Offense: Anthony Scelfo What bigger game to make your first career start? His poise under center was key in keeping the Green Wave in the game. While his stats aren't exactly out of this world, his decision making was. He converted key third downs both with his feet and completed a key third down pass to Michael Batiste that ultimately led to the Wave's only touchdown.
Defense: Frank Morton & Antonio Harris It is hard to single out one single player for this recognition. Both Morton and Harris each finished with two sacks and led an inspired effort from the defensive line. They also forced a safety that would ultimately lead to the Green Wave taking a second quarter lead.
Special Teams: Ross Thevenot His stats say one extra point converted but the punter/kicker consistently pinned the Tigers deep in their own territory allowing the Wave to dictate the types of plays that LSU could call on offense.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Tulane-LSU post-game quotes from Coach Bob Toledo and select players
Anthony Scelfo and Antonio Harris
"At halftime we were trying to win the game," Scelfo said, "we were almost having our way with them [during the first quarter]." Scelfo felt that the numerous mistakes made in the third quarter are what doomed Tulane, not an increase in desire from LSU. "They played hard all game." Antonio Harris agreed: "Their line came out ready to play, we came out too."
Coach Bob Toledo
Toledo began by apologizing for the "Bear Bryant" (famed Alabama football coach) routine he had adopted this past week, emphasizing he always believed in his guys and was "extremely pleased with their effort." He took special note of the defensive coaches, whom he said "did a superb job in preparation for the game." Toledo played a tape of the 1981 Tulane victory over LSU in the hotel Friday night, because he wanted to show them "this is big-time football, this is why you came here. I think our kids believed, there was trust in what we've been telling them," Toledo said, "I've got a lot of faith in these guys, I think they're getting better." Toledo felt the team "battled well in the first half," however, the two turnovers in the second "took the wind out of our sails." Overall, he felt Tulane "played a lot better than people give us credit for," and he thanked Tulane fans, saying "our crowd was behind us and we appreciate it."
Matt Forte and Evan Lee
"Belief starts at the beginning," Forte said, "if you don't believe in the first quarter you're going to play terrible. We proved Tulane is not a pushover school, not a pushover team. We don't get a lot of respect and we know that." Lee added that it was not weariness that spelled the end for Tulane in the second half, just that "they're a good team, made a couple good plays on us. We made a couple of mistakes. According to Forte, the team had prepared the trick plays in practice last week and players were aware the plays would be run in-game. About his fumble Forte said a player feels "you let your team down, but you can't get too down, got to come right back out." Forte said Scelfo is "a guy that brings excitement to the game. When he's on the field, you know he's going to bring a spark."
Gabe Ratcliff and David Skehan
"We did a lot of hard work, it's time for it to pay off," Ratcliff said. Asked about the majority LSU presence and minor heckling that went on before and after the game, Ratcliff said "during the game, I'm not focused on the fans. I'm real zoned in on what I have to do." However, Skehan noticed. "The fans were loud today, real loud. It echoes in there, and it can be hard to make plays. Halftime sort of killed the momentum."
Frank Morton and Avery Williams
"During practice we practiced rush drills," Morton said, "we fit the defense right around their formation." Williams was more revealing. About the size of the crowd and caliber of the opponent, Williams said "we got a little rattled, a little discombobulated, but that's it." About the the often repeated size difference between Tulane and LSU players, Morton said he "didn't pay attention. We showed on the field we can compete. It's good to press or squat a lot, but at the end it's all about technique." About Toledo as a new head coach, Morton added "if you didn't buy in from the beginning, you were gone." Said Williams, "it's like novocaine, give it time, it's going to work. People might be saying, 'hey, we can take a page out of Tulane's book--lets go get these guys [LSU]."
"At halftime we were trying to win the game," Scelfo said, "we were almost having our way with them [during the first quarter]." Scelfo felt that the numerous mistakes made in the third quarter are what doomed Tulane, not an increase in desire from LSU. "They played hard all game." Antonio Harris agreed: "Their line came out ready to play, we came out too."
Coach Bob Toledo
Toledo began by apologizing for the "Bear Bryant" (famed Alabama football coach) routine he had adopted this past week, emphasizing he always believed in his guys and was "extremely pleased with their effort." He took special note of the defensive coaches, whom he said "did a superb job in preparation for the game." Toledo played a tape of the 1981 Tulane victory over LSU in the hotel Friday night, because he wanted to show them "this is big-time football, this is why you came here. I think our kids believed, there was trust in what we've been telling them," Toledo said, "I've got a lot of faith in these guys, I think they're getting better." Toledo felt the team "battled well in the first half," however, the two turnovers in the second "took the wind out of our sails." Overall, he felt Tulane "played a lot better than people give us credit for," and he thanked Tulane fans, saying "our crowd was behind us and we appreciate it."
Matt Forte and Evan Lee
"Belief starts at the beginning," Forte said, "if you don't believe in the first quarter you're going to play terrible. We proved Tulane is not a pushover school, not a pushover team. We don't get a lot of respect and we know that." Lee added that it was not weariness that spelled the end for Tulane in the second half, just that "they're a good team, made a couple good plays on us. We made a couple of mistakes. According to Forte, the team had prepared the trick plays in practice last week and players were aware the plays would be run in-game. About his fumble Forte said a player feels "you let your team down, but you can't get too down, got to come right back out." Forte said Scelfo is "a guy that brings excitement to the game. When he's on the field, you know he's going to bring a spark."
Gabe Ratcliff and David Skehan
"We did a lot of hard work, it's time for it to pay off," Ratcliff said. Asked about the majority LSU presence and minor heckling that went on before and after the game, Ratcliff said "during the game, I'm not focused on the fans. I'm real zoned in on what I have to do." However, Skehan noticed. "The fans were loud today, real loud. It echoes in there, and it can be hard to make plays. Halftime sort of killed the momentum."
Frank Morton and Avery Williams
"During practice we practiced rush drills," Morton said, "we fit the defense right around their formation." Williams was more revealing. About the size of the crowd and caliber of the opponent, Williams said "we got a little rattled, a little discombobulated, but that's it." About the the often repeated size difference between Tulane and LSU players, Morton said he "didn't pay attention. We showed on the field we can compete. It's good to press or squat a lot, but at the end it's all about technique." About Toledo as a new head coach, Morton added "if you didn't buy in from the beginning, you were gone." Said Williams, "it's like novocaine, give it time, it's going to work. People might be saying, 'hey, we can take a page out of Tulane's book--lets go get these guys [LSU]."
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Postgame LSU Quotes
Here are some quotes from the press conference. Feel free to comment with your own thoughts.
LSU coach Les Miles:
General Comments:
"Give credit to our opponents, they played hard.We certainly made our share of mistakes, but any time you take a game and you change the intensity 10 degrees, things happen that shouldn't. If you want to say we came out flat...I think that's it, especially on the offensive side. Our defense played well the entire game. The good news is, when a team, caught not playing its best football turns and gets it in gear and does the things we're supposed to do, that's the way it's supposed to finish. It wasn't our best game, but I take victory."
On Tulane's defensive line versus LSU's offensive line:
"It's one of those things. I think [the Tigers' offensive was]... playing extremely well going into this game, and I think they took for granted that they could block these guys. You don't take that for granted, not in major college football. I think they certainly stuttered -- did not look like a finely-tuned group, but I think they played well in the back half of the game."
On if they saw Tulane's first-half showing coming:
"I didn't see any warning. You can link a lot of things together that may not be true at all, so what spend that time? The issue is it was a little flat start, [the LSU players] understood they were going to have to play, and played well. Thank goodness the defense played well [the whole game].
On what he told his players at halftime:
"Basically [I told them] we shot ourselves in the foot, we came here and played like we didn't have intentions or purpose. I said: Second half, let's do what we came here to do, let's play like we play, let's understand...let's take the opening kickoff [of the second half] and score, let's set the tone for this game like we should have from the opening drive in the first half. But we waited a half."
On...athletics?
It's a wonderful thing about athletics. You have to play to win. You can't go out there and say 'you guys know what the score is going to be and we know what the score is going to be, so let's arrange it.' No, you gotta play, and you gotta play hard. I credit Tulane for that, that's what you came to do. You came to play hard to win. Eventually, we had to do that. Second half -- it appeared to me we did that.
On all the sacks:
I didn't see any coverage sacks. It's hard for me to tell you. I -- I -- unusual play by the offensive line got us off track
On the play of freshman Chad Jones and punt returning (note: wasn't asked about Trindon Holliday at all -- brought it up himself):
"Trindon Holliday came in there...I thought that was an unusual opportunity to catch a ball. It looked to me like the defense was in between his arms and ball, and I just kind of thought that somebody could have argued that there could have been a call there...."
LSU DB Craig Steltz:
On how Matt Forte compares to SEC running backs:
"He did a really good job -- he broke some runs, he broke a couple tackles there and made some plays. But the SEC -- that's a totally different conference.
LSU OL Herman Johnson:
On the first-half troubles for the LSU offensive line:
"First of all, they had a linebacker that was kind of spying on [the LSU offensive linemen]. If we turned our heads, he was going to blitz/ But if we kept our eye on hm, he wasn't going to blitz, so we worked on that and kind of picked it up in the second half.
On if Tulane was better prepared for the game than LSU:
"I thought we had a good week of practice. We just came in, and we just thought we didn't have to play our best game, and they kind of proved it to us that we needed to play, so we kind of stepped it up."
Johnson also told another reporter that there was a lot finger-pointing going on in the first half among the LSU players. Flynn says he didn't know about that.
LSU QB Matt Flynn:
On Tulane's defense:
"They came out and started playing well -- they were fired up, but as an offense we made too many mistakes. We made a lot of mental mistakes, and we just gotta look at the film and correct what we did wrong. But in the second half we came out and played a lot better."
On if the first half was a matter of Tulane playing well or LSU playing poorly:
"Like I said, they played very well, but each week we tell ourselves it's not about the other team. We feel like we left some stuff out there and made too many mental mistakes."
On if it was frustrating that Tulane's defensive line was hitting him virtually every play:
Like I said, they did some stuff to us that we weren't expecting, and they played very well. It was tough in the pocket back there -- they were hitting me, and they played well. But we found a way to make some plays.
On if the sacks were coverage sacks or not:
We have to check out the film -- I don't know.
LSU coach Les Miles:
General Comments:
"Give credit to our opponents, they played hard.We certainly made our share of mistakes, but any time you take a game and you change the intensity 10 degrees, things happen that shouldn't. If you want to say we came out flat...I think that's it, especially on the offensive side. Our defense played well the entire game. The good news is, when a team, caught not playing its best football turns and gets it in gear and does the things we're supposed to do, that's the way it's supposed to finish. It wasn't our best game, but I take victory."
On Tulane's defensive line versus LSU's offensive line:
"It's one of those things. I think [the Tigers' offensive was]... playing extremely well going into this game, and I think they took for granted that they could block these guys. You don't take that for granted, not in major college football. I think they certainly stuttered -- did not look like a finely-tuned group, but I think they played well in the back half of the game."
On if they saw Tulane's first-half showing coming:
"I didn't see any warning. You can link a lot of things together that may not be true at all, so what spend that time? The issue is it was a little flat start, [the LSU players] understood they were going to have to play, and played well. Thank goodness the defense played well [the whole game].
On what he told his players at halftime:
"Basically [I told them] we shot ourselves in the foot, we came here and played like we didn't have intentions or purpose. I said: Second half, let's do what we came here to do, let's play like we play, let's understand...let's take the opening kickoff [of the second half] and score, let's set the tone for this game like we should have from the opening drive in the first half. But we waited a half."
On...athletics?
It's a wonderful thing about athletics. You have to play to win. You can't go out there and say 'you guys know what the score is going to be and we know what the score is going to be, so let's arrange it.' No, you gotta play, and you gotta play hard. I credit Tulane for that, that's what you came to do. You came to play hard to win. Eventually, we had to do that. Second half -- it appeared to me we did that.
On all the sacks:
I didn't see any coverage sacks. It's hard for me to tell you. I -- I -- unusual play by the offensive line got us off track
On the play of freshman Chad Jones and punt returning (note: wasn't asked about Trindon Holliday at all -- brought it up himself):
"Trindon Holliday came in there...I thought that was an unusual opportunity to catch a ball. It looked to me like the defense was in between his arms and ball, and I just kind of thought that somebody could have argued that there could have been a call there...."
LSU DB Craig Steltz:
On how Matt Forte compares to SEC running backs:
"He did a really good job -- he broke some runs, he broke a couple tackles there and made some plays. But the SEC -- that's a totally different conference.
LSU OL Herman Johnson:
On the first-half troubles for the LSU offensive line:
"First of all, they had a linebacker that was kind of spying on [the LSU offensive linemen]. If we turned our heads, he was going to blitz/ But if we kept our eye on hm, he wasn't going to blitz, so we worked on that and kind of picked it up in the second half.
On if Tulane was better prepared for the game than LSU:
"I thought we had a good week of practice. We just came in, and we just thought we didn't have to play our best game, and they kind of proved it to us that we needed to play, so we kind of stepped it up."
Johnson also told another reporter that there was a lot finger-pointing going on in the first half among the LSU players. Flynn says he didn't know about that.
LSU QB Matt Flynn:
On Tulane's defense:
"They came out and started playing well -- they were fired up, but as an offense we made too many mistakes. We made a lot of mental mistakes, and we just gotta look at the film and correct what we did wrong. But in the second half we came out and played a lot better."
On if the first half was a matter of Tulane playing well or LSU playing poorly:
"Like I said, they played very well, but each week we tell ourselves it's not about the other team. We feel like we left some stuff out there and made too many mental mistakes."
On if it was frustrating that Tulane's defensive line was hitting him virtually every play:
Like I said, they did some stuff to us that we weren't expecting, and they played very well. It was tough in the pocket back there -- they were hitting me, and they played well. But we found a way to make some plays.
On if the sacks were coverage sacks or not:
We have to check out the film -- I don't know.
