After a solid start to the season, including a win over Jackson State, Grambling State suffered a brutal loss to the red-hot Alabama A&M Bulldogs. Early in the second quarter, Grambling built a 17-3 lead, and it seemed the Tigers would walk away with a dominant win over a SWAC East contender. But Alabama A&M put together a performance that showcased their offensive firepower.

The Bulldogs scored 44 unanswered points, with Grambling not scoring until Tony Phillips Jr. took a 100-yard kickoff return to the house for a touchdown and Miami connected on a two-point conversion. Ultimately, Alabama A&M put up 61 points on Grambling, a feat that didn't escape Mickey Joseph's mind.

After giving up 61 points, many in the HBCU community believed Mickey Joseph would opt for a staff shakeup. But on Monday's SWAC coaches' call, Joseph remained loyal to his staff.

“I think that’s off the table right now because of their commitment to me. We’ve been in this scheme. I’ve seen this scheme work.”

He also took responsibility for a rough defensive effort, despite the season's early success.

“We thought we identified the problem with some things, and it didn’t work in our favor.”

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Grambling has started the season 4-3 with two SWAC wins over Alcorn State and Jackson State, but they rank 11th in scoring defense and total defense. They've allowed 39.3 points per game, 466.9 yards per game, and 281.4 passing yards per game alone.

As Grambling enters a bye week, it looks to improve its output in the final stretch of the season.