The ESPN FPI prediction index has LSU with a 99 percent chance to beat Grambling State when the teams meet Saturday night in Baton Rouge.
But that isn’t the most important takeaway from the historic matchup.
For Grambling head coach Hue Jackson, the game will present an opportunity for his players to compete against the No. 14th-ranked team in the FBS and score some recruiting wins in the process.
So it’s a tremendous opportunity for us,” Jackson said during the SWAC coaches’ media teleconference on Monday. “I think it’s so important because we’re going to get a chance to showcase our university, our football team, our student-athletes against what people say is the best in the country.
“So any time young other student-athletes or recruits can come to the game and see what we’re doing, you know, at a high level, they get a chance to really see our program in a whole lot different light than maybe they would because some of these guys probably wouldn’t even come visit us that way.”
Grambling State will receive a $760,000 payout from the game..
Grambling State is coming off a 35-31 loss in the season opener against Hampton, the program’s ninth loss in the last 12 games.
There is optimism that the group is turning the corner, though.
Transfer quarterback Myles Crawley threw for 311 yards and a pair of touchdowns on a day in which the offense piled up 411 total yards. The Tigers’ defense did hold the Pirates to 155 yards passing and forced a pair of turnovers.
The lone blights on the ledger were the defense surrendering 279 yards on the ground and the offense getting off to a slow first-half start.
While Grambling likely will be unable to stifle what will be a fired up LSU team coming off a loss to Florida State, Jackson understands that ever game is a chance to improve.
“Defensively, we got to shore up the stopping a run. I mean, we got to get better at that. I mean, we saw a team that ran the ball extremely well,” said Jackson. “Everybody will be watching because everybody wants to see where is Grambling at right now and where is LSU at right now.”
