GSU defense looks to finish camp with strong performance

By GSU Sports Information

Through the first week of camp at Grambling State University, a consistent performance by the Tiger defense provided hope that GSU is on the right track to improve on last season’s defensive ranking of eighth among Southwestern Athletic Conference teams. Despite a renewed outlook, first-year defensive coordinator Clifford Yoshida says the Tigers still have a lot of work ahead as they look to move back to the top of the SWAC.

Coming out of spring drills, eight starters were expected to return but the unit suffered a blow before the start of camp as sophomore-to-be Jon Nixon transferred after playing extensively as a true freshman in 2006. The Tigers were forced to quickly adjust to the loss on the defensive line and opened camp with a strong performance last week as they had the upper-hand all the way to the team’s first scrimmage last weekend. However, the tide has slowly turned during week two of camp as the offense has begun to find its stride after a strong performance during Monday night’s practice.

“We were doing pretty well but I think we’ve hit the wall the past few days,” said Yoshida. “My job is to motivate the players and get them back where they were at in the beginning.”
With the arrival of Yoshida, a 37-year veteran of the college football ranks, the Tigers underwent a defensive transformation as they switched from the 4-3 scheme to the 4-2-5. Yoshida said the 4-2-5 scheme, which puts an extra defensive back on the field in place of a linebacker, provides the Tigers with flexibility on the field in different situations.

“We’ll play with five defensive backs and it gives us a little more flexibility in what we’re trying to do,” he said. “Before, you had to watch the offensive personnel groupings and you had to make a decision on who to send in and sometimes it was wrong.”

When Yoshida steps on the field in Jack Spinks Stadium against Alcorn State on Sept 1, it’ll mark 14 years since he last roamed the sidelines representing a team in the SWAC. In 1993, Yoshida spent the year at Southern University and helped guide the Jaguars to a SWAC crown and a Heritage Bowl III victory in his only season at the school. Despite helping the Jaguars to a six-win turnaround from the previous season, Yoshida attributed the team’s success to a good group of players he inherited on campus.

“Southern already had some good athletes in the program and we did some things differently to get the most out of them,” he said. “They had five guys go to the NFL off that team so the cupboard wasn’t exactly bare.”

In addition to his arrival at Grambling State, Yoshida also said he’s looking forward to coaching in the SWAC once again.

“The SWAC has really come up,” he said. “I think everyone is capable of beating one another on any given night.”

The Tigers will continue drills throughout the week in addition to taking part in GSU’s annual Fall Sports Fan Appreciation and Media Day on Saturday, Aug. 18 beginning at 11:30 a.m. in the Robinson Stadium Support Complex on the campus of Grambling State.