Pelican Bowl
Encyclopedia
The Pelican Bowl is a defunct NCAA
Division II bowl game
that pitted the conference champions from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
(MEAC) and the Southwestern Athletic Conference
(SWAC) to determine the black
college football
national championship in the United States between 1972–75. The game was won by the SWAC opponent in all three editions of the bowl. Due to low attendance, the game folded following the 1975 contest.
on the campus of Southern University
in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
. However, due to campus unrest in the wake of an on-campus shooting on November 16, 1972, officials from both the SWAC and MEAC decided to move the game to another location. An announcement was officially made to move the game on November 21 to Wallace Wade Stadium
in Durham, North Carolina
. The game marked the first bowl game played in the state of North Carolina since the 1942 Rose Bowl
. In the inaugural contest Grambling College
defeated North Carolina Central
56–6 to capture the 1972 black college football national championship.
The 1973 contest was scheduled to be played at Tulane Stadium
in New Orleans. However, in November 1973 league officials announced the cancellation of the game as a result of both unavailability of the stadium for the contest on December 1, in addition to the NCAA not officially sanctioning the game for play. In fall 1974, league officials announced the game had been officially sanctioned and would be played in New Orleans on December 7. Before 30,120 fans, Grambling captured its second Pelican Bowl championship with its 28–7 victory over South Carolina State
. Although Grambling was selected as the consensus black college football national champion, they were unable to participate in the 1975 Pelican Bowl due to their forfeiting their game against Prairie View A&M
. As such, SWAC athletic director
s voted for Southern University
to play in the contest against South Carolina State. Before a sparse crowd of 6,748 at the Louisiana Superdome
, Southern was victorious 15–12. Due to the low attendance, the Pelican Bowl folded. In 1991, the concept of a postseason bowl game featuring the MEAC and SWAC was revived with the introduction of the Heritage Bowl
.
secured a birth first after defeating North Carolina A&T
9–7 to clinch the MEAC championship on November 18. The following week, the Grambling Tigers
secured their spot in the bowl as SWAC champions with a loss by Alcorn A&M
against Jackson State
with whom they owned the tiebreaker
. In the inaugural contest Grambling routed Central 56–6 in capturing the 1972 black college football national championship.
Grambling running back
Rod Tureaud opened the scoring with touchdown runs of one and 56-yards to give the Tigers a 14–0 lead. Tureaud was injured later in the period, and his replacement Lee Fobbs answered with a 55-yard touchdown run to give Grambling a 21–0 lead at the end of the first quarter. Central opened the second quarter with their only points of the game coming on an eight-yard Garvin Stone touchdown pass to Jeff Inmon to cut the lead to 21–6 only to see Grambling respond with another pair of touchdowns before the half. Matthew Reed
hit Jackie Jefferson for a 14-yard touchdown reception and Steve Dennis
intercepted a Stone pass and returned it 70-yards for a score as time expired to give the Tigers a 35–6 lead at the half. After extending their lead to 42–6 in the third on a five-yard Reed pass to Oliver Alexander, Grambling scored another pair of touchdowns in the fourth. Herman Christophe scored on a 24-yard run and Eartha Reeves scored the game's final points in a one-yard run to make the final score 56–6. For their performances, Reed was selected as the offensive MVP and linebacker
Walt Baisy was selected as the defensive MVP of the game.
entered the game as MEAC champions with an 8–3 record. The Grambling Tigers
entered the game as SWAC champions, on a ten game winning streak, with a 10–1 record. For the second time in as many contests Grambling was victorious, this time by a score of 28–7 in capturing the 1974 black college football national championship.