Grades vs. LSU
Offense B+
Anthony Scelfo played extremely well, save for one interception, and kept the Wave in the game until midway through the 3rd quarter. Matt Forte kept the Tigers defense honest with his hard running. The Wave were able to move the ball down the field consistently and given the caliber of defense that LSU possesses, this unit has to be commended for their effort.
QB: A-
Scelfo kept the Wave in the game with smart decisions. Save for the interception where he should have thrown the ball away, he consistently put the ball in the receiver's hands and kept plays alive with his feet.
RB/FB: B
The duo of Forte and Andre Anderson accounted for the lone Green Wave touchdown. Forte consistently found holes while averaging 4.6 yards a carry. The only negative from this game was Forte's fumble early in the third quarter when the Wave were down 13-9 and driving. This clearly shifted the momentum over to the Tigers.
WR/TE: B
This unit helped to keep the pressure of Forte by consistently finding open areas for Scelfo to throw to. Tight end Gabe Ratcliff converted big 3rd downs throughout the game to keep drives alive.
OL: B+
The offensive line kept Scelfo upright for most of the game and consistently opened up holes for Forte. They also controlled the line of scrimmage against the best defense in the country for the majority of the first half and made potential top-5 pick Glenn Dorsey a non-factor.
Defense: B+
The defense played with great intensity, especially in the first half. They forced frequent 3 and outs and helped the Wave win the field position battle.
DL: A
The defensive line dominated the LSU offensive line to the tune of six sacks. This against an LSU unit that had only allowed 4 all season. Frank Morton and Antonio Harris each had two sacks and consistently put LSU quarterback Matt Flynn under diress.
LB: B
Evan Lee contributed a sack and the unit as a whole played well against the run. They limited LSU to zero rushing yards in the first half before the Tigers ran without much resistance in the second half.
CB: A-
LSU goes five or six deep at wide reciever even without star receiver Early Doucet. That being said, the secondary limited the big plays through the air and had opportunities to intercept several passes.
Anthony Scelfo played extremely well, save for one interception, and kept the Wave in the game until midway through the 3rd quarter. Matt Forte kept the Tigers defense honest with his hard running. The Wave were able to move the ball down the field consistently and given the caliber of defense that LSU possesses, this unit has to be commended for their effort.
QB: A-
Scelfo kept the Wave in the game with smart decisions. Save for the interception where he should have thrown the ball away, he consistently put the ball in the receiver's hands and kept plays alive with his feet.
RB/FB: B
The duo of Forte and Andre Anderson accounted for the lone Green Wave touchdown. Forte consistently found holes while averaging 4.6 yards a carry. The only negative from this game was Forte's fumble early in the third quarter when the Wave were down 13-9 and driving. This clearly shifted the momentum over to the Tigers.
WR/TE: B
This unit helped to keep the pressure of Forte by consistently finding open areas for Scelfo to throw to. Tight end Gabe Ratcliff converted big 3rd downs throughout the game to keep drives alive.
OL: B+
The offensive line kept Scelfo upright for most of the game and consistently opened up holes for Forte. They also controlled the line of scrimmage against the best defense in the country for the majority of the first half and made potential top-5 pick Glenn Dorsey a non-factor.
Defense: B+
The defense played with great intensity, especially in the first half. They forced frequent 3 and outs and helped the Wave win the field position battle.
DL: A
The defensive line dominated the LSU offensive line to the tune of six sacks. This against an LSU unit that had only allowed 4 all season. Frank Morton and Antonio Harris each had two sacks and consistently put LSU quarterback Matt Flynn under diress.
LB: B
Evan Lee contributed a sack and the unit as a whole played well against the run. They limited LSU to zero rushing yards in the first half before the Tigers ran without much resistance in the second half.
CB: A-
LSU goes five or six deep at wide reciever even without star receiver Early Doucet. That being said, the secondary limited the big plays through the air and had opportunities to intercept several passes.
Tulane vs. LSU 4th Quarter
The Green Wave fall to 1-3 on the season and LSU remains undefeated at 5-0 and continues their quest for the national championship.
0:17 Perrilloux takes the final snap of the game on a short pass. The game ends as the players meet at midfield
2:05 Moore passes incomplete and forces the Wave into another punt. Holliday doesnt signal for a fair catch and pays the price as he takes a huge hit.
LSU has outgained the Wave 265 to 97 yards in the second half after outgaining them by just 1 in the first half
4:41 Perilloux's pass is incomplete to Demetrius Byrd nearly picked off by the Wave. Byrd with good defense to prevent the interception
5:00 Richard Murphy carries for another Tigers first down to the Wave 46.
The Tulane students begin to make their way to the exits as the Tigers have essentially sealed the victory.
7:48 Moore completes his first pass to Brian King to the Wave 41.
A change at quarterback as redshirt freshman Kevin Moore comes in for the final 8 minutes of today's game. No word on a potential injury to Scelfo but he did take a huge hit on the last drive.
8:49 Charles Scott runs right up the middle for his second touchdown today.
Tigers 34 Green Wave 9
8:52 Flynn's pass is complete down to the 3 to Demetrius Byrd. First down and goal for the Tigers as they look to put this away for good.
The announced crowd today of over 58,769 is the largest to see a Green Wave football game since 1987
11:09 Scelfo is smothered by two Tigers linemen back at the Tulane 20. This will bring up 4th down and the punting unit is on. A short punt lands at the Wave 45
12:00 Charles Scott up the middle for another Tigers touchdown. He broke a couple of tackles on his way to the end zone. That may just end it.
Tigers 27 Green Wave 9
13:39 Tulane faces its biggest third down of the game, a stop here would give the Wave a chance but Brandon LaFell catches a Flynn pass down to the Wave 43
14:25 LSU begins the quarter with a 10 yard run from Richard Murphy, the Wave have to get a stop on this drive to have any shot
0:17 Perrilloux takes the final snap of the game on a short pass. The game ends as the players meet at midfield
2:05 Moore passes incomplete and forces the Wave into another punt. Holliday doesnt signal for a fair catch and pays the price as he takes a huge hit.
LSU has outgained the Wave 265 to 97 yards in the second half after outgaining them by just 1 in the first half
4:41 Perilloux's pass is incomplete to Demetrius Byrd nearly picked off by the Wave. Byrd with good defense to prevent the interception
5:00 Richard Murphy carries for another Tigers first down to the Wave 46.
The Tulane students begin to make their way to the exits as the Tigers have essentially sealed the victory.
7:48 Moore completes his first pass to Brian King to the Wave 41.
A change at quarterback as redshirt freshman Kevin Moore comes in for the final 8 minutes of today's game. No word on a potential injury to Scelfo but he did take a huge hit on the last drive.
8:49 Charles Scott runs right up the middle for his second touchdown today.
Tigers 34 Green Wave 9
8:52 Flynn's pass is complete down to the 3 to Demetrius Byrd. First down and goal for the Tigers as they look to put this away for good.
The announced crowd today of over 58,769 is the largest to see a Green Wave football game since 1987
11:09 Scelfo is smothered by two Tigers linemen back at the Tulane 20. This will bring up 4th down and the punting unit is on. A short punt lands at the Wave 45
12:00 Charles Scott up the middle for another Tigers touchdown. He broke a couple of tackles on his way to the end zone. That may just end it.
Tigers 27 Green Wave 9
13:39 Tulane faces its biggest third down of the game, a stop here would give the Wave a chance but Brandon LaFell catches a Flynn pass down to the Wave 43
14:25 LSU begins the quarter with a 10 yard run from Richard Murphy, the Wave have to get a stop on this drive to have any shot
Tulane vs. LSU 3rd Quarter
0:28 Scelfo pass is intended for his tight end but is intercepted by Chevis Jackson who makes a nice sideline catch at the Wave 24. The Tigers steal the momentum right back from the Wave who well within field goal range
1:35 Scelfo scrambles to his right and hits Gabe Ratcliff for 24 yards down to the Tigers 28.
1:51 Tyson Jackson jumps offsides and its a free play. Scelfo passes complete to Matt Forte who takes it close to midfield. Tulane declines the penalty and will have a first and 10 at the 47
3:19 Flynn passes deep and is intercepted by David Skehan at the 22. He undercut the reciever coming across and made a leaping grab. First down Wave as they look to get back into the game
4:09 Big 3rd down is converted as Flynn passes to Demetrius Byrd down to the Wave 48.
5:03 Scelfo pass is complete on third down but short of the first down. A big hit laid on by safety Craig Steltz. Thevenot's punt is fair caught by Chad Jones at the 37.
5:53 Jacob Hester takes it in from 1 yard out for his second touchdown today. LSU seemingly in command now
Tigers 20 Green Wave 9
7:20 Flynn's pass is complete to the Tulane 7 to Terance Toliver. First and goal for the Tigers
8:13 Forte takes the pitch to the left and fumbles recovered by Tigers DT Al Woods, LSU will take over in Green Wave territory
8:45 Scelfo and the Wave offense will take the field for the first time this half at their own 19. Matt Forte runs up the middle for 21 yards to the Wave 40.
8:57 Flynn is sacked for the fourth time today, LSU forced into a field goal attempt which Colt David converts from 33 yards.
Tigers 13 Green Wave 9
11:35 Tigers are driving, they are down to the Tulane 12 as Trindon Holliday, second fastest man in college, goes around left end for 10 yards
13:45 Ryan Perrilloux in at quarterback as he runs the option for 10 yards and another Tigers first down down to the Wave 40.
14:14 Jacob Hester to the Tigers 49 as LSU looks to assert its authority early in the half
15:00 Trindon Holliday out to the 30 from DeRochement's kickoff. Flynn is still in at quarterback despite his struggles
1:35 Scelfo scrambles to his right and hits Gabe Ratcliff for 24 yards down to the Tigers 28.
1:51 Tyson Jackson jumps offsides and its a free play. Scelfo passes complete to Matt Forte who takes it close to midfield. Tulane declines the penalty and will have a first and 10 at the 47
3:19 Flynn passes deep and is intercepted by David Skehan at the 22. He undercut the reciever coming across and made a leaping grab. First down Wave as they look to get back into the game
4:09 Big 3rd down is converted as Flynn passes to Demetrius Byrd down to the Wave 48.
5:03 Scelfo pass is complete on third down but short of the first down. A big hit laid on by safety Craig Steltz. Thevenot's punt is fair caught by Chad Jones at the 37.
5:53 Jacob Hester takes it in from 1 yard out for his second touchdown today. LSU seemingly in command now
Tigers 20 Green Wave 9
7:20 Flynn's pass is complete to the Tulane 7 to Terance Toliver. First and goal for the Tigers
8:13 Forte takes the pitch to the left and fumbles recovered by Tigers DT Al Woods, LSU will take over in Green Wave territory
8:45 Scelfo and the Wave offense will take the field for the first time this half at their own 19. Matt Forte runs up the middle for 21 yards to the Wave 40.
8:57 Flynn is sacked for the fourth time today, LSU forced into a field goal attempt which Colt David converts from 33 yards.
Tigers 13 Green Wave 9
11:35 Tigers are driving, they are down to the Tulane 12 as Trindon Holliday, second fastest man in college, goes around left end for 10 yards
13:45 Ryan Perrilloux in at quarterback as he runs the option for 10 yards and another Tigers first down down to the Wave 40.
14:14 Jacob Hester to the Tigers 49 as LSU looks to assert its authority early in the half
15:00 Trindon Holliday out to the 30 from DeRochement's kickoff. Flynn is still in at quarterback despite his struggles
Tulane vs. LSU 2nd Quarter
It is halftime here in the Superdome. The Wave have undoubtedly controlled the game thus far behind the defensive line, namely tackle Frank Morton and end Antonio Harris. Boos ring out from the LSU crowd as the teams leave the field, are they directed towards the Wave or could they be for the performance of Tigers in the first half?
0:11 Flynn passes into the end zone NEARLY picked off by Charles Harris. What a momentum change that would have been. Colt David is on to attempt a 37 yard field goal which he puts up and through. LSU retakes the lead.
Tigers 10 Green Wave 9
0:24 Flynn's pass is complete down to the 19 for another first down
0:31 Brandon Lafell with the catch at the Wave 35. LSU calls its last timeout as the Tigers look at a 2nd and 1
0:55 Flynn is sacked again at the Tigers 40. They look at a 3rd and 14. The pass is complete down to the Wave 44 for a first down
1:22 Tigers will go with the no huddle as they look to score before the end of the half. Trindon Holliday to the Tigers 44.
1:40 Andre Anderson takes the handoff on the reverse to the left and breaks a tackle into the end zone. The Tulane student section explodes as the Wave take the lead 9-7
2:13 Matt Forte on the draw takes it all the way down to the Tigers 6. Craig Steltz made a touchdown saving tackle. 1st and goal Wave
2:47 Scelfo on the play action pass completes again to Gabe Ratcliff for a first down to the 17
3:55 Matt Forte for 7 yards and another first down for the Wave. They are driving and have a first down at the Tiger 30
4:58 Scelfo's pass is caught by Michael Batiste for a Wave first down down to the Tigers 42.
Rings of "Hullabaloo" and "LSU" chants break out as the crowd is in an absolute frenzy
6:16 The Tulane crowd is as loud as they've been all game forcing another Tiger false start their third today. Tulane brings the heat again getting to Flynn in the end zone. Flynn gets the pass away but tackle Herman Johnson is called for holding in the end zone. That results in a safety for Tulane.
