By Nick Deriso, Monroe NewstarGRAMBLING — For the third time in as many scrimmages, Grambling State's remade offense struggled to find the end zone.
"We can't keep getting the ball down on the 5-yard line and not stick the dern thing in the end zone," first-year GSU coach Rod Broadway said. "We can't keep getting turned back."
Much has changed for a Grambling offense that just a year ago led the Southwestern Athletic Conference in passing and total offense. Record-smashing receiver Henry Tolbert, four-year starting running back Ab Kuuan, stalwart left tackle Andre Bennett, and three other starters have all departed.
Too, credit the improving GSU defense, which has responded well to its own reworked playbook under first-year coordinator Clifford Yoshida.
"The defense is going to be really improved, and we showed that today," said senior defensive back DeMichael Dizer, a Sterlington product. "It's all coming together, with a good scheme."
Yoshida has been installing an inspired new 4-2-5 look that works best — as it did on Saturday — with both active linemen and aggressive defensive backs. The unit still needs to work on creating turnovers, according to several players, but it's jelling around a new set of assignment-oriented directives.
If the camp-closing scrimmage was any indicator, the group already knows how to finish things. The GSU offense got close, but struggled to come away with touchdowns.
"You can make one or two plays and get yourself down there, but you still have to be consistent," Broadway said. "The characteristic of a champion — and I always preach this — is someone who performs well day in and day out."
Photo: Senior WR Clyde Edwards
The offense, to be fair, wasn't at full speed. Senior wide receiver Clyde Edwards, perhaps the team's best player, sat out. He said afterward that the move was meant to give others like juniors Nick Lewis more experience rather than because of injury.
Tight end Zak Latief and quarterback Al Hawkins, both key backups, were also missing from the sidelines.
Still, this low-scoring trend weighs on the mind of offensive coordinator James Spady, who said afterward that he was well aware field goals would not be enough to win games in the deep-throwing SWAC. He said some of the difficulty in finishing drives could relate to conditioning, since the team's previous quick-strike offensive tendencies didn't lead as many long drives.
"I take my hat off to the defense," said junior quarterback Brandon Landers, a Carroll product. "The last four or five days, the offense has been clicking. But they ran around and they gang tackled, and you have to give them credit for stopping us today. We'll be back though. It's all coming together."
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