1974 Grambling State Tigers football team

1974 Grambling State Tigers football
Black national champion
SWAC co-champion
ConferenceSouthwestern Athletic Conference
Record11–1 (5–1 SWAC)
Head coach
Home stadiumGrambling Stadium
Seasons
← 1973
1975 →
1974 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 7 Grambling State + 5 1 0 11 1 0
No. 14 Alcorn State +^ 5 1 0 9 2 0
No. 10 Jackson State 4 2 0 7 3 0
No. 12 Southern 3 3 0 8 3 0
Texas Southern 3 3 0 6 4 0
Mississippi Valley State 1 5 0 5 5 0
Prairie View A&M 0 6 0 0 10 0
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from AP small college poll for Grambling State and Alconrn State and NAIA Division I poll for Jackson State and Southern

The 1974 Grambling Tigers football team represented Grambling State University as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) during the 1974 NCAA Division II football season. In its 32nd season under head coach Eddie Robinson, Grambling compiled an 11–1 record (5–1 against conference opponents), tied for the SWAC championship, defeated South Carolina State in the Pelican Bowl, and outscored opponents by a total of 308 to 120. The team was recognized as the 1974 black college football national co-champion and was ranked No. 7 by the Associated Press in the final small college rankings.

Key players included freshman quarterback Doug Williams and split end Dwight Scales, who led the team in scoring with 11 touchdowns. Williams later played nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Scales went on to play eight seasons NFL.

Schedule

[edit]
DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 14vs. Northwestern State*W 14–1330,000[1]
September 21Alcorn StateNo. 5L 14–1917,200–17,859[2][3]
September 28vs. Morgan State*No. 14W 14–032,000[4]
October 5vs. Prairie View A&MNo. 13W 61–046,775[5]
October 12 No. 5 Tennessee State*No. 12
  • Grambling Stadium
  • Grambling, LA
W 21–715,582–16,000[6]
October 19at Mississippi Valley StateNo. 7W 20–146,000[7]
October 26Jackson StateNo. 6
  • Grambling Stadium
  • Grambling, LA
W 26–1316,000–18,727[8][9]
November 2at Texas SouthernNo. 6W 34–2141,867[10]
November 9vs. North Carolina A&T*No. 6W 39–1630,000–31,000[11]
November 16Norfolk Statedagger*No. 6
  • Grambling Stadium
  • Grambling, LA
W 16–107,000[12]
November 23vs. SouthernNo. 7W 21–076,700–76,753[13][14]
December 7vs. South Carolina State*No. 7
W 28–730,120[15]
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[16]

Roster

[edit]
1974 Grambling State Tigers football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
QB 12 Doug Williams Fr
WR 42 Dwight Scales Jr
WR 17 Carlos Pennywell Fr
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
DE   Bob Barber Sr
DT 79 Gary Johnson Sr
DE   Jessie O'Neal Sr
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

Game summaries

[edit]

Jackson State

[edit]
1 234Total
Tigers 0 076 13
• No. 6 Tigers 0 7127 26
   

1975 NFL Draft

[edit]
Player Position Round Pick NFL club
Gary Johnson Defensive tackle 1 8 San Diego Chargers
Bob Barber Defensive end 2 51 Pittsburgh Steelers
Jesse O'Neal Defensive end 6 146 Houston Oilers

[17]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Grambling Blocks NSU FG Try to Win 14-13". Alexandria Daily Town Call. September 15, 1974. p. B1 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Grambling Rallies, But Too Late; Alcorn, 19-14". The Shreveport Times. September 22, 1974. p. 3D – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "College-Division Cumulative Football Statistics Report". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  4. ^ "Comeaux Passes Tigers by Morgan". The Shreveport Times. September 29, 1974. p. 3D – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Tigers Have Picnic On Prairie; Ponies Win". The Shreveport Times. October 6, 1974. p. 4D – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "It's a Steal: Tigers Shock Tennessee State". The Shreveport Times. October 13, 1974. p. 3D – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Rallying Grambling beat scrappy MVSC". Hattiesburg American. October 20, 1974. p. 4C – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Grambling Raps J-State 26-13". The Clarion-Ledger and Jackson Daily News. October 27, 1974. p. D1 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Final 1974 Cumulative Football Statistics Report". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  10. ^ "Grambling wins". The News (Port Arthur, TX). November 3, 1974. p. 2C – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Grambling Roars On". The Atlanta Journal and Constitution. November 10, 1974. p. 4D – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Grambling Rallies to Whip Norfolk State". The Shreveport Times. November 17, 1974. p. 3D – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Grambling Blanks Southern 21-0". Alexandria Daily Town Talk. November 24, 1974 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Final 1974 Cumulative Football Statistics Report". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  15. ^ "Grambling Rambling, 28-7". The Shreveport Times. December 8, 1974. p. 4D – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "Final 1974 Cumulative Football Statistics Report". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  17. ^ "1975 NFL Draft". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on December 21, 2007. Retrieved November 8, 2020.