Grambling coach Rod Broadway has sometimes wondered just what kind of team he has.
Fall practices have seen the offense flourish in midweek drills, only to deflate during Saturday scrimmages. The defense, thought to be rebuilding, has instead dominated.
Whatever becomes of those lingering storylines, one thing is clear, Broadway said in a teleconference for the opening-day MEAC-SWAC Challenge: South Carolina State will be a defining opponent.
Far more so than the subsequent September date against Oklahoma State, an opponent who was ranked in the BCS a season ago.
“I’ve said a thousand times, and this is no knock against anyone, but I’d rather play the South Carolina States, the FAMUs and the Hamptons instead of the Oklahoma States,” Broadway said. “That’s my preference. Unfortunately, I don’t do all the scheduling. We’re looking forward to this. When you play good people, it makes you better.”
Grambling faces South Carolina State in the Citrus Bowl on Sept. 6. The game will be televised live on ESPN2 and ESPN360.com. Kickoff is at 2 p.m.; tickets are still available for $20 through Ticketmaster.
Broadway figures he’ll know a lot more about this squad later that afternoon.
“One minute you look really good and the next minute you’re pulling your hair out,” he said. “That’s why you practice — to get better. We’re starting to get better. We’re showing signs of being a decent football team. We’ll be challenged real early.”
This is the fifth MEAC/SWAC Challenge, and the second to feature Grambling. The Tigers lost in an overtime battle to Hampton in 2006, when the game was still played in Birmingham, Ala., at Legion Field.
In fact, MEAC squads, as league commissioner Dennis Thomas noted, have dominated the series.
“We do have a 3-1 advantage over the SWAC,” Thomas joked. “I won’t make any other comments because (South Carolina State) Coach (Buddy) Pough is going to tell me that I gave them some bulletin board information.”
Duer Sharp, the SWAC’s commissioner, responded: “I think when you’re 1-3, you don’t really need bulletin board material. I think the record speaks for itself.”
Thomas later commending ESPN “for having the vision and courage to televise black college football.”
Grambling and South Carolina State are playing for the first time since 1994.
What can Gsu accomplish by playing Famu,SCSU, and only hbcu's all the time? Broadway cried about playing Northwestern St and other pwc's last year in the newspaper. I am really looking forward to Northwestern St more than SCSU. You dont get better beating up on hbcu's. You get better by beating up on Northwestern St and Mcneese. Its like a 12yr old beating up on 10yr olds. Can you beat up a 12yr old or a team that is just as good or better than you. Not Oklahoma St cause Broadway is right about that. If Gsu receivers catch the ball then Gsu should destroy SCSU but what's going to happen at home against Northwestern St? That's when We are going to see what type of team and what direction the program is going.
Thank goodness for the A.D. (Dawson). Atleast he see the big picture. He dont mind competition. Oklahoma St is a bit munch but Northwestern St is a winnable game.
Coach Broadway! You are better than these same "I rather play hbcu's only" ideas you just wont let go of. You have a very capable team.
I hope Dawson keeps making the schedules. I wouldn't let Coach Broadway near the schedule. I like Coach Broadway as a coach and wish the GMEN much success. If he had control over scheduling we would be playing morehouse and hampton and some other weak hbcu's that fans won't go to the games if they were free. Coach Broadway is a good coach but he should never make the schedule. Not never!
You become Great by playing other Great teams, not by beating up on hbcu teams only.
Nfl scouts will look at 2 GSU games this year the most when evaluating GSU talent. I dont think the Pv game will be one of them. Lol!
Good Luck to Coach Broadway, his staff, and of course the mighty GMEN.
I haven't missed a home game in 13yrs!
I been waiting on GSU FOOTBALL all year.
I gotta agree with Paul to a great extent… I think we need to play (and I would like to see us play) other schools from FCS conferences besides just the HBCU powers in our non-conference schedule. The 9 game mandate limits the number of ooc games that we can play…understanding that, I feel we can make more of an effort to play nearby FCS schools like McNeese, Northwestern, Central Arkansas, SFA from the Southland Conference for a two year home and home while using the other ooc game to play other FCS conference schools such as MEAC, OVC, Southern to give us a diverse and competitive schedule.
While I may understand Paul's remarks, I also understand Coach Broadway's comments. I simply want to say, when you make remarks, be careful of the tone of your remarks. There's nothing wrong in disagreeing–you absolutely have that right. However, as a Gramblinite (you and I) let's have compassion and consideration with our remarks. i.e. "I wouldn't let Coach Broadway anywhere near the schedule." He (and his Gmen) is the schedule; Dawson (no pun intended) is not the coach. And yes, I applaud his (Dawson) work at GSU. Finally, your remark about Coach Broadway is like are you standing in front of him with your right hand extended, telling him he's doing a good job while at the same time, you are rapping him across the head with the "iron pipe" in your left hand. Let's stay Gramblinites – together we stand STRONG; divided, you know the story. Love You!!!!!
Lee, I am just stating my opinion. If my opinion sounds too forceful then I apologize but that's just I way feel. Dawson job is to make schedule not Broadway. Coach Broadway job is to coach the team. I said that I was going to wait to see how long before the two begin to clash on scheduling. Dawson can consider Broadway opinion on opponents but Dawson makes the schedules. Dawson has got a feel of Our fans and what they will pay for and what they wont pay to see. If anything it is Coach who need to be careful in how says things. Just last year he cried that he was misquoted the Shreveport Times article about wanting only to play "black schools". We have outstanding talent so why not test that.
Beating up on hbcu's wont accomplish nothing. Beat up on Northwestern State, Mcneese, Southeastern, and Texas State and so on. Whoopin Valley and Langston in front of 17 fans at home including me aint squat!
Again I say to Coach, You a very good coach and I will be at every HOME GAME no matter what. U better than this
Notice that i didnt say the Oklahoma States of the world. We should try to play schools that we can compete with. I dont mind a few Mid major teams but no usc or oklahomas.
Keep in Mind that SCstate is better then Northwestern.. They took on App. State too the end and should have won..
I keep hearing how Sc State is better than Northwestern. Until We beat Northwestern st and these other local pwc's that means nothing.
We gonna beat Scsu and watch how the very next week we will look like a different team. I hope i am wrong. When we have to really coach and match wits and come up with a real Gameplan we struggle against pwcs.
I Love Grambling to death but I have seen it happen too often. We destroy Hbcu's but against pwc's look like we forget how to tackle, catch, and make in-game adjustments.
We should beat Northwestern St at home. No question about it. It wont be an easy win.
That's why we need to play more pwc's so when we do play them we won't look so shell-shocked from coaches to players when the game starts.
First of all, GSU is not going to beat SCSU. Next Sunday this time GSU will be 0-1 and possibly 0-2 the next week. I had the opportunity to see GSU play 3 times last year and SCSU play 6. It will be a long day for GSU.
SCSU too many weapons and the no huddle offense in the heat will wear down GSU in addition to SCSU's running game.
I hope GSU's offensive line can block!
I think Gsu will beat Scsu. Our defense is better. Last year is last year and Our defense is better. Im concerned about Our young receivers but Dillon is the equalizer to any struggling offense.
Scsu is banged up along the o-line and that's not a good thing when facing Gsu front four.
Here is the sad part, all of you "Gramblinites" talk about all of this stuff but half of you all won't really come out and support the team. Season tickets numbers have decreased, attendance at the games are marginal, and nobody even shows up for the Bayou Classic. Let's stop talking so much and do more working (i.e. show up and support)!!
Yall need to come to the Homegames!
No matter if We play Tugaloo College.
I haven't miss a home game in 13yrs.