The game started with Grambling's Kenneth Chandler taking the opening kickoff
61-yards to the Bulldog 17-yard line. Three plays later, Doug Williams hit Dwight Scales
for a 19-yard touchdown reception and a 7–0 lead. State had opportunities to score in the first, only to see Leroy Mason miss field goals of 49 and 48-yards. In the second quarter, the Tigers' defense reached the endzone after defensive tackle Robert Barber recovered a James Robinson fumble
and returned it 34-yards for a 14–0 lead. Williams scored on an eight-yard run late in the second to give Grambling a 21–0 lead at the half
. Early in the third, Williams again connected with Scales for a 26-yard touchdown reception and a 28–0 lead. The Bulldogs' scored their lone points in the fourth when Neeley Dunn scored on a one-yard run to make the finals score 28–7. For their performances, Williams was selected as the offensive MVP and Bulldog defensive tackle Robert Simms was selected as the defensive MVP of the game.
entered the game as MEAC champions for the second year in a row with an 8–1–1 record. The Southern Jaguars
entered the game as SWAC champions with a 9–3 record. For the third time in as many contests the SWAC champion was victorious, this time it was Southern by a score of 15–12.
In a game dominated by both defenses, the Bulldogs scored a pair of second quarter touchdowns following Jaguar fumble
s on consecutive possessions. The first came on an eleven-yard Jessie Prather pass to Mickey Pringle, and the second came on a one-yard Jackie Reed run to take a 12–0 lead. State retained the lead through the fourth quarter when Southern scored a pair of touchdowns the lead late. Michael Bryant scored first on a ten-yard run and James Johnson hit Ronald Steele for a 29-yard touchdown reception with Bryant converting the two-point conversion
to give the Jaguars the 15–12 victory.
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division II bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
that pitted the conference champions from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference is a collegiate athletic conference of historically black colleges and universities in the Southeastern United States...
(MEAC) and the Southwestern Athletic Conference
Southwestern Athletic Conference
The Southwestern Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, which is made up of historically black universities in the Southern United States...
(SWAC) to determine the black
Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Historically black colleges and universities are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before 1964 with the intention of serving the black community....
college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
national championship in the United States between 1972–75. The game was won by the SWAC opponent in all three editions of the bowl. Due to low attendance, the game folded following the 1975 contest.
History
The inaugural Pelican Bowl was originally scheduled to be played in Ace W. Mumford StadiumAce W. Mumford Stadium
Ace W. Mumford Stadium is a 29,000-seat multi-purpose stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It opened in 1928 and is home to the Southern University Jaguars and Southern Laboratory High School Kittens football teams, as well as the Southern University women's soccer team. It is named after coach A.W....
on the campus of Southern University
Southern University
Southern University and A&M College is a historically black college located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Baton Rouge campus is located on Scott’s Bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in the northern section...
in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
. However, due to campus unrest in the wake of an on-campus shooting on November 16, 1972, officials from both the SWAC and MEAC decided to move the game to another location. An announcement was officially made to move the game on November 21 to Wallace Wade Stadium
Wallace Wade Stadium
Wallace Wade Stadium is a stadium on the campus of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Primarily used for American football, it is the home field of the Duke Blue Devils. It opened in 1929 with a game against Pitt, as the first facility in Duke's new west campus. The...
in Durham, North Carolina
Durham, North Carolina
Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census...
. The game marked the first bowl game played in the state of North Carolina since the 1942 Rose Bowl
1942 Rose Bowl
The 1942 Rose Bowl was the 28th Rose Bowl game. Originally scheduled to be played in the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California, it was moved to Durham, North Carolina, due to fears about an attack by the Japanese on the West Coast of the United States following the attack on Pearl Harbor...
. In the inaugural contest Grambling College
Grambling State University
Grambling State University is a historically black , public, coeducational university, located in Grambling, Louisiana. The university is the home of legendary football coach Eddie Robinson and is on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail.-Academics:Grambling State University provides over...
defeated North Carolina Central
North Carolina Central University
North Carolina Central University is a public historically black university in the University of North Carolina system, located in Durham, North Carolina, offering programs at the baccalaureate, master’s, professional and doctoral levels....
56–6 to capture the 1972 black college football national championship.
