By T. Scott Boatright
The Mickey Joseph Era of Grambling State football begins today as the Tigers travel south to take on the University of Louisiana-Lafayette in the Herbert Heymann Classic.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Cajun Field.
It will be the second meeting between the Bayou State programs with Louisiana claiming a 49-17 victory in the 2018 season opener for both teams.
Grambling went 5-6 last season while the Ragin’ Cajuns are coming off a 6-7 campaign.
“We’re excited about this upcoming game against Lafayette,” Joseph said. “We are honored to play a good team that played in the postseason the past two years. (ULL coach) Mike Desormeaux) does a really good job with them and they’re like every other team in Louisiana — they’re full of Louisiana kids and Texas kids. They are a well-coached team and we’re excited for the opportunity.”
Joseph hopes that knowing about many Louisiana players will benefit his game plan.
“I do not think they have any film on us. They are going to have to pick and choose what they study. We understand what they want to do on offense — they are a 12-personnel team that wants to run the ball.
“They are a solid football team all around. Their receiving is really good, but the strength of that team is their offensive line.”
Joseph admits he does not know what to expect defensively from the Cajuns.
“They’ve brought in a new defensive coordinator, and we don’t know what they’re going to do, so we’ve got to be ready for anything,” Joseph said.
The Tigers return veteran quarterback Myles Crawley who was picked as the preseason SWAC Offensive Player of the Year and is on the Walter Payton Award preseason watch list.
Last season the redshirt-senior from Lithonia, Georgia, threw from 2,303 yards and 16 touchdowns while completing 60.1% of his passes (197-of-328).
Crawley was the first Grambling State quarterback to throw for at least 2,000 yards in a season since Devante Kincaid in 2017 and the first GSU QB to throw at least 16 touchdowns since Geremy Hickbottom in 2018.
Grambling has a key addition to its offensive backfield in redshirt senior K’Travion “Bull” Hargrove, a transfer from Memphis via Mississippi State.
Hargrove, who was a prep standout at Ruston High School, appeared in five games over two seasons at Mississippi, but recorded no offensive stats.
Last year at Memphis he totaled 11 carries for 43 yards and one touchdown, with an average of 3.9 yards per carry.
As a high school junior, Hargrove was the workhorse for Ruston. On 205 carries, the 5-11, 185 pounder ran for 1,537 yards and 20 touchdowns.
And with 17 catches out of the backfield, the four-star standout added 460 yards of real estate and reached the end zone six times.
Slowed by injuries as a high school senior, Hargrove still managed to record 97 carries, 793 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns.
Joseph believes the best is still to come for Hargrove.
“I like what Bull can do,” Joseph said. “I know what Bull can do.
“Bull is a kid that is going to run it 20-25 times a game. He is a great kid. He is a great human being and we are glad we’ve got him back home. He is going to be big for us on offense.”
Tony Forest will start at tight end for the G-Men.
The Tiger’s receiving corps will feature a number of fresh faces.
Sophomore Javon Robinson, who hauled in 30 receptions and one touchdown for 368 yards last season, is battling Jacoby Bellazar, a transfer from Mississippi State who had one catch for 11 yards last season, for the wide receiver-F position (the F is moved around the offense from slot receiver, to fullback, to even wide receiver).
Competing for GSU’s wide receiver-X position are redshirt junior Nick Howard and Julien Lewis, a graduate transfer from Louisiana Tech who recorded 20 catches for 230 yards as a Bulldog.
Battling for Grambling’s Z-wide receiver slot are redshirt juniors Jalen Johnson and Nae’Saan Dickerson, who recorded eight receptions for 111 yards for the G-Men last year, a transfer from McNeese State, had 29 catches for 299 yards as a Cowboy.
Defensively, Joseph is looking for a pair of returning linebackers, redshirt junior middle LB Andrew Jones and senior WLB Josh Darling to spearhead that side of the ball.
Darling totaled 30 tackles and an eight-yard sack last season while Johnson chalked up 15 tackles with an interception and a quarterback hurry.
“They’re really good players,” Joseph said about that duo. “They’re downhill players and really physical at the point of attack.”
Joseph said his Tigers will need to focus on all three phases of the game against the Ragin’ Cajuns.
“They’re Lafayette, so you know they’re going to run the ball and try to impose their will on you,” Joseph said. “We must come out and try to compete in all phases of the game. We are going to have to try to play error-free. We cannot have missed assignments because they will make you pay for those, and they will also make you play if you’re not physical.”
Joseph admits there will be a lot of evaluation going on in the season opener. And if he sees missed assignments and lack of physicality, Joseph said he will not hesitate to make changes.
“I’m a guy that puts you on a short leash,” Joseph said. “If you do not get it done, I will get you out of there right away before you hurt us.
“Our kids understand that, so we are looking to play multiple players because we have a lot of new faces in here. We want to see exactly what they can do. You do not know until you put them out there.”
