Eddie Robinson Catches Up to Another Legend : Grambling State Coach Ties Bryant With 323 Wins by Beating Oregon State

Forget the first 322 victories, Eddie Robinson felt he didn’t do enough to help his team get this one.

Nevertheless, the Grambling State Tigers rolled over Oregon State, 23-6, Saturday night to give Robinson his 323rd career victory--tying the all-time record of the legendary Paul (Bear) Bryant.

The victory gave Robinson a 323-106-15 record in his 44 years of coaching.

“I just couldn’t get loose to help the quarterback,” Robinson told some 40 reporters who were on hand to record to event for posterity. “I wanted to help so we wouldn’t make any bad calls, but we made some.

“I was dipping into a little of everything, talking with the defensive coaches and should have spent more time with (Terrell) Landry.”

Landry completed only 15 of 37 attempts for 164 yards and threw 4 interceptions.

However, Landry passed for two touchdowns, one a 20-yarder to Wayne Hill, who also scored on a nine-yard run to give the Tigers (3-0) a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.

“I don’t think you can say that I’ve got 323,” Robinson said. “It belongs to all of my coaches and all of the players I’ve had.

“I really didn’t think as much about it this week as I know you all think I did. I spent this last week worrying. I went to bed on Oregon State and I woke up with them.”

More than 200 Grambling players have gone on to the pros over the past four decades since Robinson started coaching.

Robinson will try for the record next week against Prarie View at Dallas.

“We’ll just have to let next week take care of itself,” Robinson said. “I don’t know what to tell you people. I don’t want to let anybody down, but that’s about it.”

Most of the 13,000 fans poured onto the field at Indepedence Stadium as Robinson was carried off on the shoulders of his team.

The game was less than perfect, with both teams amassing a total 21 penalties for 199 yards. Oregon State (2-2) had 145 yards of that total.

Oregon State quarterback Erik Wilhelm was intercepted three times before he was injured in the third quarter and replaced by substitute Rich Gonzales.

With two seconds left in the half, Oregon State’s Jim Nielsen kicked a 53-yard field goal to make it 14-3. Nielsen kicked a 37-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to finish Oregon State’s scoring.

Grambling added a safety when James Harris caught Gonzales in the end zone. Minutes later, Landry threw a three-yard touchdown pass to Sherman Cowley.