Tigers 7 Green Wave 2
7:07 Tulane downs the punt at the Tigers 5. Great play from the Wave special teams
7:14 Tulane calls its second timeout of the half as there was confusion with the alignment
8:05 Matt Forte breaks a couple of tackles and gets a Tulane first down on his best rush of the day
8:35 The Wave defense is playing lights out at the moment. Frank Morton sacks Flynn at the 8 and Flynn is called for intentional grounding. Robottom on the return to the Wave 45
9:27 Flynn nearly intercepted by Charles Harris, slips through his hands and falls out of bounds. The Tiger quarterback looking shaky thus far
9:35 Thevenot gets off his best punt, a 55 yard boot to the Wave 18. Chad Jones to the Tigers 29 but it is called back due to an illegal block
10:28 Two Matt Forte runs gain the Wave two yards as Tulane looks at a long third down as the LSU crowd, silent for most of the game, gets back into it. Jeremy Williams drops the pass and Tulane will be forced to punt
11:51 Tulane defensive line through again forcing a Flynn fumble. The Tiger quarterback recovers and LSU will have to punt it away again. Tulane nearly gets to it again but it's a good punt down to the Wave 24. Scelfo will have to keep the Wave offense going to win back the field position battle
12:49 LSU converts its first third down today. Flynn passes to Jared Mitchell for a first down to the Tiger 32.
15:00 Scelfo is sacked by Kirston Pittman at the Tulane 41. The snap is fumbled by Thevenot, still gets the punt away, his best effort by far down to the Tigers 11.
0:11 Flynn passes into the end zone NEARLY picked off by Charles Harris. What a momentum change that would have been. Colt David is on to attempt a 37 yard field goal which he puts up and through. LSU retakes the lead.
Tigers 10 Green Wave 9
0:24 Flynn's pass is complete down to the 19 for another first down
0:31 Brandon Lafell with the catch at the Wave 35. LSU calls its last timeout as the Tigers look at a 2nd and 1
0:55 Flynn is sacked again at the Tigers 40. They look at a 3rd and 14. The pass is complete down to the Wave 44 for a first down
1:22 Tigers will go with the no huddle as they look to score before the end of the half. Trindon Holliday to the Tigers 44.
1:40 Andre Anderson takes the handoff on the reverse to the left and breaks a tackle into the end zone. The Tulane student section explodes as the Wave take the lead 9-7
2:13 Matt Forte on the draw takes it all the way down to the Tigers 6. Craig Steltz made a touchdown saving tackle. 1st and goal Wave
2:47 Scelfo on the play action pass completes again to Gabe Ratcliff for a first down to the 17
3:55 Matt Forte for 7 yards and another first down for the Wave. They are driving and have a first down at the Tiger 30
4:58 Scelfo's pass is caught by Michael Batiste for a Wave first down down to the Tigers 42.
Rings of "Hullabaloo" and "LSU" chants break out as the crowd is in an absolute frenzy
6:16 The Tulane crowd is as loud as they've been all game forcing another Tiger false start their third today. Tulane brings the heat again getting to Flynn in the end zone. Flynn gets the pass away but tackle Herman Johnson is called for holding in the end zone. That results in a safety for Tulane.
Tigers 7 Green Wave 2
7:07 Tulane downs the punt at the Tigers 5. Great play from the Wave special teams
7:14 Tulane calls its second timeout of the half as there was confusion with the alignment
8:05 Matt Forte breaks a couple of tackles and gets a Tulane first down on his best rush of the day
8:35 The Wave defense is playing lights out at the moment. Frank Morton sacks Flynn at the 8 and Flynn is called for intentional grounding. Robottom on the return to the Wave 45
9:27 Flynn nearly intercepted by Charles Harris, slips through his hands and falls out of bounds. The Tiger quarterback looking shaky thus far
9:35 Thevenot gets off his best punt, a 55 yard boot to the Wave 18. Chad Jones to the Tigers 29 but it is called back due to an illegal block
10:28 Two Matt Forte runs gain the Wave two yards as Tulane looks at a long third down as the LSU crowd, silent for most of the game, gets back into it. Jeremy Williams drops the pass and Tulane will be forced to punt
11:51 Tulane defensive line through again forcing a Flynn fumble. The Tiger quarterback recovers and LSU will have to punt it away again. Tulane nearly gets to it again but it's a good punt down to the Wave 24. Scelfo will have to keep the Wave offense going to win back the field position battle
12:49 LSU converts its first third down today. Flynn passes to Jared Mitchell for a first down to the Tiger 32.
15:00 Scelfo is sacked by Kirston Pittman at the Tulane 41. The snap is fumbled by Thevenot, still gets the punt away, his best effort by far down to the Tigers 11.
LSU vs. Tulane 1st Quarter
The Wave defense has just played its best quarter by far this season and Anthony Scelfo is keeping Tulane in the game with his feet, scrambling for a couple of first downs already.
0:29 Andre Anderson with a 4 yard run as the first quarter comes to an end with the Wave trailing 7-0.
0:51 LSU now 0 for 3 on 3rd down. Tulane defense with some pep in their step as they come off the field after Flynn pass is incomplete
0:55 Tulane with great pressure again on Matt Flynn and his pass is nearly intercepted by Josh Lumar. Tulane crowd making lots of noise for the first time today as they have a big 3rd down
1:51 Scelfo pass is incomplete to Chris Dunn. Tulane in field goal formation but Thevenot pooch punts it down to the Tigers 3.
2:36 Another gadget play from Tulane nearly results in an interception for LSU. Good defense by Brian King to prevent the pick
3:07 Scelfo scrambles to the LSU 40 for a first down. This will be the first play for the Wave in Tigers territory
4:34 Antonio Harris simply runs by his man and gets to Flynn for a 9 yard loss. Tulane brings the pressure on the punt nearly getting to it. Fair catch at the Tulane 43
4:54 Flynn's deep pass is incomplete to Demetrius Byrd who beat his man
5:52 Scelfo pass on third down is incomplete to Matt Forte. Thevenot punting away to Chad Jones. A short punt by Thevenot and it rolls to the the Wave 22.
7:15 Tulane on the triple reverse, perhaps one too many handoffs as LSU sniffs it out for a 5 yard loss
7:52 Scelfo behind the right guard on the quarterback sneak for a first down to the Tulane 44
8:06 Ratcliff catches his second pass of the day just a couple inches short of a first down.
9:25 Scelfo pass is complete to Gabe Ratcliff for a first down, the Wave's first today. It sets up a first down at the 32. Tulane calls its first timeout as the play clock was running down to zero.
10:45 Scelfo passes complete to the Tulane 20 to Brian King. Tulane using a lot of 3 step drops to take slow down the LSU defense
10:56 Jacob Hester takes it in to the end zone from 3 yards out and LSU is on the scoreboard first. David adds the extra point and its Tigers 7 Green Wave 0
11:29 Matt Flynn throws deep and finds Brandon LaFell at the Tulane 6.
Tulane defense looked solid on the first drive after the Tigers had a first down deep in Green Wave territory. Antonio Harris had a couple of quarterback pressures on Matt Flynn to force early throws. The Wave will have to keep this intensity up to stay in the game today.
12:05 Anthony Scelfo scrambles for 1 yard on 3rd and 10. Ross Thevenot on to punt. It takes a LSU bounce and the Tigers will set up at the Tulane 49
12:23 Forte takes the halfback toss and throws a pass incomplete to Casey Robottom. Forte now 0 of 2 today.
12:29 Colt David field goal attempt is no good, hits the inside of the right upright and falls short
13:00 Matt Flynn pass is complete to Richard Dickson, and he fights his way down to the Tulane 19 after avoiding the first Tulane tackle attempt, after some indecision LSU sends out kicker Colt David for a 37 yard field goal attempt.
13:29 Flag on the play; didn't see it but there was a tussle afterwards involving LSU offensive lineman, LSU sets up a 3rd and 24.
14:09 Scelfo pass is complete for first down and fumbled by Kenneth Guidroz. LSU recovers and has a first down at the Tulane 27.
14:21 1st Down and 5 Tulane: Scelfo's pass tipped and nearly intercepted
15:00 Matt Forte back deep to receive the opening kickoff, attempts to lateral but is called back for an illegal forward pass
There's a sea of gold and purple as the Tigers win the toss and choose to defer to the second half.
0:29 Andre Anderson with a 4 yard run as the first quarter comes to an end with the Wave trailing 7-0.
0:51 LSU now 0 for 3 on 3rd down. Tulane defense with some pep in their step as they come off the field after Flynn pass is incomplete
0:55 Tulane with great pressure again on Matt Flynn and his pass is nearly intercepted by Josh Lumar. Tulane crowd making lots of noise for the first time today as they have a big 3rd down
1:51 Scelfo pass is incomplete to Chris Dunn. Tulane in field goal formation but Thevenot pooch punts it down to the Tigers 3.
2:36 Another gadget play from Tulane nearly results in an interception for LSU. Good defense by Brian King to prevent the pick
3:07 Scelfo scrambles to the LSU 40 for a first down. This will be the first play for the Wave in Tigers territory
4:34 Antonio Harris simply runs by his man and gets to Flynn for a 9 yard loss. Tulane brings the pressure on the punt nearly getting to it. Fair catch at the Tulane 43
4:54 Flynn's deep pass is incomplete to Demetrius Byrd who beat his man
5:52 Scelfo pass on third down is incomplete to Matt Forte. Thevenot punting away to Chad Jones. A short punt by Thevenot and it rolls to the the Wave 22.
7:15 Tulane on the triple reverse, perhaps one too many handoffs as LSU sniffs it out for a 5 yard loss
7:52 Scelfo behind the right guard on the quarterback sneak for a first down to the Tulane 44
8:06 Ratcliff catches his second pass of the day just a couple inches short of a first down.
9:25 Scelfo pass is complete to Gabe Ratcliff for a first down, the Wave's first today. It sets up a first down at the 32. Tulane calls its first timeout as the play clock was running down to zero.
10:45 Scelfo passes complete to the Tulane 20 to Brian King. Tulane using a lot of 3 step drops to take slow down the LSU defense
10:56 Jacob Hester takes it in to the end zone from 3 yards out and LSU is on the scoreboard first. David adds the extra point and its Tigers 7 Green Wave 0
11:29 Matt Flynn throws deep and finds Brandon LaFell at the Tulane 6.
Tulane defense looked solid on the first drive after the Tigers had a first down deep in Green Wave territory. Antonio Harris had a couple of quarterback pressures on Matt Flynn to force early throws. The Wave will have to keep this intensity up to stay in the game today.
12:05 Anthony Scelfo scrambles for 1 yard on 3rd and 10. Ross Thevenot on to punt. It takes a LSU bounce and the Tigers will set up at the Tulane 49
12:23 Forte takes the halfback toss and throws a pass incomplete to Casey Robottom. Forte now 0 of 2 today.
12:29 Colt David field goal attempt is no good, hits the inside of the right upright and falls short
13:00 Matt Flynn pass is complete to Richard Dickson, and he fights his way down to the Tulane 19 after avoiding the first Tulane tackle attempt, after some indecision LSU sends out kicker Colt David for a 37 yard field goal attempt.
13:29 Flag on the play; didn't see it but there was a tussle afterwards involving LSU offensive lineman, LSU sets up a 3rd and 24.
14:09 Scelfo pass is complete for first down and fumbled by Kenneth Guidroz. LSU recovers and has a first down at the Tulane 27.
14:21 1st Down and 5 Tulane: Scelfo's pass tipped and nearly intercepted
15:00 Matt Forte back deep to receive the opening kickoff, attempts to lateral but is called back for an illegal forward pass
There's a sea of gold and purple as the Tigers win the toss and choose to defer to the second half.
LSU Pre-Game Notes
As with all home games, we'll be blogging live from the Superdome (although you can also catch the game on ESPN2 if you have cable).
Here are the game notes from the official site, Note the new depth chart, which includes Casey Robottom as punt returner, highly-recruited sophomore running back Andre Anderson back returning kicks (I'm really interested in seeing how he plays today) with Fred Smith, and of course, Scelfo behind center. Also note that Robottom is higher on the depth chart than Jeremy Williams, most likely because Williams is coming off an injury.
Here are the game notes from the official site, Note the new depth chart, which includes Casey Robottom as punt returner, highly-recruited sophomore running back Andre Anderson back returning kicks (I'm really interested in seeing how he plays today) with Fred Smith, and of course, Scelfo behind center. Also note that Robottom is higher on the depth chart than Jeremy Williams, most likely because Williams is coming off an injury.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Philanthropic Events for LSU-Tulane
This weekend, Nike will be sponsoring a few philanthropic events (but beware of #2):
1) Fans can recycle their athletic shoes old an new at a recycling event. The event is scheduled in conjunction with the Tulane vs. LSU football game on Saturday from 10 to 11:30 a.m., fans can bring their old, tired athletic shoes (any brand) to be recycled on Saturday, September 29. The recycled materials will be used to resurface playgrounds in the New Orleans area. (No sandals, thongs, pumps, dress shoes, or boots. No metal pieces on shoes such as eyelets, zippers, cleats, or spikes.) Note that the next city-wide recycle drop-off (including glass and plastic) will be on October 27th. For more details or if you want to help, email Emery.Myers@us.mwhglobal.com
2) LSU and Tulane will be wearing special jerseys this weekend, with LSU wearing Purple and Tulane unveiling their white jerseys with a Pelican patch before the game. The two sides will be selling products and auctioning off the jerseys to benefit The Greater New Orleans Foundation to support Nike's Let Me Play initiative and help rebuild New Orleans through sport.
While the recycling event is certainly praiseworthy, do note that only $1 per item from the jersey and merchandise sales sold will go to charity, and an initiative with Nike's name all over it at that. How ridiculous is it that Nike is publicizing this so fervently as a selfless act of charity, and no one knows that only a dollar of the money they'll be spending goes toward charity? I suppose brilliantly deceptive PR is why the Nike brand has become so popular over the years.
