The quarterback-wide receiver connection is one of the most important pieces to any offense, and redshirt juniors Kwadra Griggs and Korey Robertson have had a connection since their childhood football days.
Both Greenwood natives, Robertson and Griggs graduated from Greenwood High School in 2013, and that’s where they racked up serious numbers offensively. Griggs tallied 6,538 passing yards with 56 touchdowns on a 56 completion percentage over the course of three seasons, and Robertson totaled 2,340 receiving yards and 26 touchdowns on 147 receptions through four seasons.
Just about all of Robertson’s yards came from the arm of Griggs, too, which is why the two have built a tough connection to beat in Hattiesburg.
“I think it plays a big role because we’ve played together for awhile,” Robertson said. “It plays a big role with the chemistry being there already.”
Through three games, Robertson leads the Golden Eagles with 209 receiving yards and four touchdowns. He’s second on the team behind running back Ito Smith with 13 receptions. Griggs has posted 681 yards, seven touchdowns and just one interception since taking over the position a few seconds before halftime against Kentucky in Week 1.
“I think it makes a little bit of a difference because their comfort level is so high,” Southern Miss offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson said of the connection between the two. “It could hurt at times, too, to be honest with you. Through the course of the Southern (University) game, we had an issue of letting the game come to you. As a quarterback, you always have to be careful of trying to get the ball to somebody.”
The Southern Miss playmakers will typically get their moments over the course of the game, Dawson added. If Griggs ever tries to focus in on Robertson more than he should, because of their relationship, it could pose a problem for the offense.
Dawson wasn’t in Hattiesburg for Robertson’s first two years, his redshirt and freshman seasons, but Dawson did see Robertson’s 437-yard, three-touchdown and 37-reception redshirt sophomore campaign.
Dawson says he’s seen a big change in Robertson’s game and attitude in 2017, though.
“(Robertson) has been extremely consistent this whole year, in camp and everything,” Dawson said. “He really has. Everybody is a different player every year. I’ve seen guys from their junior year to senior year, you look out there and you’re like, ‘Who the heck is that guy?’ That wasn’t what I looked at last year. It’s just the natural maturity of players you see with him.
“His comfort level with the offense and now he’s a true go-to guy. You can tell Kwadra feels extremely comfortable with him. The biggest deal is those 1-on-1 balls we need to make downfield, he comes down with a lot of them.”
Robertson has proven he can go up and make plays, but the scariest part of his game is his yards after catch ability. It’s something that comes naturally to him, but he’s also worked hard on getting more vertical after making the catch.
“He’s hard to bring down,” Dawson said. “He’s a stronger runner. So, those tunnel screens that he catches, he’s a very thick-built kid, so he’s a hard kid for those DBs to get on the ground.”
The quarterback battle in the offseason that trickled into the first two games didn’t affect Robertson either. Whether it was his hometown buddy, or sophomore Keon Howard, he was primed to make plays regardless.
“It doesn’t really matter who’s back there because both quarterbacks are pretty good quarterbacks,” Robertson said. “When they get back there, they do what they’re supposed to.”
