Grambling beats Central State 48-26

Team pages: Central State · Grambling

Central State0-226
Grambling2-048Final
Sat, Sep 5 · Eddie Robinson Stadium, Grambling, La.

Grambling beat Central State 48-26.

We had Grambling favored. It won.

Next: Central State beat Morehouse 49-21, Sat Sep 12

Next: Grambling lost to TCU 63-7, Sat Sep 12

How it swung

Before kickoff, our ratings gave Grambling a 98% chance.

Favored the whole way: Grambling never fell below 55%.

Central State never had better than a 44% chance.

FinalGrambling 48-26 Central StateGrambling wonMove across the chart, or tap a numbered swing, to see any play.
50%75%90%Q1Q2Q3Q4GramblingWon48-261+14Scores
50%75%90%Q1Q2Q3Q4GramblingWon48-261Scores
50%10%25%Q1Q2Q3Q4GramblingLowest 0%Lost26-481−14Scores
50%10%25%Q1Q2Q3Q4GramblingLowest 0%Lost26-481Scores

The play that swung it

  1. 1Q1 12:46Parker 40-yd TD run, Grambling goes ahead 7-0Grambling 63% → 77% (+14)

The play that swung it

  1. 1Q1 12:46Parker 40-yd TD run, Grambling goes ahead 7-0Central State 37% → 23% (−14)
Grambling’s chance to win after every play.
How to read this chartNot adjusted for the pregame line. Dots are the biggest swings; ticks under the chart are scores.

Every drive

Grambling scored on 8 of its 11 drives; Central State on 4 of its 12.

Grambling’s drives are teal, Central State’s amber. A line runs from where a drive started to where it ended; a filled dot means it scored.

own goalgoal lineQ1Grambling: Touchdown, from 75 yards out to 0TouchdownCentral State: Punt, from 75 yards out to 79PuntGrambling: Field goal, from 54 yards out to 2Field goalCentral State: Punt, from 79 yards out to 73PuntGrambling: Field goal, from 64 yards out to 7Field goalCentral State: Missed field goal, from 75 yards out to 24Missed FGQ2Grambling: Touchdown, from 76 yards out to 0TouchdownCentral State: Field goal, from 58 yards out to 14Field goalGrambling: Touchdown, from 75 yards out to 0TouchdownCentral State: Touchdown, from 75 yards out to 0TouchdownGrambling: Interception, from 75 yards out to 10InterceptionCentral State: End of half, from 80 yards out to 71End of halfQ3Central State: Punt, from 84 yards out to 91PuntGrambling: Touchdown, from 45 yards out to 0TouchdownCentral State: Turned over on downs, from 70 yards out to 62DownsGrambling: Interception, from 38 yards out to 47InterceptionCentral State: Fumble, from 75 yards out to 27FumbleGrambling: Fumble, from 73 yards out to 13FumbleQ4Central State: Touchdown, from 87 yards out to 0TouchdownGrambling: Touchdown, from 65 yards out to 0TouchdownCentral State: Touchdown, from 72 yards out to 0TouchdownGrambling: Touchdown, from 75 yards out to 0TouchdownCentral State: End of game, from 78 yards out to 73End of game

Box score

Grambling 48, Central State 26

Central State leaders

  • Passing Jackson Wasik 15 of 28, 248 yds, 2 TD
  • Rushing Isaiah Thompson 15 for 106 yds; Kaleb Jenkins 9 for 16 yds
  • Receiving Damon Griffin II 4 for 88 yds, 1 TD; Nicholas Smith 4 for 57 yds

Grambling leaders

  • Passing RJ Johnson III 18 of 23, 258 yds, 1 INT
  • Rushing Tony Phillips 2 for 73 yds, 1 TD; Jamarion Parker 5 for 68 yds, 1 TD
  • Receiving Tyson George 5 for 93 yds; Jordan Bride 3 for 70 yds

Before kickoff

Recent games, the series and the betting line below are as they stood going in; the season profile is the season so far.

Recent games

Last three games · 2025 season

Central State · 3-7

Rated 389th in our preseason ratings, 389th now.

1-2 in its last three — but nothing on this résumé beats a top-40 team yet.

W 21-17 @ Edward Waters #345 of 667

L 24-28 vs Miles #385 of 667

L 27-35 vs Kentucky Christian

L 26-31 vs Morehouse #395 of 667

W 18-14 @ Fort Valley State #342 of 667

W 42-13 vs Lane College #398 of 667

L 0-27 @ Morgan State #222 of 667

L 0-10 vs Benedict #294 of 667

L 0-33 @ Tuskegee #329 of 667

L 24-34 vs Kentucky State #378 of 667

Last three games · 2025 season

Grambling · 7-5

Rated 172nd in our preseason ratings, 172nd now.

1-2 in its last three — but nothing on this résumé beats a top-40 team yet.

L 27-28 @ Southern #249 of 667

lost by 1 as a 13.5-point underdog

L 16-27 @ Alcorn State #177 of 667

lost by 11 as a 1.5-point favorite

W 31-23 vs Bethune-Cookman #198 of 667

won by 8 as a 1.5-point favorite

W 13-10 vs Alabama A&M #218 of 667

won by 3 as a 3.5-point favorite

W 26-24 vs Jackson State #101 of 667

won by 2 as a 21-point underdog

W 20-16 @ Arkansas-Pine Bluff #254 of 667

won by 4 as an 8-point favorite

L 20-21 vs Texas Southern #209 of 667

lost by 1 as a 3.5-point favorite

L 13-28 @ Prairie View A&M #180 of 667

lost by 15 as a 3-point favorite

W 31-28 vs East Texas A&M #216 of 667

won by 3 as a 3.5-point underdog

W 37-31 vs Kentucky State #357 of 667

L 0-70 @ Ohio StateTop 25 #1 of 667

lost by 70 as a 51.5-point underdog

Grambling lost 0-70 at Ohio State. Never had a real chance.

W 55-7 vs Langston

Week by week

Grambling

  • Wk 1Wvs Clark Atlanta49-7

Central State

  • Wk 1Lvs Kentucky State14-41

Line, fans and home field

Home field

Home-field advantage: Bottom third of FBS.

0% at home, 0% on the road against FBS opponents (0-0 home, 0-10 away).

Our model gives every stadium the same flat 2.3-point home edge (why); the books use about 3. Against the closing line this stadium reads +11.8 at home vs. away over 37 games — outside the ±8.7 noise, one of the few buildings where results say more.

Night kickoff — historically worth about half a point more to the home side against the number, and not much more than that. The visitors travel about 696 miles to get here.

Where next