Date: Saturday, October 17
Time: 3:00 PM (ET)
TV: ESPN+
The Quick Hits
The SWAC got really interesting last week, largely because Grambling took down Jackson State in a shootout in Louisiana. Now the Tigers, fresh off that big win, turn their attention to another conference contender in the East division in Alabama A&M. The Bulldogs are also riding high as they’ve won four of their last five. With similar two-loss records, this is a game that will greatly shape the conference championship… and perhaps Celebration Bowl… prospects for both teams.
Grambling rolls in at
4-2 with their only conference loss coming in a close one to Prairie View A&M a few weeks back. Alabama A&M, likewise, has only dropped one SWAC contest, a hard-fought loss to Jackson State on October 3. These two rank as the #7 and #8 HBCU teams out there right now and, while it may not have registered on a ton of radars in the preseason, suddenly their Saturday showdown in Huntsville has a ton riding on it.
The Coaches
Mickey Joseph has done a tremendous job turning around this Grambling program. Now in his third year calling the shots, Joseph has taken the Tigers from a five-win team in 2024 to a seven-win one last year and now he has them on pace to top that mark again this season. Joseph, who served as the interim head coach at Nebraska for six games in 2022, has been all over the college football map but his first full-time head coaching gig is with a Grambling team that he is trying to take back to the Celebration Bowl for the first time in a decade.
Alabama A&M is led by second-year man Sam Shade. Shade took over for the Bulldogs after three seasons as the head coach at Division II Miles College where he took the Golden Bears to the 2024 playoffs. Last season in his first go with the Bulldogs, Shade won four games and this year he already has surpassed that number with five. He is looking to win the program its second SWAC championship of the 2020s with the first coming in the COVID-shortened Spring season in 2021. Shade is 9-10 overall as the Bulldogs coach.
Grambling Offense vs. Alabama A&M Defense
Grambling has had a bit of trouble finding out just who its quarterback is but last week junior Jacobe Robinson made a real strong case for himself. Robinson was tremendous against Jackson State, tossing four touchdowns and running for another. He had as many scoring throws as he had incompletions. Assuming he’s the guy again this weekend, Alabama A&M’s defense is going to have a tall order. Robinson can get it done with both his arm and his legs. The Bulldogs will have to plan accordingly.
If last week was any indication, Grambling will want to run and run often. That’s where they’ll lean on Robinson to call his own number but also on sophomore D’Shaun Ford. Ford is the team’s top rusher right now with 204 yards and five touchdowns. His production and usage has been ramping up over the last several games with last week seeing him get the most carries and yards he’s gotten all year.
Alabama A&M will try to counter with linebacker D.J. Barber and John Robinson, a tandem that his been very good in the middle of the defense this season. They have combined for 129 tackles, seven TFLs and three sacks. They head up a unit that allows 129.3 rush yards per game and 3.4 per attempt. Currently those numbers both rank second in the conference behind only Jackson State. The running could come at a premium but, if it does, Grambling should be okay.
That’s thanks in large part to redshirt sophomore receiver Tyson George. George is having a breakout year with 412 yards and six scores on 31 catches. Over the last two weeks alone he’s had four touchdowns and 189 yards through the air. He is on a heater right now and is looking to provide some matchup problems for the Bulldogs defensive back end.
That secondary, however, has two scary playmakers in Jeremiah Hudson-Davis and Nacari Johnson. Each has snagged two interceptions this year and have notched five PBUs. Hudson-Davis is also third on the team with 55 stops. Alabama A&M will not shy away from blitzing those guys either. They have some of the more dynamic defensive backs in the country and they’ll use them in a variety of ways to try and slow down Robinson.
Alabama A&M Offense vs. Grambling Defense
Grambling’s defense is going to have its hands full with Alabama A&M’s Jarel Williams. Williams is the SWAC’s top pass catcher with 574 yards and seven touchdowns. His 34 receptions also leads the conference. When the Bulldogs are throwing there’s a good chance it’s going to redshirt junior. Williams came over from West Virginia in the offseason and has become the spark in the passing attack that has been so potent through the first half of the season. Alabama A&M is averaging 270 yards per game through the air and that could be bad news for a Tigers defense that has struggled through the air at times throughout the year.
Throwing to Williams will be quarterback Cornelious Brown IV. Brown has been very effective under center for the Bulldogs this year, throwing for over 1,700 yards and 16 touchdowns along with just four interceptions. He averages nearly 250 passing yards per game and could be in for a big day against a Tigers secondary that gives up almost that same amount per contest.
That secondary will need to shore itself up of the Brown-to-Williams connection will be a back-breaker. Jalen Guillard and Louis Foster are going to be called on to lock things down on the back end but it will also take a concerted effort from the defensive line to generate pressure. Grambling’s front, led be senior defensive end Jon Horton, has logged 13 sacks this season. Horton alone has been responsible for four of them. Freshman edge rusher Donte Hookfin is making a name for himself in that area as well with 3.5.
Alabama A&M’s offensive line will be in for a battle, especially on the edges and running the ball might get tough. Byron Perrilliat and Kolten Nero will be the ones seeing the bulk of the carries for the Bulldogs. The young running back duo has teamed up for 646 yards and seven scores with Perrilliat leading the team in both yardage (389) and TDs (four).
Prediction
Defense was lacking in a lot of ways for Grambling last week but it still worked out. That may not be the same story this time around, especially if they can’t figure out a way to slow down Williams. It’s a matchup that certainly doesn’t favor them in this one and Brown will undoubtedly look to take advantage of it. Pair that with Alabama A&M’s stout run defense and suddenly a lot of the Tigers’ hopes rest with their own passing attack. Robinson was on fire against Jackson State and that’s a fire that could definitely carry over to this one but it might not be enough to keep pace this time. Grambling will get its yards and points as it did against JSU but the Bulldogs aren’t going to make the same late-game mistakes when they have the ball. Alabama A&M wins a high-scoring one to remain unbeaten at home.
Score Prediction: Alabama A&M: 34 – Grambling: 30