1) Fans can recycle their athletic shoes old an new at a recycling event. The event is scheduled in conjunction with the Tulane vs. LSU football game on Saturday from 10 to 11:30 a.m., fans can bring their old, tired athletic shoes (any brand) to be recycled on Saturday, September 29. The recycled materials will be used to resurface playgrounds in the New Orleans area. (No sandals, thongs, pumps, dress shoes, or boots. No metal pieces on shoes such as eyelets, zippers, cleats, or spikes.) Note that the next city-wide recycle drop-off (including glass and plastic) will be on October 27th. For more details or if you want to help, email Emery.Myers@us.mwhglobal.com
2) LSU and Tulane will be wearing special jerseys this weekend, with LSU wearing Purple and Tulane unveiling their white jerseys with a Pelican patch before the game. The two sides will be selling products and auctioning off the jerseys to benefit The Greater New Orleans Foundation to support Nike's Let Me Play initiative and help rebuild New Orleans through sport.
While the recycling event is certainly praiseworthy, do note that only $1 per item from the jersey and merchandise sales sold will go to charity, and an initiative with Nike's name all over it at that. How ridiculous is it that Nike is publicizing this so fervently as a selfless act of charity, and no one knows that only a dollar of the money they'll be spending goes toward charity? I suppose brilliantly deceptive PR is why the Nike brand has become so popular over the years.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
LSU defense still top-rated
In more good news regarding the upcoming Tulane-LSU showdown, the Tigers retained their position as the nation’s top-rated defense after suffocating South Carolina last Saturday. LSU currently leads the college football nation in four defensive categories: scoring (5.75 points per game), rush defense (26.75 yards per game), total defense (161.5 yards per game) and pass efficiency defense (67.69 rating). LSU is also fifth in sacks (5.25 per game) and seventh in pass defense, allowing an average 134.75 yards per game. The rest of it you know, i.e. LSU has shutout two teams already, including MSU, who the Tigers, like the Green Wave, faced its opening game, albeit it with—ahem—slightly different results (the Tigers steamrolled ‘em, 45-0). The stat the Flooded Nation needs to worry about is this one: LSU IS ALLOWING LESS THAN ONE YARD PER CARRY. How, again, did Tulane tame the essentially DII Lions last week? It certainly wasn’t quarterback heroics… Matt Forté may be Tulane’s bionic man, or at least its Hail Mary—one Toledo threw again and again to struggle past SLU, but the most running yards allowed by the Tigers this season were the 71 gained by No. 17 Virginia Tech. Matt Forte was gaining that many yards each quarter (on average) against SLU, and the Wave only won 35-27. Not exactly a typhoon—call it high tide. So it looks bleak, but, according to Coach Toledo, the Wave is going with the flow, ready for whatever trickery LSU Coach Les Miles has in store. Scratch that; call me unconfident at least in Miles pulling another fake field goal stunt this week. For the rest of it, well, stranger things have happened, and to a Toledo squad no less.
Said Toledo, at his weekly press conference Tuesday:
"I was telling our players that last night. When I was at Pacific, we played Iowa State and we had to bus from Stockton to San Francisco to catch a commercial plane. We had to leave at 4:00 in the morning, and I only had 50 guys. I told our players that if you are afraid, don't show up, so our starting tailback missed the bus and didn't show up at four. So we left, and I was going to start this little guy about 5-7 you know John Moorehouse from Tracy (Calif.) and sure enough, my tailback gets in his car and meets us at the airport. `Coach I am sorry I'm late' (he says) and then I say, no you are too late, you're not playing and you're staying home. Well we go with 49 players and Donny Duncan, who used to be the head coach of Oklahoma, he was there and they come out. They have like five strings and they run plays in pregame warm-up and we just keep backing up and up. We are about at our 15-yard line running plays and so the game starts. It is really windy and they kick off to us. We move the ball down the field and kick a field goal. So then we kick off to them and their first play, they fumble. We kick another field goal. Then all of a sudden things start happening. We are up 6-0 and then we score a touchdown and they score a touchdown. Moral of the story is with 49 guys and a little tailback name John Moorehouse and a quarterback who emailed me yesterday, who by the way was the freshman leading passer in the nation that year, No. 2 was Dan Marino. The point is, is that we won the football game and nobody gave us the chance to do that. I have had some of those things.”
Oh, wait—leading freshman passer in the nation? No matter, stranger things have happened! As for me, I prefer to think of it as an immensely difficult boss fight—pity there’s no way to re-load.
Said Toledo, at his weekly press conference Tuesday:
"I was telling our players that last night. When I was at Pacific, we played Iowa State and we had to bus from Stockton to San Francisco to catch a commercial plane. We had to leave at 4:00 in the morning, and I only had 50 guys. I told our players that if you are afraid, don't show up, so our starting tailback missed the bus and didn't show up at four. So we left, and I was going to start this little guy about 5-7 you know John Moorehouse from Tracy (Calif.) and sure enough, my tailback gets in his car and meets us at the airport. `Coach I am sorry I'm late' (he says) and then I say, no you are too late, you're not playing and you're staying home. Well we go with 49 players and Donny Duncan, who used to be the head coach of Oklahoma, he was there and they come out. They have like five strings and they run plays in pregame warm-up and we just keep backing up and up. We are about at our 15-yard line running plays and so the game starts. It is really windy and they kick off to us. We move the ball down the field and kick a field goal. So then we kick off to them and their first play, they fumble. We kick another field goal. Then all of a sudden things start happening. We are up 6-0 and then we score a touchdown and they score a touchdown. Moral of the story is with 49 guys and a little tailback name John Moorehouse and a quarterback who emailed me yesterday, who by the way was the freshman leading passer in the nation that year, No. 2 was Dan Marino. The point is, is that we won the football game and nobody gave us the chance to do that. I have had some of those things.”
Oh, wait—leading freshman passer in the nation? No matter, stranger things have happened! As for me, I prefer to think of it as an immensely difficult boss fight—pity there’s no way to re-load.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Players of the Week
Players of the week
Offense: Obviously, Matt Forte. With 40 carries for 303 yards and 5 TDs, he was the offense. No one else contributed and he carried the team single handedly to victory. He also set Tulane and Conference USA records. Career performance here
Defense: Antonio Harris. He had 11 tackles, 4 of them behind the line of scrimmaige, and also caused a fumble that led to a turnover. In general though the front seven played a great game. SE Louisiana tried many screen passes and none of them worked, they were constantly getting pressure on the quarterback and they also stuffed the run.
Special Teams: All of the kick returners. Ade Tuyo and Jordan Stephany both returned kicks for 47 yards, and another long kick return was called back because of a holding penalty
Offense: Obviously, Matt Forte. With 40 carries for 303 yards and 5 TDs, he was the offense. No one else contributed and he carried the team single handedly to victory. He also set Tulane and Conference USA records. Career performance here
Defense: Antonio Harris. He had 11 tackles, 4 of them behind the line of scrimmaige, and also caused a fumble that led to a turnover. In general though the front seven played a great game. SE Louisiana tried many screen passes and none of them worked, they were constantly getting pressure on the quarterback and they also stuffed the run.
Special Teams: All of the kick returners. Ade Tuyo and Jordan Stephany both returned kicks for 47 yards, and another long kick return was called back because of a holding penalty
Anthony Scelfo named Starting QB
Coach Bob Toledo has announced that sophomore Anthony Scelfo will replace Scott Eliot as Tulane's starting QB. He has to be given at least a 2 game window here, because honestly, how much can Toledo exepct out of him against LSU, which may be the nation's #1 defense. I guess he just wants Scelfo to get used to being in a game so he will be more prepared for Army, a very winnable game the week after. This seems like a long time coming as Eliot has yet to prove he brings anything to the table as a starting Quarterback
Grades vs. Southeastern LA
Offense: B-
A tale of two offenses, running backs flourished but passing game nearly cost the Green Wave a victory
QB: D-
Both Scott Elliott and Anthony Scelfo failed to get anything going through the air. Add in 3 interceptions and the quarterbacks were in for a long night. Elliott often looked out of sync with his receivers missing open targets multiple times
RB/FB: A+
303 yards and 5 TD's? Matt Forte had a once-in-a-lifetime performance unlikely to be matched any time this season
WR/TE: C
Made some nice catches to keep drives going but were often victimized by drops and fumbles. However, none of it matters when your running back has a performance like Saturday night
OL: A
Forte doesn't get 300+ yards without help from the offensive line. They also gave Elliott ample time to sit in the pocket to find receivers
Defense: B
The defense was shaky in the first half, especially against the run but played with more energy and pitched a shutout in the second half until a minute left in the fourth quarter
DL: B
The defensive line, namely Antonio Harris, constantly put pressure on Lions quarterback Brian Babin and forced him to consistently throw the ball away or take sacks. Lions running back Jay Lucas found a lot of room to run in the first half but that evaporated in the second half
LB: B-
Much like the defensive line, they allowed a lot of yards on the ground in the first half, but played better as the game went on
CB: B
The defensive secondary were victimized by the play action early but also came up with a fumble recovery and limited Babin's passing yards in the second half
Monday, September 24, 2007
Forte racking up the awards
Not surprisingly, running back Matt Forte's may have to build another trophy case to fit all the awards he's receiving this week after his 40 carry, 303-yard performance Saturday. The yardage is a conference record and school record (previous was Mewelde Moore: 249 yds vs Cincinati, 10/06/01). Here's are the awards he's gotten so far; let me know if I'm missing anything:
Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week
Louisiana Sports Writers Association Offensive Player of the Week
Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week
Finalist (VOTE HERE): AT&T ESPN All-America Player of the Week
Tulane Offensive Player of the Week (forthcoming -- we might as well call it now)
Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week
Louisiana Sports Writers Association Offensive Player of the Week
Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week
Finalist (VOTE HERE): AT&T ESPN All-America Player of the Week
Tulane Offensive Player of the Week (forthcoming -- we might as well call it now)
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Another Killer Weekend for Volleyball
A career-high performance from junior Briget Wells sealed Tulane's victory against Memphis on Sunday. In culmination with Friday's win against UAB the Green Wave is now 13-3 with a perfect 3-win conference record.
Sunday's match at Memphis, Tenn., 3-1 (30-27, 30-22, 26-30,30-27) saw three Tulane players hit double digit kills; Wells set her personal best with 21 kills, and outside hitters Sara Radosevic and Ksenija Vlaskovic each had 19. Junior Lauren Boatright matched her career-best of five blocks and beat her kill-high with 9.
"This Memphis squad is as tough as always, they are one of the toughest opponents in the league and in this region," coach Kritza said. "It took an all out full team effort including some timely advice and game adjustments from assistants coaches, to come out with a victory today."
Tulane swept UAB last Friday at Fogelman Arena, 3-0 (30-28, 30-17, 30-24). Vlaskovic lead the team with 19 kills, while Wells hit 13 at a .312 percentage. Sophomores Rachel Lindlow and Luna Rebrovic made 24 and 25 assists, respectively. Libero Jenn Miller, two time C-USA Defensive Player of the Week, carved out 15 digs.
"It was nice to see our more-experienced players come through," Kritza said. "There's always room for improvement."
Sunday's match at Memphis, Tenn., 3-1 (30-27, 30-22, 26-30,30-27) saw three Tulane players hit double digit kills; Wells set her personal best with 21 kills, and outside hitters Sara Radosevic and Ksenija Vlaskovic each had 19. Junior Lauren Boatright matched her career-best of five blocks and beat her kill-high with 9.
"This Memphis squad is as tough as always, they are one of the toughest opponents in the league and in this region," coach Kritza said. "It took an all out full team effort including some timely advice and game adjustments from assistants coaches, to come out with a victory today."
Tulane swept UAB last Friday at Fogelman Arena, 3-0 (30-28, 30-17, 30-24). Vlaskovic lead the team with 19 kills, while Wells hit 13 at a .312 percentage. Sophomores Rachel Lindlow and Luna Rebrovic made 24 and 25 assists, respectively. Libero Jenn Miller, two time C-USA Defensive Player of the Week, carved out 15 digs.
"It was nice to see our more-experienced players come through," Kritza said. "There's always room for improvement."
Saturday, September 22, 2007
4th Quarter Tulane vs SE Louisiana
12:45- Tulane defense is playing fundamentally sound football, not missing any tackles. After SE Louisiana started to build a drive Tulane forced a sack and loss of yards on screen plays to force a 4th & 27 and force a punt. A touchdown here could put this game away for Tulane
11:34- With a 5 yard run, Forte brings his total for the game to 252 yards, an all time single game rushing record for Tulane
9:35- Tulane had to punt, but Scelfo completed two passes, both for first downs. At this point, with the passing game, you try and look for any positive. SE Louisiana will start its drive at the 20 yard line
7:53- Tulane forces yet another punt. On third downs, Tulane has been great today. This is a huge improvement over the last 2 games. Never mind, SE Louisiana goes for a fake punt and run, but Tulane sniffs it out perfectly. Dumb play on the part of the Lions. They had been getting stops on defense recently, and now that they did this deep in their own territory. Now Tulane can put points on the board without driving.
4:25- Tulane turns the great field position (starting on the Lion 30) to seven easy points. It was capped by an 11 yard touchdown. This game is all but over. Although with Tulane, you can never be sure. Fifth TD score for Forte. If college fantasy football was a real thing I can't even calculate Forte's fantasy numbers this week. Through the roof. 35-20 Tulane
By the way, SE Louisiana is 4 -15 on third conversions so far. That is almost as important as Forte's 281 rush yards and 5 touchdowns. Well not really, but it is definitely the 2nd most important statistic of the day. That is the key to the Green Wave defense so far
2:28- On 4 &7, with Tulane looking to put this game away, Babin completes a pass and as his player heads for the end zone, he coughs it up on the 4 yard line and Tulane recovers. Expect Forte to just run out the clock now.
2:03- Just when this game looks over, Forte runs for a 2 or 3 yards and gets stuffed, only the pile pushes him for another 7 yards, first down Tulane! All of a sudden, a SE Louisiana player comes running out of the pile with the ball and on instant replay during the pile push he ripped the ball from Forte, and now the Lions only have 14 yards to go for a TD. This game may begin to get interesting again.
