By: Grambling State Athletics
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Date | Saturday, September 5th
Time | 6:00 p.m. CT
Location | Grambling, LA (Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium)
TV | SWACTV
Stats | https://gsutigers.com/sidearmstats/football/summary
Radio | GSU's official radio station, KGRM 91.5 FM | Simulcast on KPCH 99.3 The Peach
Game Day Color | RED
GRAMBLING, La. | Grambling State returns to Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 5, welcoming Central State University for a 6 p.m. kickoff during Family Weekend. The Tigers will host a Red Out, with fans encouraged to wear red.
This will be the seventh meeting between Grambling State and Central State. GSU trails the all-time series 0-6.
The two programs first met in 1947. Grambling State and Central State last faced each other in 1996, when the Marauders earned a 20-7 victory.
Grambling State enters the contest 1-0 following a dominant 49-7 victory over Clark Atlanta in the season opener.
GSU finished with 487 yards of total offense, including 223 rushing yards and 264 passing yards. The Tigers recorded 28 first downs and averaged 6.6 yards per play.
Grambling State's defense limited Clark Atlanta to 224 total yards and just 94 rushing yards. The Panthers converted only 1-of-13 third-down opportunities.
Central State enters Saturday's contest 0-1 after falling to Kentucky State, 41-14, in the season opener. Despite the loss, the Marauders produced 389 yards of total offense, including 288 passing yards.
Quarterback Jackson Wasik completed 13-of-25 passes for 273 yards and one touchdown. He also led Central State in rushing with 53 yards on seven carries.
Jae-Lijah Cochran was Central State's leading receiver, recording four catches for 125 yards and a touchdown. His 53-yard reception from Wasik produced the Marauders' second touchdown of the game.
Avantae Burt added six receptions for 118 yards.
Isaiah Thompson led Central State's rushing attack with 32 yards on 12 carries and scored the Marauders' first touchdown of the season.
Central State's defense allowed Kentucky State to produce 472 total yards, including 190 rushing yards.
OFFENSIVE FIREPOWER
- Grambling State displayed a balanced offensive attack in its season opener.
- Quarterback R.J. Johnson made his GSU debut by completing 15 of 17 passes for 133 yards and one touchdown. The Tigers finished the game with 264 passing yards and two touchdown passes.
- Jordan Bride led the receiving corps with seven receptions for 72 yards, while Tyson George also recorded seven catches for 45 yards and a touchdown.
- Kingston Jones added a 38-yard reception.
- On the ground, Andre Crews led the Tigers with 50 yards on six carries, including a 37-yard run. D'Shaun Ford added 41 rushing yards and a touchdown on six attempts, while Clyde McClendon Jr. rushed for 24 yards and a score.
- Tony Phillips Jr. contributed 21 rushing yards and a touchdown while also providing the game's opening score with an 89-yard kickoff return. Zerrick Jones added a rushing touchdown, his .
SPECIAL TEAMS IMPACT
- Grambling State's special teams provided an immediate spark against Clark Atlanta.
- Tony Phillips Jr. opened the scoring with an 89-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
- Punter Alexander Davis also provided a strong performance, averaging 44.8 yards on five punts with a long of 54 yards.
DEFENSE SETS THE TONE
- The Grambling State defense turned in a strong performance in the season opener, holding Clark Atlanta to 224 yards of total offense.
- The Panthers managed just 94 rushing yards and 130 passing yards while converting only 1 of 13 third-down attempts.
- Jalen Guillard led the Tigers with five tackles and forced a fumble. Markeis Sykes recorded a sack, while Grambling State finished with four tackles for loss.
QB COMPETITION CONTINUES
- Grambling State enters the season with five quarterbacks on the roster. Four of whom saw action in GSU's season opener. Jacobe Robinson and R.J. Johnson took the bulk of the snaps on Saturday night, with Robinson getting the start.
- R.J. Johnson — 15-of-17, 133 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
- Jacobe Robinson — 7-of-11, 71 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
- Hayden Benoit — 2-of-2, 34 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT
- Ashton Frye — 2-of-5, 26 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT
JOSEPH ENTERS THIRD SEASON AT THE HELM
- Mickey Joseph enters his third season as the head coach of Grambling State football.
