By T. Scott Boatright
It’s naturally been a season of firsts for Grambling State University football playing their initial season of the Hue Jackson coaching era.
GSU will be looking for at least another first this weekend as the Tigers, riding a two-game win streak that has made them 3-6 overall and 3-4 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s West Division as they play at Texas Southern in Houston.
Two of Grambling’s wins have come during their last two home games while the Tigers’ third win came in a neutral site win over Northwestern State at Independence Stadium in Shreveport.
Now the Tigers are looking for their first road win of the season as they take on Texas Southern which stands at 4-5 and 3-3 in the SWAC West with a 1-2 home slate.
The last time Grambling State lost at Texas Southern was in 2012 (23-20)
“Hopefully in those early road games we learned what not to do,” Jackson said. “You can’t go turn the ball over, you can’t have assignment errors. You can’t beat yourselves and expect to win.”
One thing Jackson has to be hoping for is a second straight commanding performance from senior running back Maurice Washington, who led the G-Men with 201 yards on only 10 carries, scoring on runs of 75 and 56 yards while breaking away for 23 yards on another run to account for more than half of his total yardage and added a 14-yard reception for good measure in last week’s 36-10 Homecoming win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
While Washington brought the zoom to Grambling’s offensive back, it was true freshman Floyd Chalk adding the boom to GSU’s run game against UAPB, powering his way for 79 yards on 13 carries while Dedric Talbert added 26 yards on six rushers, including a four-yard scoring scamper.
“He’s doing some great things,” Jackson said about Washington. “We’re relying on him more and more, but at the same he’s got to grow and continue to get better as well.
“That’s what you’re seeing from our football team. We’re getting better in a lot of different spots. It’s taken a little longer than all of us would like, but at the same time we’re starting to see what it could be if we keep on working at it, and I think that’s what our players are doing.”
Grambling has been outgained by opponents more than 100 yards per game so far this season, something Jackson has waited patiently (at least outwardly) to see improve.
And that means Jackson will be looking for continued growth from true freshman quarterback Julian Calvez, who has connected on 43-of-112 pass attempts for 448 yards with three touchdowns and four interceptions.
“There’s no question that his best football is ahead of him,” Jackson said of his freshman quarterback. “He’s young, and I really don’t think people understand that when you’re young, it’s a question of can you really handle the pressure of making decisions for 55, 60 to 75 plays per game.
“He’s doing a good job by putting us in position to win games. And that’s his job. And at the end of the day, that’s what he’s doing.”
Texas Southern’s offense is based on a ground attack that has seen TSU rush the ball on 63% of its offensive snaps so far this season..
That will be a challenge for Grambing’s front-line defenders, who have picked up their game in recent weeks. Grambling is giving up an average of 184.6 rushing yards per contest but held UAPB to only 81 yards last weekend.
“I think our front seven have really grown,” Jackson said. “I think early on we saw some things that needed shoring up and I think the players have done a really good job of doing that.
Am I surprised by it? No. But I am excited by it.”
Grambling State leads the all-time series over TSU 47-18-3 and is riding a seven-game winning streak in the series after defeating Texas Southern 34-20 during last year’s Homecoming game.
Today’s game will be streamed live ESPN+ with Butch Alsandor and Jorge Vargas making the call.
Grambling State will broadcast and stream the game on the Grambling State Sports Radio Network. The game can be heard in Ruston and Dubach on the flagship station, The Peach (KPCH-99.3 FM), KNNW 103.1 FM in Columbia and Monroe and KEDG 106.9 FM in Alexandria and Pineville with the Tigers’ broadcast crew of Ossie Clark and Chyelle Flowers calling the action.