1:57- First play for the Lions, and Babin throws a ball that bounces off the hands of a Tulane player and into the hands of a Lions WR in the end zone. TD SE Louisiana. 35-27 Tulane. One would assume the Lions will try an onside kick now to give themselves a chance to tie this game
1:57- They go for the onside kick, and Tulane quickly recovers with no drama. Now, expect Forte to run out the clock. Unless he fumbles of course. The Lions have two timeouts, so one first down should put this game away
1:48- Forte runs for 7 yards, burning one Lion TO, then an encroachment call is made and the Green Wave have a first down. This one is over. Tulane now can just take knees and this game will be over. After three games, Toledo finally has his first win of the season. Not the prettiest win, but a win is a win and I am sure Toledo will take it.
End of game notes: 303 yards for Forte, a C-USA single game rushing record
11:34- With a 5 yard run, Forte brings his total for the game to 252 yards, an all time single game rushing record for Tulane
9:35- Tulane had to punt, but Scelfo completed two passes, both for first downs. At this point, with the passing game, you try and look for any positive. SE Louisiana will start its drive at the 20 yard line
7:53- Tulane forces yet another punt. On third downs, Tulane has been great today. This is a huge improvement over the last 2 games. Never mind, SE Louisiana goes for a fake punt and run, but Tulane sniffs it out perfectly. Dumb play on the part of the Lions. They had been getting stops on defense recently, and now that they did this deep in their own territory. Now Tulane can put points on the board without driving.
4:25- Tulane turns the great field position (starting on the Lion 30) to seven easy points. It was capped by an 11 yard touchdown. This game is all but over. Although with Tulane, you can never be sure. Fifth TD score for Forte. If college fantasy football was a real thing I can't even calculate Forte's fantasy numbers this week. Through the roof. 35-20 Tulane
By the way, SE Louisiana is 4 -15 on third conversions so far. That is almost as important as Forte's 281 rush yards and 5 touchdowns. Well not really, but it is definitely the 2nd most important statistic of the day. That is the key to the Green Wave defense so far
2:28- On 4 &7, with Tulane looking to put this game away, Babin completes a pass and as his player heads for the end zone, he coughs it up on the 4 yard line and Tulane recovers. Expect Forte to just run out the clock now.
2:03- Just when this game looks over, Forte runs for a 2 or 3 yards and gets stuffed, only the pile pushes him for another 7 yards, first down Tulane! All of a sudden, a SE Louisiana player comes running out of the pile with the ball and on instant replay during the pile push he ripped the ball from Forte, and now the Lions only have 14 yards to go for a TD. This game may begin to get interesting again.
1:57- First play for the Lions, and Babin throws a ball that bounces off the hands of a Tulane player and into the hands of a Lions WR in the end zone. TD SE Louisiana. 35-27 Tulane. One would assume the Lions will try an onside kick now to give themselves a chance to tie this game
1:57- They go for the onside kick, and Tulane quickly recovers with no drama. Now, expect Forte to run out the clock. Unless he fumbles of course. The Lions have two timeouts, so one first down should put this game away
1:48- Forte runs for 7 yards, burning one Lion TO, then an encroachment call is made and the Green Wave have a first down. This one is over. Tulane now can just take knees and this game will be over. After three games, Toledo finally has his first win of the season. Not the prettiest win, but a win is a win and I am sure Toledo will take it.
End of game notes: 303 yards for Forte, a C-USA single game rushing record
3rd Quarter Tulane vs SE Louisiana
Scott Eliot is coming out as the QB, and I am dumbfounded. He did nothing in the first half, and Tulane has two young QBs who at least deserve a look. Eliot has to be on a short leash now
13:09- Tulane is punting from the Lions 47. Their drive was highlighted by a 25 yard run by Forte. He is now over 150 yards... it is sad to see such a great performance get wasted so far
12:05- Tulane forces a 3 & out. On third down Babin overthrows a pass out of bounds that goes right towards the Tulane players on the sideline and an offensive lineman catches the ball one handed no problem... if he can make that catch one-handed how are our WR dropping so many balls? Just something I thought you all should know. The Lions punt and now Tulane has good field position, starting on the Lions 43
11:05- Eliot just completely underthrew a receiver on 3 & 9 that would have been a first down which caused a 3 & out and the crowd has clearly had enough of him. I dont want to keep on talking about how terrible Eliot is playing, but that was the loudest this Tulane crowd has been all game, cheer or boo. Looks like Scelfo may be coming in. He has started warming up on the sidelines.
8:26- Tulane defense comes up huge again, forcing another 3 & out which was highlighted by an 8 yard loss on a sack to make it fourth and 24. Now Tulane has great field position again, which was set up by this defense, and are starting on the Lions 43. Scelfo has entered the game at QB for Eliot. I think i have already made my opinion clear, but about time
7:25- Matt Forte just took the ball down the whole 43 yards. Tulane TD. This is a superman like performance by him. First he runs for 7 yards, then gets 15 yards tacked on to that for a late hit. He follows that up with a 17 yard rush, followed by a 1 yard run then a 3 yard TD. Simply unstoppable. I can't even count the number of defenders he made miss and tackles he broke on that drive alone. Outstanding. Already, Forte has 23 carries for 179 yards and 3 touchdowns. 21-20 Tulane
5:39- Another sack by the Tulane defense, forcing yet another 3 & out. That is the fourth sack of the game for the Green Wave. The D-line is playing a great game, stuffing the rush and getting pressure on the QB. If this pressure keeps up Babin won't get time to find his receivers downfield and they can cover for the secondary's mistakes
4:48- WOW. Forte had his best run of the game, bursting up the left sideline for a 44 yard run. He broke at least two tackles and dodged a few others, before using his pure sped down the sideline to blow by the rest of the Lion defenders before being run out of bounds at the 4 yard line. He attempted to dive for the TD, but stepped out of bounds first. Forte has officially set a career high already in rushing yards for a game. Forte deservedly finishes off the drive with a 4 yard TD run. 28-20 Tulane.
3:32- Tulane defense looks strong again, playing like they were in the first quarter. Another punt is forced and now Tulane will start its drive from the 9 yard line. We will see if Tulane is able to maintain a longer drive now. All drives this half have started from about midfield
2:15- Sophomore Anthony Scelfo's first throw of the game may have been worse than any of Eliot's. He overthrew the WR by a good 10 yards and the pass was picked off at the Lion's 39. Horrendous throw, the WR had no chance at it. At this point I dont see why Tulane ever throws the ball. Which is why Moore, a QB with the ability to run, should be put in the game
The Quarter comes to an end with SE Lousiana driving. Outstanding quarter for Forte, but the fact that the Tulane QBs cant get ANYTHING going has to be troubling to Toledo. Great quarter defensively
2nd Quarter Tulane vs. SE Louisiana Lions
14:56- Scott Eliot overthrows WR on 3 &9 by at least 5 yards. No connection between receivers and Eliot. I think it might be time to see Scelfo or Moore come in at QB. Eliot has made two horrendous throws and has only thrown the ball 8 times.
13:49- 3 & out for the defense. Their impressive performance continues. Now is when the offense needs to put up points. The defense has not let the Lion offense do anything, yet its a tie game.
12:14- Eliot overthrows Casey Robottom by a good 10 yards on 2 &9. The passing game is anemic. Forte saves the drive with a 28 yard burst to the left side, making hard cuts.
11:58- Forte follows that run up with a 21 yard touchdown run on the very next play. He ran straight up the middle breaking a tackle on his way to the end zone. Is it too early to already give out the offensive player of the week award? 14-7 Tulane
10:39- Lions QB Brian Babin completes a 25 yards pass. First time he has thrown down field all game. Maybe he should be more.
9:18- That is followed up by a 14 yard run by Jay Lucas for a first and a 12 yard screen pass for another first down. Three plays, three first downs for the Lions. All of a sudden the Lions are on the seven yard line. After looking dominant on defense, Tulane seems to be caught flat footed.
8:56- SE Louisiana settles for field goal. Goal line defense looked impressive. Everybody was blanketed and they tackled well. While the defense was caught sleeping for a little bit, they came through and forced a 25 yard field goal. 14-10 Tulane
8:40- Eliot manages to not overthrow his receiver and completes a pass to Robottom for 20 yards. He seems to be establishing himself as the go to receiver.
8:15- Eliot Completes an 8 yard pass to Robottom, who fumbles the ball and the Lions recover returning it to the Tulane 28. Looked pretty clearly like he was down though, and now the play is being reviewed. The ruling stands though. SE Louisiana is now driving and only has 28 yards to go. Tulane keeps shooting itself in the foot. Right when you think Robottom is establishing himself as the #1 WR, he goes and fumbles a ball. To be expected with this team
6:35- The defense does its part, as it has been throughout the half, and forces a 3 & out for the Lions. The 37 yard field goal split the uprights and now the score is 14-13. There really is no reason that the Lions have scored 13 points. They should have no more then 3. And its not the defense's fault. Tulane just needs to play fundamentally sound football and it will win this game. Right now SE Louisiana has scored 10 points off of turnovers, and that is unacceptable
5:11- Eliot throws another ball that goes right through the hands of a Lions defender. Second pass that would have been picked off by almost any other team. When is Toledo gonna say enough is enough... Considering the success of the running game, wouldn't Moore be the best option at QB as he can run the ball as well? Tulane punts.
3:44- 63 yard TD pass by Brian Babin to Merrick Lanaux. Babin has only thrown 2 balls down field and both have been completions. The Tulane secondary is juts miserable. Lanaux was wide open too, beating coverage by about 5 yards. If I were the Lions I would just continue to throw the ball down field until Tulane proves it can cover somebody. The only reason for the defensive stops earlier was that the Lions tried running the ball. 20-14 SE Louisiana
3:04- Finally, on 3rd down, Eliot throws an INT trying to throw down field. He should have thrown the INT on 2nd down, but WR Casey Robottom showed great skill as a CB and broke up the pass. One has to wonder what Scott Eliot is seeing out there. On both passes, the WRs were completely blanketed in coverage
:36- Antonio Harris sacks Babin and forces a fumble, which the Green Wave recover on the Lions 45 yard line. This is a huge play, as it give the Green Wave a chance to put up a few cheap points before the end of the half if they can get in field goal range
:00- Scott Eliot then precedes to throw three incomplete passes, two of which could have been picked off, and then a completes a 9 yard pass that results in a turnover on downs. What a waste of Antonio Harris' great sack He was booed off the field, as well as all the whole Tulane team as SE Louisiana took a knee to end the first half. I would be shocked to see Eliot play in the 2nd half. Looks absolutely miserable
First half grades
Offense: C- Did not know it was possible to get a C- if your RB rushes for 126 first half yards with 2 TD, but that is just what the Green Wave did. With a fumble lost, an INT, and a turnover on downs, they have negated all the great work of Forte
Defense: B- They did well on run defense, and got pressure on the QB which resulted in a turnover, but they let up two huge pass plays, one resulting in a TD. Secondary has to tighten up
Special Teams: D- A punt got blocked for a TD, and that alone deserves an F. But right after that, Tuyo returned the kickoff to midfield, resulting in a D- grade.
13:49- 3 & out for the defense. Their impressive performance continues. Now is when the offense needs to put up points. The defense has not let the Lion offense do anything, yet its a tie game.
12:14- Eliot overthrows Casey Robottom by a good 10 yards on 2 &9. The passing game is anemic. Forte saves the drive with a 28 yard burst to the left side, making hard cuts.
11:58- Forte follows that run up with a 21 yard touchdown run on the very next play. He ran straight up the middle breaking a tackle on his way to the end zone. Is it too early to already give out the offensive player of the week award? 14-7 Tulane
10:39- Lions QB Brian Babin completes a 25 yards pass. First time he has thrown down field all game. Maybe he should be more.
9:18- That is followed up by a 14 yard run by Jay Lucas for a first and a 12 yard screen pass for another first down. Three plays, three first downs for the Lions. All of a sudden the Lions are on the seven yard line. After looking dominant on defense, Tulane seems to be caught flat footed.
8:56- SE Louisiana settles for field goal. Goal line defense looked impressive. Everybody was blanketed and they tackled well. While the defense was caught sleeping for a little bit, they came through and forced a 25 yard field goal. 14-10 Tulane
8:40- Eliot manages to not overthrow his receiver and completes a pass to Robottom for 20 yards. He seems to be establishing himself as the go to receiver.
8:15- Eliot Completes an 8 yard pass to Robottom, who fumbles the ball and the Lions recover returning it to the Tulane 28. Looked pretty clearly like he was down though, and now the play is being reviewed. The ruling stands though. SE Louisiana is now driving and only has 28 yards to go. Tulane keeps shooting itself in the foot. Right when you think Robottom is establishing himself as the #1 WR, he goes and fumbles a ball. To be expected with this team
6:35- The defense does its part, as it has been throughout the half, and forces a 3 & out for the Lions. The 37 yard field goal split the uprights and now the score is 14-13. There really is no reason that the Lions have scored 13 points. They should have no more then 3. And its not the defense's fault. Tulane just needs to play fundamentally sound football and it will win this game. Right now SE Louisiana has scored 10 points off of turnovers, and that is unacceptable
5:11- Eliot throws another ball that goes right through the hands of a Lions defender. Second pass that would have been picked off by almost any other team. When is Toledo gonna say enough is enough... Considering the success of the running game, wouldn't Moore be the best option at QB as he can run the ball as well? Tulane punts.
