head coach this season.

The players, they still seem to be simmering over accusations the school's administration has withheld meals on road trips, long bus rides and poor conditions in the school's facilities. The protests began in earnest on Tuesday after a players was kicked out of a weight training session after voicing his opinion on how things were going this season.

Here's the reports from Shreveport...
((HT: KSLA-TV))
KSLA News 12 Shreveport, Louisiana News Weather

Jackson State is looking to have the game called a conference win instead of a "no contest..."