The Grambling State football team is off to its best start since their 2017 SWAC championship year, winners of three straight heading into this weekend’s State Fair Classic in Dallas against Prairie View.
How are they doing it? Grambling defensive coordinator Jason Rollins shared a few key points during Monday’s SWAC Coaches’ Conference.
“You get what you emphasize. We talk about it, we chart every time the ball is touched, we have drills set up for takeaways,” Rollins said of the Tiger defense, which has 15 takeaways (nine interceptions, six fumble recoveries) in the first four games of 2024. “Coach Lee does a really good job of putting our takeaway circuits together. Coach Joseph has certain segments designed for taking care of the ball and taking the ball away.”
Grambling forced three turnovers against Jackson State in their 41-20 win last Saturday, two going for touchdowns.
Senior defensive back Caleb-Lee Collins returned an interception 22 yards for a touchdown with 47 seconds left in the first half to open up a 21-13 halftime lead. With 42 seconds to go in the third quarter, junior defensive back Patrick Marshall returned a fumble four yards for six to give the Tigers, now 3-1 on the season, some breathing room.
To the crib!
RQQ to the BRUHZ
Caleb Lee-Collins with the pick 6 before halftime! #GramFam | #ThisIsTheG
pic.twitter.com/ZhGWIe1uB4
— Grambling State Football
“We kept it simple and let our guys play fast and play with confidence,” Collins said of Week 4’s strategy. “We didn’t do anything different; we kept the game plan simple so they could line up and play as fast and physical as they could.”
Collins added the GSU defense doesn’t enter a game with any specific goal in mind – just to play to the best of their ability, take advantage of another team’s mistakes and create their own opportunities.
“It’s just muscle memory,” he explained. “If you catch ’em, strip ’em, scoop it up in practice, you’ll do it in a game.”