3:44- 63 yard TD pass by Brian Babin to Merrick Lanaux. Babin has only thrown 2 balls down field and both have been completions. The Tulane secondary is juts miserable. Lanaux was wide open too, beating coverage by about 5 yards. If I were the Lions I would just continue to throw the ball down field until Tulane proves it can cover somebody. The only reason for the defensive stops earlier was that the Lions tried running the ball. 20-14 SE Louisiana
3:04- Finally, on 3rd down, Eliot throws an INT trying to throw down field. He should have thrown the INT on 2nd down, but WR Casey Robottom showed great skill as a CB and broke up the pass. One has to wonder what Scott Eliot is seeing out there. On both passes, the WRs were completely blanketed in coverage
:36- Antonio Harris sacks Babin and forces a fumble, which the Green Wave recover on the Lions 45 yard line. This is a huge play, as it give the Green Wave a chance to put up a few cheap points before the end of the half if they can get in field goal range
:00- Scott Eliot then precedes to throw three incomplete passes, two of which could have been picked off, and then a completes a 9 yard pass that results in a turnover on downs. What a waste of Antonio Harris' great sack He was booed off the field, as well as all the whole Tulane team as SE Louisiana took a knee to end the first half. I would be shocked to see Eliot play in the 2nd half. Looks absolutely miserable
First half grades
Offense: C- Did not know it was possible to get a C- if your RB rushes for 126 first half yards with 2 TD, but that is just what the Green Wave did. With a fumble lost, an INT, and a turnover on downs, they have negated all the great work of Forte
Defense: B- They did well on run defense, and got pressure on the QB which resulted in a turnover, but they let up two huge pass plays, one resulting in a TD. Secondary has to tighten up
Special Teams: D- A punt got blocked for a TD, and that alone deserves an F. But right after that, Tuyo returned the kickoff to midfield, resulting in a D- grade.
First Quarter Tulane Vs SE Louisiana Lions
Pre-game- Crowd for this one seems to be by far the lowest of the three home games... That is expected though as the Green Wave got crushed in their first two games and now play a 1-AA opponent. Not much buzz for this game
First Quarter
15:00- Lions win the toss and choose to receive and on the opening kickoff the Lions fumble but manage to recover on their own 26. The Tulane sideline seems fired up.
14:04- On 3&4, Lions convert a 3rd &4 with a 12 yard run. Once again the Green Wave defense can not get a stop on third down. This has been a recurring problem.
12:30- Tulane comes up with a huge sack on 3 & 7 to force a punt. Noticeable energy on defense. Freshman WR Casey Robottom, who has a breakout game last week, is the punt returner. This shows that he really does have play making abilities and is a deep threat.
Scott Eliot is starting at QB. I agree with this move for this game beacuse the Green Wave need a win here and Eliot with his veteran leadership probably gives them the best chance. But for the future I think Moore might be the best option to see if he can develop into a quarterback of the future.
8:36- On 3 &12 Brian King drops a pass that would have been a first down. This has been a problem with him all season. This forces the punt, which is blocked and returned for a touchdown by Donald Frazier. 7-0 Lions.
This is not the start Toledo imagined. Mistakes on offense, including a holding call and a dropped pass, then a blocked punt. Embarrassing already and the game just started.
8:21- Ade Tuyo returns the kickoff the 50 yard line. Just the type of play the Green Wave need. Points on the board are critical hear now for team morale.
7:00- On 3&9, Eliot throws a terrible pass that bounces right off the hands of a Lions CB and into the hands Chris Dunn for a first down. Tulane should be on defense right now, they did not deserve that.
5:28- Matt Forte with a 20 yard TD run right up the middle. Toledo seems intent on pounding the ball with Forte. He already has 6 carries. 7-7
1:57- On 4 &1 at the Tulane 46, Tulane defense comes up with a huge stop. The defense is on their toes. Besides that big play, their have been 3 or 4 screen passes and Tulane has sniffed out everyone of them. Playing with a lot of energy and looking impressive.
First Quarter ends with Tulane on the Lions 44 yd line with a 3 & 9. Definitely not impressed with the offense. Look stale with a lot of runs for 1 and 2 yards, and when Eliot finds an open receiver downfield they just drop the ball. Not good. Defensively though, there have not been any missed tackles and they are doing a good job against the run. The Lions have not really tried to throw downfield
First Quarter
15:00- Lions win the toss and choose to receive and on the opening kickoff the Lions fumble but manage to recover on their own 26. The Tulane sideline seems fired up.
14:04- On 3&4, Lions convert a 3rd &4 with a 12 yard run. Once again the Green Wave defense can not get a stop on third down. This has been a recurring problem.
12:30- Tulane comes up with a huge sack on 3 & 7 to force a punt. Noticeable energy on defense. Freshman WR Casey Robottom, who has a breakout game last week, is the punt returner. This shows that he really does have play making abilities and is a deep threat.
Scott Eliot is starting at QB. I agree with this move for this game beacuse the Green Wave need a win here and Eliot with his veteran leadership probably gives them the best chance. But for the future I think Moore might be the best option to see if he can develop into a quarterback of the future.
8:36- On 3 &12 Brian King drops a pass that would have been a first down. This has been a problem with him all season. This forces the punt, which is blocked and returned for a touchdown by Donald Frazier. 7-0 Lions.
This is not the start Toledo imagined. Mistakes on offense, including a holding call and a dropped pass, then a blocked punt. Embarrassing already and the game just started.
8:21- Ade Tuyo returns the kickoff the 50 yard line. Just the type of play the Green Wave need. Points on the board are critical hear now for team morale.
7:00- On 3&9, Eliot throws a terrible pass that bounces right off the hands of a Lions CB and into the hands Chris Dunn for a first down. Tulane should be on defense right now, they did not deserve that.
5:28- Matt Forte with a 20 yard TD run right up the middle. Toledo seems intent on pounding the ball with Forte. He already has 6 carries. 7-7
1:57- On 4 &1 at the Tulane 46, Tulane defense comes up with a huge stop. The defense is on their toes. Besides that big play, their have been 3 or 4 screen passes and Tulane has sniffed out everyone of them. Playing with a lot of energy and looking impressive.
First Quarter ends with Tulane on the Lions 44 yd line with a 3 & 9. Definitely not impressed with the offense. Look stale with a lot of runs for 1 and 2 yards, and when Eliot finds an open receiver downfield they just drop the ball. Not good. Defensively though, there have not been any missed tackles and they are doing a good job against the run. The Lions have not really tried to throw downfield
Friday, September 21, 2007
Boudreaux arrested
According to the Times Picayune, Tulane running back and kick returner Ray Boudreaux was arrested this morning in his Metairie home for an alleged stabbing on Bourbon Street last Sunday that left five people wounded. This is the same stabbing that was caught on a surveillance camera and reported over the week. We'll try to get more info as the story develops.
Update:
WDSU reports that Boudreaux said he was "very, very sorry for what happened" and for "putting a blemish on the school." Apparently, the fight that led to the stabbings involved two groups of people, and Boudreaux claims his group was outnumbered (and as a result he used the knife). He's been charged with five counts of attempted murder.
Official Statement from Tulane University:
Ray Boudreaux, a Tulane University senior from Abbeville, La., and a member of the football team, has been suspended from Tulane. The suspension, effective immediately, means that Boudreaux can no longer attend classes at the university or participate in any activities, including intercollegiate athletics. The suspension was implemented after Boudreaux was arrested and charged in connection with an off-campus stabbing on Bourbon Street.
We'll post the official statement released by the university as soon as it is sent to us.
His roster profile has been taken down on the official website, and it looks like football will be the least of his concerns at this point.
Update:
WDSU reports that Boudreaux said he was "very, very sorry for what happened" and for "putting a blemish on the school." Apparently, the fight that led to the stabbings involved two groups of people, and Boudreaux claims his group was outnumbered (and as a result he used the knife). He's been charged with five counts of attempted murder.
Official Statement from Tulane University:
Ray Boudreaux, a Tulane University senior from Abbeville, La., and a member of the football team, has been suspended from Tulane. The suspension, effective immediately, means that Boudreaux can no longer attend classes at the university or participate in any activities, including intercollegiate athletics. The suspension was implemented after Boudreaux was arrested and charged in connection with an off-campus stabbing on Bourbon Street.
We'll post the official statement released by the university as soon as it is sent to us.
His roster profile has been taken down on the official website, and it looks like football will be the least of his concerns at this point.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Tulane Women's Basketball Schedule Out
Last season, Lisa Stockton and the women's basketball team didn't get an NCAA tournament invite despite finishing the season 26-7 and winning the Conference USA regular season title. The tournament committee is said to have penalized the Green Wave for not playing a tough-enough schedule. Well, they won't be able to make that complaint next season.
The team has released its 2007-2008 schedule on the official site, which includes games against 10 teams that made the postseason last year. Needless to say, another 26-7 season should easily get them an NCAA tournament birth.
The team has released its 2007-2008 schedule on the official site, which includes games against 10 teams that made the postseason last year. Needless to say, another 26-7 season should easily get them an NCAA tournament birth.
Injury Update for SLU game
According to the official website, WR Casey Robottom, one of last week's players of the game, and redshirt senior OL Scott Holt will start inplace of WR Jeremy Williams (right ankle) and OL Pete Hendrickson (shoulder) respectively. Both injuries are not serious, and Williams and Hendrickson are both expected to play.
Perhaps the most intriguing question that will be answered this weekend is whether or not Robottom is the real deal. He'll have a chance to prove he can be a go-to guy with teams concentrating on stopping him instead of Williams or WR Brian King.
Also, all three quarterbacks are expected to play this weekend. We'll see if redshirt freshman Kevin Moore gets more playing time, or if head coach Bob Toledo sticks with playing Elliot for most of the game.
Perhaps the most intriguing question that will be answered this weekend is whether or not Robottom is the real deal. He'll have a chance to prove he can be a go-to guy with teams concentrating on stopping him instead of Williams or WR Brian King.
Also, all three quarterbacks are expected to play this weekend. We'll see if redshirt freshman Kevin Moore gets more playing time, or if head coach Bob Toledo sticks with playing Elliot for most of the game.
Tulane-Southeast Louisiana Preview
Green Wave looking to bounce back against I-AA SLU
Gabe Ascher
contributing writer
Gabe Ascher
contributing writer
After a disappointing loss to fellow Conference USA member Houston last week, the Green Wave is looking to bounce back and create some positive momentum, beginning with a non-conference matchup against Southeastern Louisiana this Saturday at the Superdome. SLU, formerly a Division I-AA squad now in the Division I Championship Subdivision, is coming off a 79-7 victory over Division II Kentucky Wesleyan. Tulane Coach Bob Toledo, citing a sputtering offense against
While the Green Wave has never lost to a Division I-AA team,
“I just watched [SLU’s] video, and they've got some guys that can make plays,” he said. “Our guys have to match their intensity, particularly early. We need to get off on a good start to be able to be successful Saturday.”
A strong first half has been elusive this season. Tulane was down 24 points at the half against
“Last year the score [against
“When you throw over 45 balls, right now, for us, that's too many balls,”
SLU, on the other hand, is riding the momentum of its banner win over Kentucky Wesleyan last week. Scoring on its first seven possessions, the Lions would gain 498 total yards to the Panther’s 188. The win nearly matched a single-game school record set in 1932, when SLU beat
“They create a lot of havoc,”
Still, recent practices have focused more on general improvement than preparation specific to Saturday’s game.
“This week we’re going to worry about ourselves, doing the fundamental things it takes to get better,”
These included an important practice Tuesday that was interrupted by thunderstorms last week, which
“There was no gain in practice,”
Monday, September 17, 2007
Grades vs. Houston
Well the Grades are out, and once again, they ain't pretty. Of course these are all subjective, so I'd like to hear what you all think.
Offense: D+/C-
QB: C-
Once again, Scott Elliot threw a key interception, and the offense looked out-of-sync when he was in the game. Scelfo and Moore both looked uncomfortable at first -- that is until they figured out Houston couldn't guard WR Casey Robottom. His first drive aside, Moore looked like the best quarterback on the team (albeit against Houston's second-stringers). We'll see how the rotation looks this weekend.
RB/FB: C+
Forte didn't look too bad, but the blocking just wasn't there for him at times. You can tell teams are game-planning for him, leaving a lot of opportunities deep. It was nice seeing the freshman Jordan Stephany get in the game.
WR/TE: C-
Where in the world did Casey Robottom come from? Who cares. If he keeps playing like that and one of the Green Wave quarterbacks step it up, he and Williams could form a fearsome duo. King bobbled a few passes, including one that turned into an interception. Ratcliff and the tight ends were quiet again and none of the other receivers really figured much into the offense, except maybe Chris Dunn and his one reception off a touchdown. The grade is low because on many plays, especially later in the game, there were guys giving up on their routes or running them half-heartedly.
OL: D+
This group was inconsistent throughout the game and really never let Forte get in any sort of rhythm. The tackles in particular struggled against the Cougars' defensive ends. No sacks given up, although there were plenty of times the quarterback would have to get rid of the ball with a Cougar defensive end in his face. Something needs to be done about the run blocking.
Defense: C-
DL: D-
Once again, this unit was abused by the lack of offense and the amount of time the Green Wave defense was out on the field. Keenum threw two interceptions -- who knows how many more he would've thrown had he faced a consistent pass rush. Cougars RB Anthony Aldridge was an automatic five yards on each play. Houston was so confident it could break the Tulane defensive line that it even ran the ball twice on third-and-long. This unit needs to develop some depth...fast...
LB: C-
This grade would be higher had it not been for all the runs Houston had to the outside. Evan Lee had another solid game, but everyone else was MIA.
DB: C+
The spread simply got to the Green Wave cornerbacks -- they couldn't stop the screen passes or runs to the outside, and they had difficulty staying with Houston WR Donnie Avery. Again, the opposition converted on quite a few third-and-longs. Skehan's two interceptions was this unit's saving grace.
Coaching: B-
Learning a new system on both sides of the ball takes time and repetition, and Toledo certainly has this program on the right track. There are a few reasons to second guess some specific decisions (why not bench Elliot earlier?), but Toledo isn't the reason for all the turnovers and the manhandling on both sides of the line.
Overall: C-
Once again, the Green Wave was taken to the woodshed for three quarters of a football game. Houston is good, but they're not this good. Someone needs to step up at the quarterback position and the offense needs to sustain drives longer if it has any hope of posting more than two wins.
Offense: D+/C-
QB: C-
Once again, Scott Elliot threw a key interception, and the offense looked out-of-sync when he was in the game. Scelfo and Moore both looked uncomfortable at first -- that is until they figured out Houston couldn't guard WR Casey Robottom. His first drive aside, Moore looked like the best quarterback on the team (albeit against Houston's second-stringers). We'll see how the rotation looks this weekend.