The 1973 contest was scheduled to be played at Tulane Stadium
Tulane Stadium
Tulane Stadium was an outdoor football stadium located in New Orleans, Louisiana from 1926 to 1980. Officially known as the Third Tulane Stadium, it replaced the "Second Tulane Stadium" where the Telephone Exchange Building is now located...
in New Orleans. However, in November 1973 league officials announced the cancellation of the game as a result of both unavailability of the stadium for the contest on December 1, in addition to the NCAA not officially sanctioning the game for play. In fall 1974, league officials announced the game had been officially sanctioned and would be played in New Orleans on December 7. Before 30,120 fans, Grambling captured its second Pelican Bowl championship with its 28–7 victory over South Carolina State
South Carolina State University
South Carolina State University is a historically black university located in Orangeburg, South Carolina, United States. It is the only state funded, historically black land-grant institution in South Carolina and is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund.- Colleges, departments,...
. Although Grambling was selected as the consensus black college football national champion, they were unable to participate in the 1975 Pelican Bowl due to their forfeiting their game against Prairie View A&M
Prairie View A&M University
Prairie View A&M University is a historically black university located in Prairie View, Texas and is a member of the Texas A&M University System. PVAMU offers baccalaureate degrees in 50 academic majors, 37 master’s degrees and four doctoral degree programs through nine colleges and schools...
. As such, SWAC athletic director
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
s voted for Southern University
Southern University
Southern University and A&M College is a historically black college located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Baton Rouge campus is located on Scott’s Bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in the northern section...
to play in the contest against South Carolina State. Before a sparse crowd of 6,748 at the Louisiana Superdome
Louisiana Superdome
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA...
, Southern was victorious 15–12. Due to the low attendance, the Pelican Bowl folded. In 1991, the concept of a postseason bowl game featuring the MEAC and SWAC was revived with the introduction of the Heritage Bowl
Heritage Bowl
The Heritage Bowl is a defunct NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision bowl game pitting a team from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference against a team from the Southwestern Athletic Conference...
.
1972
For the 1972 contest, the North Carolina Central EaglesNorth Carolina Central University
North Carolina Central University is a public historically black university in the University of North Carolina system, located in Durham, North Carolina, offering programs at the baccalaureate, master’s, professional and doctoral levels....
secured a birth first after defeating North Carolina A&T
North Carolina A&T Aggies
The North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University Aggies are the athletic teams that represent North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University in Greensboro, North Carolina, United States. The Aggies compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and have...
9–7 to clinch the MEAC championship on November 18. The following week, the Grambling Tigers
Grambling State University
Grambling State University is a historically black , public, coeducational university, located in Grambling, Louisiana. The university is the home of legendary football coach Eddie Robinson and is on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail.-Academics:Grambling State University provides over...
secured their spot in the bowl as SWAC champions with a loss by Alcorn A&M
Alcorn State University
Alcorn State University is an historically black university comprehensive land-grant institution in Lorman, Mississippi. It was founded in 1871-History:...
against Jackson State
Jackson State Tigers
The Jackson State Tigers represent Jackson State University in NCAA intercollegiate athletics.-Conference affiliation:Jackson State University's athletic teams participate in the Southwestern Athletic Conference which is a part of the NCAA Division I. Football participates in the Football...
with whom they owned the tiebreaker
Tiebreaker
In games and sports, a tiebreaker or tiebreak is used to determine a winner from among players or teams that are tied at the end of a contest, or a set of contests.-In matches:In some situations, the tiebreaker may consist of another round of play...
. In the inaugural contest Grambling routed Central 56–6 in capturing the 1972 black college football national championship.
