It seems like the “State” in Grambling State is optional, which it sort of mystifying. You can just call them Grambling and people know what you’re talking about. Or you could plug “State” on the end — yet, I digress.

GSU beat Alcorn State last week, but first-year head coach Rod Broadway thinks they should have caught more balls.

Seems Broadway can’t stop thinking about the ones that got away.

GSU quartertback Brandon Landers’ 53 percent completion rate he went 19-of-36 was only slightly better than the Carroll product’s 51 percent rate of a season ago.”We had six drops during the course of the ballgame,” Broadway said. “We can’t afford to do that, if we are going to throw the ball.”

You might recall that an Eastern Michigan player was wide open and dropped a sure touchdown that could have changed the complexity of the game. If Grambling drops some of the few golden opportunities they get, things will be that much easier for Pitt.

Broadway also did something Dave Wannstedt wouldn’t do — call out one of his players.

“We can’t have Clyde, one of our best players, drop the ball,” Broadway said. “For a player of Clyde’s ability, dropping those balls is unacceptable.

The Tigers are using Saturday’s game as a measuring stick for their program. To them, Pitt, even in our current situation (coming off a poor year last year, having a ton of injuries, etc.) is a “big time” team.

“It’s always a challenge to play up,” said Broadway, once a longtime assistant to Steve Spurrier at Duke and Florida. “It gives us a chance to measure ourselves, in order to get a better idea of what kind football team we have. It will let us know what we need to work on to become a top-level program.”

GSU’s student newspaper, The Gramblinite, predicts a Pitt win with a score of 41-17. What do they need to do to win?

Landers must continue to take what the defense gives him, and the receivers cannot drop balls. The offensive and defensive lines must be at their best on Saturday. If Grambling can establish a running game and keep Pitt’s offense off the field, it could be a little closer than many think. I just don’t think it will be.

Pretty much play perfect to win it seems.

And interesting bit on the Tigers not being scared playing in huge stadiums.

While some teams get caught up in the hoopla of playing in an NFL Facility, it’s almost second nature to Grambling State as the Tigers are guaranteed of playing in at least one NFL venue per year.

Annually, GSU plays in the Louisiana Superdome in the State Farm Bayou Classic against rival Southern University on Thanksgiving weekend. In 2005, GSU played at Qwest Field in Seattle, Wash. against Washington State in addition to Reliant Stadium in Houston versus Southern.

From the Grambling State athletics website.