RB/FB: C+
Forte didn't look too bad, but the blocking just wasn't there for him at times. You can tell teams are game-planning for him, leaving a lot of opportunities deep. It was nice seeing the freshman Jordan Stephany get in the game.
WR/TE: C-
Where in the world did Casey Robottom come from? Who cares. If he keeps playing like that and one of the Green Wave quarterbacks step it up, he and Williams could form a fearsome duo. King bobbled a few passes, including one that turned into an interception. Ratcliff and the tight ends were quiet again and none of the other receivers really figured much into the offense, except maybe Chris Dunn and his one reception off a touchdown. The grade is low because on many plays, especially later in the game, there were guys giving up on their routes or running them half-heartedly.
OL: D+
This group was inconsistent throughout the game and really never let Forte get in any sort of rhythm. The tackles in particular struggled against the Cougars' defensive ends. No sacks given up, although there were plenty of times the quarterback would have to get rid of the ball with a Cougar defensive end in his face. Something needs to be done about the run blocking.
Defense: C-
DL: D-
Once again, this unit was abused by the lack of offense and the amount of time the Green Wave defense was out on the field. Keenum threw two interceptions -- who knows how many more he would've thrown had he faced a consistent pass rush. Cougars RB Anthony Aldridge was an automatic five yards on each play. Houston was so confident it could break the Tulane defensive line that it even ran the ball twice on third-and-long. This unit needs to develop some depth...fast...
LB: C-
This grade would be higher had it not been for all the runs Houston had to the outside. Evan Lee had another solid game, but everyone else was MIA.
DB: C+
The spread simply got to the Green Wave cornerbacks -- they couldn't stop the screen passes or runs to the outside, and they had difficulty staying with Houston WR Donnie Avery. Again, the opposition converted on quite a few third-and-longs. Skehan's two interceptions was this unit's saving grace.
Coaching: B-
Learning a new system on both sides of the ball takes time and repetition, and Toledo certainly has this program on the right track. There are a few reasons to second guess some specific decisions (why not bench Elliot earlier?), but Toledo isn't the reason for all the turnovers and the manhandling on both sides of the line.
Overall: C-
Once again, the Green Wave was taken to the woodshed for three quarters of a football game. Houston is good, but they're not this good. Someone needs to step up at the quarterback position and the offense needs to sustain drives longer if it has any hope of posting more than two wins.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Cincinnati Defense
I couldn't have been more wrong about my sleeper defense pick this week; the Cincinnati Bengals vs. the Cleveland Browns. Cleveland has scored 27 points at half-time and has a total of 224 yards already on offense. If you picked them up and started them in your league because of me, I'm sorry, but if it makes you feel any better, it's killing me right now too. Derek Anderson is picking them apart? Really? Really Cinci D? Come on Bengals.
Update: This is turning into a joke? Someone is playing a joke? I am in the Truman show or something? 41 points allowed with 5:48 left in the 3rd quarter?
Update: This is turning into a joke? Someone is playing a joke? I am in the Truman show or something? 41 points allowed with 5:48 left in the 3rd quarter?
Players of the Game
Here are Saturday's players of the game. This week they were pretty obvious.
Offense: Redshirt freshman WR Casey Robottom - Who'd have thought Robottom, a redshirt freshman who'd never caught a pass before, would be the Green Wave's best player on Saturday? But that was certainly the case. Robottom proved to be a dangerous threat deep. He finished with four catches for 115 yards, and he beat his defender on virtually every play. Only RB Matt Forte had as many catches, and only WR Jeremy Williams was a distant second in receiving yardage with only 50 yards.
Defense: Junior FS David Skehan - Two interceptions will usually make you player of the game. He also had a pass break-up and six tackles. LB Evan Lee, last week's player of the week, had another double-digit tackle game with 12.
Special Teams: K/P Ross Thevenot Thevenot gets player of the week again by default. While he missed a 37-yard field goal early, he hit a 28-yard field goal and converted on his only extra-point attempt of the game. His punts were high and short, but the coverage team still looked tenative when the Cougars didn't call a fair catch. Kick returners Ade Tuyo and Ray Boudreaux didn't break any big returns.
Offense: Redshirt freshman WR Casey Robottom - Who'd have thought Robottom, a redshirt freshman who'd never caught a pass before, would be the Green Wave's best player on Saturday? But that was certainly the case. Robottom proved to be a dangerous threat deep. He finished with four catches for 115 yards, and he beat his defender on virtually every play. Only RB Matt Forte had as many catches, and only WR Jeremy Williams was a distant second in receiving yardage with only 50 yards.
Defense: Junior FS David Skehan - Two interceptions will usually make you player of the game. He also had a pass break-up and six tackles. LB Evan Lee, last week's player of the week, had another double-digit tackle game with 12.
Special Teams: K/P Ross Thevenot Thevenot gets player of the week again by default. While he missed a 37-yard field goal early, he hit a 28-yard field goal and converted on his only extra-point attempt of the game. His punts were high and short, but the coverage team still looked tenative when the Cougars didn't call a fair catch. Kick returners Ade Tuyo and Ray Boudreaux didn't break any big returns.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Tulane vs. Houston: Fourth Quarter
FINAL: Houston 34, TULANE 10. Check in tomorrow for an in-depth analysis of the game. We'll have grades and more later on in the week.
0:32: Moore finds Dunn in the endzone on a slant pattern over the middle. 34-10 Houston . The few Green Wave fans remaining are rewarded for their patients.
0:53: Toledo goes for it on fourth down, and Moore finds Brian King over the middle for a first down. You can tell the offense really wants to get at least one touchdown.
1:06: Moore airs it out for Robottom once again. Robottom beat two defenders but couldn't get to the ball. Moore then airs it out one more time for Robottom, but once again he throws it a little too far. Robottom looked tired on that third down play.
1:21: Moore airs it out to Casey Robottom (facing man coverage) on the first play of the drive for a big gain. Robottom now has four catches for 115 yards...I wonder who the player of the week will be...
1:36: Kicker T.J. Lawrence hits a 33-yard field goal. 34-3 Houston.. That'll probably be our final.
3:33: It's becoming clear that the play of the Green Wave offense is affecting the energy of the defense on ensuing drives. After the three-and-out, the defense gives up two big runs to the outside.
4:52: Three-and-out. Moore looked jittery in his debut, and on third down got hit in the back and fumbled the ball. The Green Wave recovered the ball and Thevenot punts.
Redshirt freshman Kevin Moore will take over for Scelfo, his first appearance of the season. The commercial with Bob Toledo promising a high-powered offense is playing on the Jumbotron right now...
5:28: A nice defensive sequence for the Green Wave, including a sack on second down. Interesting how once the offense gets on the board, the defense plays with more energy on the ensuing drive.
7:20: ON third down, Scelfo's pass is batted down by a defensive lineman as Scelfo's height becomes a factor. Thevenot hits a 28-yard field goal on the next play.
8:32: Many of Scelfo's passes have sailed on him a little bit, but his last two have looked sharp, including a 12-yard pass to Ratcliff for a first down.
11:49: Scelfo takes it himself to the outside for a four or five yards before gang-tackled and pushed backward for a loss. Then few Houston players decide to keep on tackling him after the play -- personal foul and a first down.
12:56: Same exact play called, and Robottom catches it again. Ade Tuyo chugs through the middle for a first down on the next play. It looks like Scelfo is starting to find some rhythm
13:35: Scelfo finds Robottom for his first big completion of the day. Other than that play, he has looked lost out there.
14:30: Keenum finds Avery on a deep pass all the way to the Green Wave one yard line, but Avery then gets stripped and Joe Goosby recovers. The play is reviewed and then confirmed. Big play, but the game is all but over at this point.
0:32: Moore finds Dunn in the endzone on a slant pattern over the middle. 34-10 Houston . The few Green Wave fans remaining are rewarded for their patients.
0:53: Toledo goes for it on fourth down, and Moore finds Brian King over the middle for a first down. You can tell the offense really wants to get at least one touchdown.
1:06: Moore airs it out for Robottom once again. Robottom beat two defenders but couldn't get to the ball. Moore then airs it out one more time for Robottom, but once again he throws it a little too far. Robottom looked tired on that third down play.
1:21: Moore airs it out to Casey Robottom (facing man coverage) on the first play of the drive for a big gain. Robottom now has four catches for 115 yards...I wonder who the player of the week will be...
1:36: Kicker T.J. Lawrence hits a 33-yard field goal. 34-3 Houston.. That'll probably be our final.
3:33: It's becoming clear that the play of the Green Wave offense is affecting the energy of the defense on ensuing drives. After the three-and-out, the defense gives up two big runs to the outside.
4:52: Three-and-out. Moore looked jittery in his debut, and on third down got hit in the back and fumbled the ball. The Green Wave recovered the ball and Thevenot punts.
Redshirt freshman Kevin Moore will take over for Scelfo, his first appearance of the season. The commercial with Bob Toledo promising a high-powered offense is playing on the Jumbotron right now...
5:28: A nice defensive sequence for the Green Wave, including a sack on second down. Interesting how once the offense gets on the board, the defense plays with more energy on the ensuing drive.
7:20: ON third down, Scelfo's pass is batted down by a defensive lineman as Scelfo's height becomes a factor. Thevenot hits a 28-yard field goal on the next play.
8:32: Many of Scelfo's passes have sailed on him a little bit, but his last two have looked sharp, including a 12-yard pass to Ratcliff for a first down.
11:49: Scelfo takes it himself to the outside for a four or five yards before gang-tackled and pushed backward for a loss. Then few Houston players decide to keep on tackling him after the play -- personal foul and a first down.
12:56: Same exact play called, and Robottom catches it again. Ade Tuyo chugs through the middle for a first down on the next play. It looks like Scelfo is starting to find some rhythm
13:35: Scelfo finds Robottom for his first big completion of the day. Other than that play, he has looked lost out there.
14:30: Keenum finds Avery on a deep pass all the way to the Green Wave one yard line, but Avery then gets stripped and Joe Goosby recovers. The play is reviewed and then confirmed. Big play, but the game is all but over at this point.
Tulane vs. Houston: Third Quarter
Well the third qurter is over with. Most of the student section has left, but there are still a lot of die-hard fans in the stands. Not only has Houston been the stronger, faster, and quicker team, it has also played with a lot more fire.
0:38: Houston's Case Keenum is back in the game, and on first down has all day to throw. But the Houston receiver simply drops the ball.
0:38: On the return, Houston has two illegal blocks in the back, the second one a vicious hit (somewhat of a cheap shot) that has Travis Burks laying on the field. He is able to walk off the field though.
1:24: On third down, Scelfo can't find anyone, tries to scramble, and coughs up the ball as he goes down. Green WAve recover
2:55: True freshman Jordan Stephany gets the ball on first down -- his first carry of the season I believe. On second down, Forte runs to the outside for a first down, but yet another penalty against the Green Wave (personal foul) has the offense walking backwards.
Anthony Scelfo is in the game now. Elliot wasn't horrible, but he certainly wasn't effective either.
4:16: The Green Wave stops an Aldridge run to the outside on third and long. The Cougars will punt for the first time this game -- Houston is starting to look a little complacent. On the punt, a Tulane player ran into the punter, but there was no call (a Houston player may have pushed him into the punter).
6:29: On third down, Elliot throws to WR Brian King over the middle, but King just can't hold on and the ball is deflected into the hands of a Cougar player. King had a few drops against the Bulldogs last week as well. Hopefully he can get his game together next week against SE Louisiana because he is an integral to the success of this offense.
7:17: After a few nice runs by Forte, Elliot tries to find Dunn on an out route but instead throws the ball to a Houston CB who drops an easy INT.
8:34: On third down, Elliot chucks it up to Williams in double coverage, but luckily Houston is called for holding and Tulane gets a first down. Let's see if this sparks the offense.
8:38: On first and second down, Houston DE Ernest Miller absolutely mauls Elliot on both plays. The Green Wave tackles need to step it up.
9:00: Third-down conversions have been a big issue for Tulane today, but Forte runs up the middle for a first down. They are now 2-of-8 on third down for the day.
10:08: On the kickoff return, Chris Dunn is flagged for an illegal block in the back. Penalties have been an issue in today's game as well -- that is Tulane's fourth penalty (for 50 yards).
10:14: After yet another three-and-out by the Green Wave, Anthony makes an unbelievable cutback one-on-one against Tulane S Chinonso Echebelem and takes it to the house. 31-0 Houston.. There's your big play by Aldridge. This is getting ugly.
0:38: Houston's Case Keenum is back in the game, and on first down has all day to throw. But the Houston receiver simply drops the ball.
0:38: On the return, Houston has two illegal blocks in the back, the second one a vicious hit (somewhat of a cheap shot) that has Travis Burks laying on the field. He is able to walk off the field though.
1:24: On third down, Scelfo can't find anyone, tries to scramble, and coughs up the ball as he goes down. Green WAve recover
2:55: True freshman Jordan Stephany gets the ball on first down -- his first carry of the season I believe. On second down, Forte runs to the outside for a first down, but yet another penalty against the Green Wave (personal foul) has the offense walking backwards.
Anthony Scelfo is in the game now. Elliot wasn't horrible, but he certainly wasn't effective either.
4:16: The Green Wave stops an Aldridge run to the outside on third and long. The Cougars will punt for the first time this game -- Houston is starting to look a little complacent. On the punt, a Tulane player ran into the punter, but there was no call (a Houston player may have pushed him into the punter).
6:29: On third down, Elliot throws to WR Brian King over the middle, but King just can't hold on and the ball is deflected into the hands of a Cougar player. King had a few drops against the Bulldogs last week as well. Hopefully he can get his game together next week against SE Louisiana because he is an integral to the success of this offense.
7:17: After a few nice runs by Forte, Elliot tries to find Dunn on an out route but instead throws the ball to a Houston CB who drops an easy INT.