Grambling running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Rod Tureaud opened the scoring with touchdown runs of one and 56-yards to give the Tigers a 14–0 lead. Tureaud was injured later in the period, and his replacement Lee Fobbs answered with a 55-yard touchdown run to give Grambling a 21–0 lead at the end of the first quarter. Central opened the second quarter with their only points of the game coming on an eight-yard Garvin Stone touchdown pass to Jeff Inmon to cut the lead to 21–6 only to see Grambling respond with another pair of touchdowns before the half. Matthew Reed
Matthew Reed
Matthew Reed is a former professional gridiron football player, starring at quarterback in the World Football League and the Canadian Football League ....
hit Jackie Jefferson for a 14-yard touchdown reception and Steve Dennis
Steve Dennis
Steve Dennis was a football player in the CFL for ten years. Dennis played defensive back for the Toronto Argonauts and Saskatchewan Roughriders from 1975–1984. He played college football at Grambling State University.-References:...
intercepted a Stone pass and returned it 70-yards for a score as time expired to give the Tigers a 35–6 lead at the half. After extending their lead to 42–6 in the third on a five-yard Reed pass to Oliver Alexander, Grambling scored another pair of touchdowns in the fourth. Herman Christophe scored on a 24-yard run and Eartha Reeves scored the game's final points in a one-yard run to make the final score 56–6. For their performances, Reed was selected as the offensive MVP and linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
Walt Baisy was selected as the defensive MVP of the game.
1974
For the 1974 contest, the South Carolina State BulldogsSouth Carolina State University
South Carolina State University is a historically black university located in Orangeburg, South Carolina, United States. It is the only state funded, historically black land-grant institution in South Carolina and is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund.- Colleges, departments,...
entered the game as MEAC champions with an 8–3 record. The Grambling Tigers
Grambling State University
Grambling State University is a historically black , public, coeducational university, located in Grambling, Louisiana. The university is the home of legendary football coach Eddie Robinson and is on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail.-Academics:Grambling State University provides over...
entered the game as SWAC champions, on a ten game winning streak, with a 10–1 record. For the second time in as many contests Grambling was victorious, this time by a score of 28–7 in capturing the 1974 black college football national championship.
The game started with Grambling's Kenneth Chandler taking the opening kickoff
Kickoff (American football)
A kickoff is a method of starting a drive in American football and Canadian football. Typically, a kickoff consists of one team – the "kicking team" – kicking the ball to the opposing team – the "receiving team"...
61-yards to the Bulldog 17-yard line. Three plays later, Doug Williams hit Dwight Scales
Dwight Scales
Dwight Scales is a former American football wide receiver who played 8 seasons in the NFL. He played college football at Grambling State University. He was the offensive coordinator at Saint Michaels Academy, a private catholic high school in Austin, TX, from 1997-1999....
for a 19-yard touchdown reception and a 7–0 lead. State had opportunities to score in the first, only to see Leroy Mason miss field goals of 49 and 48-yards. In the second quarter, the Tigers' defense reached the endzone after defensive tackle Robert Barber recovered a James Robinson fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
and returned it 34-yards for a 14–0 lead. Williams scored on an eight-yard run late in the second to give Grambling a 21–0 lead at the half
Half-time
In some team sports such as association football and rugby, matches are played in two halves. Half-time is the name given to the interval between the two halves of the match...
. Early in the third, Williams again connected with Scales for a 26-yard touchdown reception and a 28–0 lead. The Bulldogs' scored their lone points in the fourth when Neeley Dunn scored on a one-yard run to make the finals score 28–7. For their performances, Williams was selected as the offensive MVP and Bulldog defensive tackle Robert Simms was selected as the defensive MVP of the game.
1975
For the 1975 contest, the South Carolina State BulldogsSouth Carolina State University
South Carolina State University is a historically black university located in Orangeburg, South Carolina, United States. It is the only state funded, historically black land-grant institution in South Carolina and is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund.- Colleges, departments,...
entered the game as MEAC champions for the second year in a row with an 8–1–1 record. The Southern Jaguars
Southern University
Southern University and A&M College is a historically black college located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Baton Rouge campus is located on Scott’s Bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in the northern section...
entered the game as SWAC champions with a 9–3 record. For the third time in as many contests the SWAC champion was victorious, this time it was Southern by a score of 15–12.
