After Saturday’s disappointing 24-21 loss to Bethune-Cookman, Grambling State head coach Mickey Joseph vowed to make internal changes to halt the Tigers’ ongoing struggles.
During his weekly press conference on Monday, Joseph expressed frustration with recurring issues and stressed the need for a shake-up within the program to spark improvement after his team blew a 14-point second-half lead to BCU.
“This is a bad loss because you went into the game thinking you’re a better team,” Joseph said. “The numbers worked your way, and … it didn’t work our way.” He hinted that changes would come within the organization, though he refrained from providing specifics. “There are some things we’re going to change [internally], but we won’t go public with it,” he added. “Because we have to get it fixed.”
Joseph cited frequent mistakes, such as missed third downs and penalties, as critical areas that need attention. He stated that he’s determined to hold everyone in the program accountable, from his coaching decisions to the player’s commitment and overall discipline. “We continue to have the same book over and over again,” Joseph said. ” I’m sure [nobody likes] to read the same book over and over again.”
The Tigers’ third-quarter performance was particularly concerning. The team allowed BCU to score 17 unanswered points, which Joseph called the “turning point.”
“Physically, they’re playing hard,” he said, “but it’s the mental part. That’s on me, that’s on my assistant coaches, but it’s also on them.”
Looking to regroup, Joseph indicated he will continue to start redshirt freshman quarterback Deljay Bailey but plans to increase practice reps for backup QB Ashton Fry to assess who can best lead the team forward. “I wanted Deljay to feel comfortable going in,” he explained, “but we are going to give Fry some more reps this week in practice and see who gives us the best chance to win.”
Due to Saturday’s loss, the Tigers (4-5, 1-4 SWAC) are close to being eliminated from winning the SWAC West division. However, the season continues with three remaining games on the schedule. Grambling will host Alabama State on Saturday, followed by a Thursday night game on the road at Alabama A&M, before concluding the schedule in the annual Bayou Classic against Southern on Nov. 30.
Joseph described his upcoming game against Bama State as a mental and physical test, underscoring the internal adjustments he hopes will improve team performance. “The goal is to go 1-0 every week,” Joseph said. “The plan is the plan, but … you just have to keep pushing.”
