Southern has a chance to finish one of its worst seasons on a high note with a win over rival Grambling in the 52nd annual Bayou Classic on Saturday at 1 p.m. in the Caesars Superdome.
While Grambling coach Mickey Joseph said the Tigers (7-4, 4-3 SWAC) won’t overlook Southern (1-10, 0-7), the team that has won this matchup traditionally has had the better record entering the game.
The last time the team with a worse overall record came out victorious in the Bayou Classic was in 2004 when Grambling won. The last time Southern pulled off an upset was in 2002 when it won 48-24 under coach Pete Richardson. With the win, it finished 6-6 while Grambling won the SWAC championship and ended the season 11-2.
Southern wide receiver Cameron Jefferson (17) celebrates scoring a touchdown with Southern wide receiver Malachi Jackson (18) during the Southern University vs. Texas Southern University football game at A.W. Mumford Stadium on Saturday, November 15, 2025.
For the Jaguars to pull another surprise Saturday, they will have to play their best game of the season. Here are three keys to determining the outcome.
Win line of scrimmage
Grambling has been among the best defenses in the Southwestern Athletic Conference at applying pressure in the backfield. It leads the league in sacks with 31, which is seven more than the next-best team SWAC team despite playing one less game.
Redshirt senior edge rusher Warren Robinson, who is 6-foot-4, 250 pounds, leads the team with 8.5 sacks, which is second in the SWAC. Redshirt senior defensive lineman Bryce Cage, a Baton Rouge native, has five sacks and a team-high 11.5 tackles for loss.
The Southern offensive line will need to keep starting quarterback Ashton Strother upright, as he is not a natural dual-threat quarterback. The junior has 48 rushes for 100 yards on the season.
The Jaguars also will be able to attack Grambling’s backfield as they have senior Ckelby Givens, the best pass rusher in the SWAC. Givens leads the conference in tackles for loss (17) and sacks (nine). He also has two forced fumbles, which is tied for fifth in the conference.
Establish running game
The best part of the Southern offense this year has been redshirt sophomore running back Trey Holly. The LSU transfer didn’t play in the team’s most recent 35-30 loss to Texas Southern at home on Nov. 15 because he was “banged up,” interim coach Fred McNair said.
“He’s been practicing a bit last week,” McNair said at the Bayou Classic news conference Monday. “We kind of had a little easy practice last week, didn’t do too much, and kind of getting the guys familiar with Grambling last week. So this week he’ll come out and practice hard.”
Having the SWAC’s sixth-leading rusher (808 yards) will elevate the Jaguars’ chances of winning. If Holly doesn’t play or is not able to be fully effective, they can turn to Barry Remo. The sophomore had 24 carries for 120 yards in his first collegiate start against Texas Southern on Nov. 15.
Grambling is third in the SWAC in rushing defense, allowing 135.9 yards per game.
Quarterback play
Grambling and Southern are both likely to rely on quarterbacks who didn’t start the season opener.
The Tigers have been missing one of their star players in redshirt sophomore quarterback C’zavian Teasett, a transfer from Southern. He hasn’t played since their 26-24 win over Jackson State on Oct. 25. He took a hard hit with two minutes left in the game and was taken to the hospital via an ambulance.
When Joseph was asked for an update on Teasett on Monday, a Grambling spokesperson said, “Next question.”
In the last two games, Grambling has started freshman quarterback Hayden Benoit from Loreauville. Joseph said the freshman joined the team “a week before school started,” which is similar to Strother joining Southern eight days before the season opener on Aug. 23.
Benoit completed 16 of 33 passes for 142 yards in a 27-16 loss to Alcorn State in the Tigers’ last game.
Strother most recently completed 11 of 21 passes for a season-high 191 yards, two touchdowns, an interception and one rushing touchdown. Cam’Ron McCoy replaced him with 10:28 left in the game. McNair said that Strother was “beat up” and was dealing with a hip pointer. McCoy, a Jackson State transfer, had 22 yards passing, 53 yards rushing, a rushing touchdown and a lost fumble after entering the game.
Whether one or both quarterbacks play, Southern needs its signal-callers to manage the game and limit turnovers against Grambling.
