G-Men trek to the Garden State

Grambling State is renewing an old rivalry to begin the 2023 season.

After 17 years without a contest against one another, the Tigers will face the University of Hampton — 1,343 miles away in Harrison, New Jersey — on Saturday at 2 p.m. on NFL Network.

Hampton, competing in the Colonial Athletic Conference, is 6-2 all time against GSU, and it will be the first meeting since 2006. The Pirates have won the last five meetings.

Grambling State head coach Hue Jackson expressed excitement to take his team on the east coast and rekindle an old matchup.

“It’s awesome to have that kind of exposure for our first game to be on NFL Network in the Brick City Classic in New Jersey against Hampton, a team that this university has played against a lot,” Jackson said. “ That within itself is special.”

Robert Prunty, entering his fourth year as head coach of Hampton, agreed with Jackson on the importance of scheduling historic rivalries ahead of Satur- day’s game.

“It’s huge, not just for HBCU’s ,but it’s huge for college football, period,” Prunty said. “It’s good for the game to have a game like this.”

The Tigers will look to finish their east coast trip with more than a trip down memory lane. GSU is looking for its first road win since 2019 and what the team hopes is the first of many steps forward after a 3-8 season last fall.

Jackson feels more confident at this time than where he was a year ago, and he believes the Tigers are going to come out a more fast, physical, and big team than the 2022 campaign.

“I know my team better. I know our coaching staff better. I know the environment better and I think we’ve done a really good job of understanding each other. I think that’s what it’s all about,” Jackson said. “They know my vision for our football is and I know what they need in order to have that happen. We’re just trying to push all those buttons to make sure it happens the right way.”

GSU will need to find those buttons and improve off the numbers it put up last season.

The Tigers finished the 2022 season with the No. 6 scoring offense in the SWAC (23 points per game), No. 10 total offense (311 yards per game), and the 11th passing offense ( 143 yards per game). GSU was one of two SWAC schools without a 1,000-yard passer, as thenfreshman Julian Calvez and senior Quaterius Hawkins went back and forth as starter throughout the year.

With Hawkins at Northwestern State, Calvez has battled for the QB1 role with Alabama State transfer Myles Crawley – a battle Jackson declined to put a stamp on in preparation for Saturday.

“Obviously, we’re going to have to make a decision here very soon and we will,” Jackson said Monday. “But we’ll let the data and those things kind of drive it. We know it’s a long season, eventually both of those guys could end up playing. But whoever starts the season for us, we’re looking forward to that guy leading our football team.”

Calvez threw for 767 yards, 5 touchdowns and 7 interceptions, last season, completing only 41.1% of his passes.

Hampton will also have to decide on its starting quarterback before kickoff, with Christopher Zellous, Malcom Mays, and Jared Lewis competing for the job.

Grambling State faces Hampton Saturday at 2 p.m. The game will be broadcast on NFL Network.