In a game dominated by both defenses, the Bulldogs scored a pair of second quarter touchdowns following Jaguar fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
s on consecutive possessions. The first came on an eleven-yard Jessie Prather pass to Mickey Pringle, and the second came on a one-yard Jackie Reed run to take a 12–0 lead. State retained the lead through the fourth quarter when Southern scored a pair of touchdowns the lead late. Michael Bryant scored first on a ten-yard run and James Johnson hit Ronald Steele for a 29-yard touchdown reception with Bryant converting the two-point conversion
Two-point conversion
In American and Canadian football, a two-point conversion is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point convert immediately after it scores a touchdown...
to give the Jaguars the 15–12 victory.
Overall results
| Year | SWAC Champion | Score | MEAC Champion | Venue | Attendance | Offensive MVP | Defensive MVP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 1972 college football season The 1972 college football season saw the USC Trojans, coached by John McKay, go undefeated and win the national championship as the unanimous choice of the fifty AP panelists... |
Grambling Grambling State Tigers The Grambling Tigers represent Grambling State University in NCAA intercollegiate athletics. Grambling's sports teams participate in Division I as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference... |
56–6 | North Carolina Central North Carolina Central University North Carolina Central University is a public historically black university in the University of North Carolina system, located in Durham, North Carolina, offering programs at the baccalaureate, master’s, professional and doctoral levels.... |
Wallace Wade Stadium Wallace Wade Stadium Wallace Wade Stadium is a stadium on the campus of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Primarily used for American football, it is the home field of the Duke Blue Devils. It opened in 1929 with a game against Pitt, as the first facility in Duke's new west campus. The... (Durham, NC Durham, North Carolina Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census... ) |
22,500 | Matthew Reed Matthew Reed Matthew Reed is a former professional gridiron football player, starring at quarterback in the World Football League and the Canadian Football League .... (Grambling QB) |
Walt Baisy (Grambling LB) |
| 1974 1974 college football season The 1974 college football season finished with two national champions. The Associated Press writers' poll ranked the University of Oklahoma, which was on probation and barred by the NCAA from postseason play, #1 at season's end... |
Grambling Grambling State Tigers The Grambling Tigers represent Grambling State University in NCAA intercollegiate athletics. Grambling's sports teams participate in Division I as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference... |
28–7 | South Carolina State South Carolina State University South Carolina State University is a historically black university located in Orangeburg, South Carolina, United States. It is the only state funded, historically black land-grant institution in South Carolina and is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund.- Colleges, departments,... |
Tulane Stadium Tulane Stadium Tulane Stadium was an outdoor football stadium located in New Orleans, Louisiana from 1926 to 1980. Officially known as the Third Tulane Stadium, it replaced the "Second Tulane Stadium" where the Telephone Exchange Building is now located... (New Orleans, LA) |
30,120 | Doug Williams (Grambling QB) | Robert Simms (SC State DT) |
| 1975 1975 college football season The 1975 college football season saw University of Oklahoma repeat as national champion in the Associated Press writers' poll. With the Sooners having completed two seasons of NCAA probation, they were ranked #1 in the United Press International coaches' poll as well... |
Southern | 15–12 | South Carolina State South Carolina State University South Carolina State University is a historically black university located in Orangeburg, South Carolina, United States. It is the only state funded, historically black land-grant institution in South Carolina and is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund.- Colleges, departments,... |
Louisiana Superdome Louisiana Superdome The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA... (New Orleans, LA) |
6,748 |
See also
- Black college football national championshipBlack college football national championshipThe black college football national championship is a mythical national championship won by the best black college football team in the United States of America. There has been some criticism of this title on the grounds that the schools in the various polls compete in different levels of...
, a mythical national championshipMythical National ChampionshipA mythical national championship is a colloquial term used to question the validity of national championship recognition that is not explicitly competitive...
determined by polls