- Joseph guided the Tigers to a 7-5 record in 2025, improving from the program's 5-7 mark in his first season. The 2025 campaign represented GSU's first winning season since 2019 and the program's most victories in a season since 2017.
BUILDING ON A WINNING 2025
- Grambling State finished 7-5 overall and 4-4 in SWAC play last season.
- The Tigers finished the 2025 regular season with victories in five of their final seven games, including wins over Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Jackson State, Alabama A&M and Bethune-Cookman.
- GSU also defeated Jackson State, 26-24, in the inaugural Las Vegas HBCU Classic at Allegiant Stadium.
OFFENSE LOOKS TO TAKE NEXT STEP
- Grambling State produced 3,809 yards of total offense in 2025, averaging 317.4 yards per game.
- The Tigers rushed for 1,712 yards and averaged 142.7 yards per game on the ground. Through the air, Grambling State totaled 2,097 passing yards and averaged 174.8 passing yards per contest.
- GSU scored 36 offensive touchdowns during the 2025 season, including 17 through the air and 15 on the ground.
- The Tigers return several players who contributed to last year's offense, including wide receiver Tyson George, who recorded 30 receptions for 407 yards and a touchdown in 2025.
- Jordan Bride also returns after catching 19 passes for 186 yards and one touchdown last season.
VETERAN LINEBACKERS
- GSU boasts one of the most expereinced linebacker duos in the SWAC with Marcellius Johnson and Jamal Jordanleading the charge.
- Johnson enters his fourth season with GSU. Last year, he established himself as one of the leaders of the GSU defensive unit. He was second on the team in total tackles with 51.0 tackles (21 solo). He also had 4.5 tackles for loss with 2.0 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
- Jordan, who enters his third season at GSU, was third in total tackles with 47.0 (21 solo) with one sack and one fumble recovery.
GRAMBLING STATE LEGEND RETURNS
- Grambling State welcomes Bruce Eugene back to campus as he joins the coaching staff as quarterbacks coach.
- Eugene is cherished as one of the greatest all-time quarterbacks in not just Grambling State history, but in FCS history. While at GSU he threw 13,513 yards and 140 TDs.
- He was a two-time SWAC Offensive Player of the Year winner and three-time Walter Payton Award finalist.
- He also led GSU to three HBCU Football National Titles.
MORE G-MEN ON STAFF
- Joseph added two more championship winning coaches to his staff. Jimmy Zachery Jr. and Brandon Varner join the staff
- Zachery, a 2003 graduate of GSU, is coaching the defensive line this season. As a player, he won two SWAC championships and one HBCU National Title. As head of of Opelousas High, he led that program to its first ever LHSAA State Title.
- Varner, a 2017 graduate, also won two SWAC titles and HBCU national championship as a player. He is coaching the defensive ends. He was also and All-SWAC performer.
PRESEASON RECOGNITION
- Grambling State quarterback R.J. Johnson was named to Stats Perform HBCU Football National Player of the Year Watchlist
- Linebacker Marcellius Jonshon led the preseason recogntion charge, earning spots on the SWAC and Phil Steele preaseason all-conference teams
- Linebacker Jamal Jordan and defensive backs Jay'Shaun Johnson and Delano Franklin also earned spots on the Phil Steele preseason all-conference teams, while offensive lineman Alexander Vigil earned second-team preseason All SWAC honors
THE TIGERS RETURN TALENT
- Grambling State returns 55 players from last year's team.
REPRESENTING "THE BOOT"
- Grambling State roster features 49 players from the state of Louisiana.
THE TRANSFER PORTAL
- GSU roster features 28 players with previous Division I FBS and FCS experience.
SWAC WEST PREDICTIONS
- Grambling State was picked to finish second in the SWAC Western Division in the preseason projections. Prairie View A&M was tabbed as the preseason favorite in the SWAC West. Alcorn State finished a close third with 90 points and one first-place vote. Texas Southern was picked fourth with 79 points and received one first-place vote, followed by Southern in fifth with 65 points and one first-place vote. Arkansas-Pine Bluff completed the Western Division voting with 32 points.
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