Redshirt senior quarterback Kwadra Griggs of Greenwood will get a shot to take the field again soon, but the former Greenwood High School star has to prove he is ready.
Griggs was reinstated to the team on Friday after the university lifted an indefinite suspension that was put in place on Aug. 11. The reason for his suspension, which was described as a “student conduct matter,” was never given.
USM head coach Jay Hopson is grateful to have Griggs back with the team ahead of Saturday’s 6 p.m. Conference USA opener against Rice.
“It’s just great news,” he said. “We’ve got to get him back going. It’s a process that’s been going on for about a month. We’ll watch him closely this week and see how he does, how he prepares.”
Now, with Griggs back, Southern Miss is in a tricky situation. Starter Jack Abraham has been pretty productive for the Golden Eagles through two games. Abraham’s 310 passing yards per game average ranked No. 14 in the nation and second in Conference USA, and his passer rating of 164.2 is tops in the conference. Still, Griggs was an efficient quarterback in 2017, throwing 16 touchdowns compared to two interceptions and adding 270 yards and three touchdowns with his legs.
Griggs completed 56.1 percent of his passes last year for 1,879 yards as he played through injuries. He played in nine games and made six starts.
Friday’s practice was Griggs’ first in over a month, meaning he has plenty of work to do to get back into game shape. Hopson and offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson said Monday that Griggs will receive plenty of reps this week in practice.
“It’s going to be up to him,” Hopson said. “We’ll see how he does this week, watch him close. We’ll give him reps, try to get him back in the groove. We’ll see how quickly he gets in.
“He’s not a genie where he can sit out a month and magically be ready to go tomorrow. We’ll see how he does. He’ll work hard and compete hard to get himself ready to roll. I think I’ll have a better idea Thursday.”
Abraham has completed 71.2 percent of his passes for 620 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions. His two interceptions and lost two fumbles were in a 21-20 loss to Louisiana-Monroe on Sept. 8.
Southern Mississippi offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson said Abraham is still his first-string quarterback.
“He’s played well through two games,” Dawson said. “Has he made mistakes? Yes. But he’s played well, battled. When the (quarterback competition ended in August), it ended in a very weird way. I haven’t been in a situation like this before.
“Ultimately, we have to do what’s best for the team to win football games. As a group, we have to be in it together. Whoever is on the field, the others are going to support them 100 percent.”
Dawson, who was in contact with Griggs throughout the suspension, said Griggs has been watching film and doing work on his own, but that doesn’t necessarily make up for a month away from the team.