8:34: On third down, Elliot chucks it up to Williams in double coverage, but luckily Houston is called for holding and Tulane gets a first down. Let's see if this sparks the offense.
8:38: On first and second down, Houston DE Ernest Miller absolutely mauls Elliot on both plays. The Green Wave tackles need to step it up.
9:00: Third-down conversions have been a big issue for Tulane today, but Forte runs up the middle for a first down. They are now 2-of-8 on third down for the day.
10:08: On the kickoff return, Chris Dunn is flagged for an illegal block in the back. Penalties have been an issue in today's game as well -- that is Tulane's fourth penalty (for 50 yards).
10:14: After yet another three-and-out by the Green Wave, Anthony makes an unbelievable cutback one-on-one against Tulane S Chinonso Echebelem and takes it to the house. 31-0 Houston.. There's your big play by Aldridge. This is getting ugly.
Tulane vs. Houston: Second Quarter
Well the only good thing Coach Toledo and the team can take away from this half is that the teams is only down by 24 (thanks to a few INTs by Houston QB Case Keenum). This looks eerily similar to the second half of the Mississippi State game. Lots of big third-down plays in favor of the Cougars, turnovers by the offense, dropped passes, and overall domination by the Cougars upfront.
0:00: The play stands and the crowd boos the call. Lawrence misses the 52-yard attempt (Wide Left).
0:02: To end the half, Joeseph finds DOnnie Avery, but he's blown up by Josh Lumar and fumbles the ball Avery recovered, but it looked like the clock had wound down to zero. The play is under review in order to see if they should put 2 seconds back on the clock -- the Cougars are in field-goal range.
0:14: On third down, Hafner again sheds another tackler and gets out-of-bounds to keep the drive going and the clock stopped.
1:59; Hafner looks like he'll be short of the first down on third and long, but he sheds a would-be-tackler in the open field and stays on his feet for the first down.
3:42: Forte is stuffed on third down. On fourth down, Thevenot misses the field goal . There goes the Green Wave's best drive of the evening.
5:47: Forte picks up 13 yards and a first down on third and five. Next play, Elliot finds Robottum for a long catch and first down. That is Robottum's first-career catch.
This is looking worse than the previous three Houston-Tulane games. . The Cougars look stronger, faster, and much more physical.
7:00: Punt returner and wide receiver Taric Williams catches a screen pass on the flats and takes it to the house. This game looks like its already over. 24-0 Houston
9:12: On the punt, Tulane is charged with holding. Junior QB Blake Joseph is now in for the Cougars. Thevenot has not had a good day punting -- his kicks have been high but not deep.
9:27: On third down, Elliot finds Williams on a slant but Williams drops the ball. The Green WAve is now 0-for-5 on third down.
10:04: The Cougars must have studied tape of last week's -- a screen pass to Forte is stuffed for a loss.
10:23: INT by Skehan -- his second of the game. . Keenum threw a terrible pass deep and Skehan easily read it.
11:30: The COugars fumble the snap on second down. On third-and-five Hafner catches the ball but doesn't reach the first-down maker. On fourth down, Aldridge rushes to the outside with some great blocking and runs for 15 yards. The Cougars are confident on offense today.
8:12: After being forced to punt yet again, a Tulane defender lets up on coverage as Houston returner Taric Williams surprises him by not calling a fair catch. Williams gets some decent yardage on the return as a result. This is the second time its happened today.
13:06: Tuyo caught the ball while jumping back toward the end zone, so he was forced to return the kick. On first down, Elliot tried a screen pass but is hit as he throws. Forte is swallowed up by Cougars DE Ell Ashe on second down. The crowd is starting to get restless.
The Cougars have taken control early for many of the same reasons Mississippi State took control of the game last week: turnovers and big third-down plays.
13:14: Keenum finds TE Mark Hafner WIDE OPEN for a touchdown. Another defensive breakdown. 17-0 Houston
13:20: It looks like the Cougars may have fumbled the ball, but the pass was ruled incomplete as the referees say the Cougars didn't have possession of the ball. The play is under review. PLAY STANDS.
13:50: Aldridge makes a big run up the middle on third and one. While he hasn't broken any big runs, every time he runs the ball the Cougars can expect at least three yards.
0:00: The play stands and the crowd boos the call. Lawrence misses the 52-yard attempt (Wide Left).
0:02: To end the half, Joeseph finds DOnnie Avery, but he's blown up by Josh Lumar and fumbles the ball Avery recovered, but it looked like the clock had wound down to zero. The play is under review in order to see if they should put 2 seconds back on the clock -- the Cougars are in field-goal range.
0:14: On third down, Hafner again sheds another tackler and gets out-of-bounds to keep the drive going and the clock stopped.
1:59; Hafner looks like he'll be short of the first down on third and long, but he sheds a would-be-tackler in the open field and stays on his feet for the first down.
3:42: Forte is stuffed on third down. On fourth down, Thevenot misses the field goal . There goes the Green Wave's best drive of the evening.
5:47: Forte picks up 13 yards and a first down on third and five. Next play, Elliot finds Robottum for a long catch and first down. That is Robottum's first-career catch.
This is looking worse than the previous three Houston-Tulane games. . The Cougars look stronger, faster, and much more physical.
7:00: Punt returner and wide receiver Taric Williams catches a screen pass on the flats and takes it to the house. This game looks like its already over. 24-0 Houston
9:12: On the punt, Tulane is charged with holding. Junior QB Blake Joseph is now in for the Cougars. Thevenot has not had a good day punting -- his kicks have been high but not deep.
9:27: On third down, Elliot finds Williams on a slant but Williams drops the ball. The Green WAve is now 0-for-5 on third down.
10:04: The Cougars must have studied tape of last week's -- a screen pass to Forte is stuffed for a loss.
10:23: INT by Skehan -- his second of the game. . Keenum threw a terrible pass deep and Skehan easily read it.
11:30: The COugars fumble the snap on second down. On third-and-five Hafner catches the ball but doesn't reach the first-down maker. On fourth down, Aldridge rushes to the outside with some great blocking and runs for 15 yards. The Cougars are confident on offense today.
8:12: After being forced to punt yet again, a Tulane defender lets up on coverage as Houston returner Taric Williams surprises him by not calling a fair catch. Williams gets some decent yardage on the return as a result. This is the second time its happened today.
13:06: Tuyo caught the ball while jumping back toward the end zone, so he was forced to return the kick. On first down, Elliot tried a screen pass but is hit as he throws. Forte is swallowed up by Cougars DE Ell Ashe on second down. The crowd is starting to get restless.
The Cougars have taken control early for many of the same reasons Mississippi State took control of the game last week: turnovers and big third-down plays.
13:14: Keenum finds TE Mark Hafner WIDE OPEN for a touchdown. Another defensive breakdown. 17-0 Houston
13:20: It looks like the Cougars may have fumbled the ball, but the pass was ruled incomplete as the referees say the Cougars didn't have possession of the ball. The play is under review. PLAY STANDS.
13:50: Aldridge makes a big run up the middle on third and one. While he hasn't broken any big runs, every time he runs the ball the Cougars can expect at least three yards.
Tulane vs. Houston: First Quarter
That ends the first quarter. The Green Wave offense has been aweful so far, and the Cougars made a couple big plays on third down that have extended drives. This is exactly what the Green Wave didn't want happen. Without SKehan's INT in the end zone, this game would be 17-0.
0:00 A big 3rd and 8 for the Cougars, and Houston gets a first down. But WR LJ Castile is charged with a chop block. So on third and long (with 0:00 on the clock), Keenum finds a wide open Avery for 18 yards.
1:00: On third down, the Cougars run the ball right up the middle for six yards and a first down. A really gutsy call by Houston coach Art Briles.
3:01: On the punt, Goosby is hit with a personal foul. I didn't really see it, but it doesn't seem like there's much argument about the call. There seems to be some bad blood between the two teams.
3:12: Elliot found TE Gabe Ratcliff over the middle, but Ratcliff couldn't hold onto the ball. Tulane has to punt.
3:50: Another reverse gone bad. Houston is really doing a good job on defense of staying at home and not falling for any trick plays.
4:59: Forte with a few nice gains of 6 and 15 yards to start the drive. You can tell the Cougars really want to stop the run, but Toledo isn't budging and insists on running.
The student section has filled up quite nicely -- late-arriving crowd. But the INT really sucked the life out of the crowd. Tulane will take over at its own 32.
5:50: Touchdown Cougars -- Aldridge rushes to the outside and gets into the endzone with his butt. 10-0 Houston
5:58: On third down, Elliot makes a terrible decision by throwing the ball over the middle in traffic. The Cougars MLB Cody Lubojasky returns it to the Green Wave 4 yard line. That's Lubojasky's first career INT.
7:24: After a nice run to the left side by Forte, Toledo tries a little trickery on first down, but the Cougars had it covered well. It looked like Robutum wanted to throw the ball on the reverse.
8:30: Jeremy Williams out-jumps his man in single coverage for a big play up to around the 40 yard line. The momentum seems to have shifted.
9:01: Interception by Tulane in the end zone-- HUGE PLAY. Skehan makes a big play. Keenum was under pressure that time and may a horrible throw across his body over the middle (in traffic as well).
9:47: Three Houston plays, three first downs. Keenum has all day to throw and the Cougars are running the spread to perfection. Aldridge hasn't been a factor quite yet, but he will be as Houston opens up the run by passing.
10:32: Quick three-and-out by the Tulane offense. The defense will have to run back out on the field.
After the kickoff return (taken to the 22), there was a little skirmish after the play. No penalties.
33-yard FG good by Lawrence. 3-0 Houston. That was a quick drive -- 7 plays, 53 yards in less than 3 minutes.
12:05: Big third-down stop -- exactly what the doctor ordered for this Green WAve defense. Keenum had all day to throw, but the coverage was outstanding.
13:00: Another completion from Keenum to Avery, but one of the COugar linemen decided to play wide receiver and the Cougars get penalized. Huge penalty that could end the drive.
13:51: Another completed pass -- this time over the middle from Keenum to Holland. The Cougars are getting anything they want right now.
14:44: A screen pass by QB Case Keenum to WR Donnie Avery gets the Cougars about 20 yards, then a personal foul on Tulane SS Devon Holland. Ref says he pushed the guy late -- looked really iffy as both guys were running hard and it looked like Avery slowed up a little and Holland simply ran into him.
15:00: Kickoff caught around the five yard line, and returned to the 30-yard line.
0:00 A big 3rd and 8 for the Cougars, and Houston gets a first down. But WR LJ Castile is charged with a chop block. So on third and long (with 0:00 on the clock), Keenum finds a wide open Avery for 18 yards.
1:00: On third down, the Cougars run the ball right up the middle for six yards and a first down. A really gutsy call by Houston coach Art Briles.
3:01: On the punt, Goosby is hit with a personal foul. I didn't really see it, but it doesn't seem like there's much argument about the call. There seems to be some bad blood between the two teams.
3:12: Elliot found TE Gabe Ratcliff over the middle, but Ratcliff couldn't hold onto the ball. Tulane has to punt.
3:50: Another reverse gone bad. Houston is really doing a good job on defense of staying at home and not falling for any trick plays.
4:59: Forte with a few nice gains of 6 and 15 yards to start the drive. You can tell the Cougars really want to stop the run, but Toledo isn't budging and insists on running.
The student section has filled up quite nicely -- late-arriving crowd. But the INT really sucked the life out of the crowd. Tulane will take over at its own 32.
5:50: Touchdown Cougars -- Aldridge rushes to the outside and gets into the endzone with his butt. 10-0 Houston
5:58: On third down, Elliot makes a terrible decision by throwing the ball over the middle in traffic. The Cougars MLB Cody Lubojasky returns it to the Green Wave 4 yard line. That's Lubojasky's first career INT.
7:24: After a nice run to the left side by Forte, Toledo tries a little trickery on first down, but the Cougars had it covered well. It looked like Robutum wanted to throw the ball on the reverse.
8:30: Jeremy Williams out-jumps his man in single coverage for a big play up to around the 40 yard line. The momentum seems to have shifted.
9:01: Interception by Tulane in the end zone-- HUGE PLAY. Skehan makes a big play. Keenum was under pressure that time and may a horrible throw across his body over the middle (in traffic as well).
9:47: Three Houston plays, three first downs. Keenum has all day to throw and the Cougars are running the spread to perfection. Aldridge hasn't been a factor quite yet, but he will be as Houston opens up the run by passing.
10:32: Quick three-and-out by the Tulane offense. The defense will have to run back out on the field.
After the kickoff return (taken to the 22), there was a little skirmish after the play. No penalties.
33-yard FG good by Lawrence. 3-0 Houston. That was a quick drive -- 7 plays, 53 yards in less than 3 minutes.
12:05: Big third-down stop -- exactly what the doctor ordered for this Green WAve defense. Keenum had all day to throw, but the coverage was outstanding.
13:00: Another completion from Keenum to Avery, but one of the COugar linemen decided to play wide receiver and the Cougars get penalized. Huge penalty that could end the drive.
13:51: Another completed pass -- this time over the middle from Keenum to Holland. The Cougars are getting anything they want right now.
14:44: A screen pass by QB Case Keenum to WR Donnie Avery gets the Cougars about 20 yards, then a personal foul on Tulane SS Devon Holland. Ref says he pushed the guy late -- looked really iffy as both guys were running hard and it looked like Avery slowed up a little and Holland simply ran into him.
15:00: Kickoff caught around the five yard line, and returned to the 30-yard line.
Tulane vs. Houston: Pre-Game
Well we're about 15 minutes from kick-off. Here are a few observations so far:
- Tulane will put out the same starting lien up as last week (including Elliot starting at quarterback despite his ankle) with the exception of DE: Reggie Scott and Adam Kwentua will start instead of Scott and Carney. Regardless, Logan Kelley should see plenty of time behind both.
- The student section looks extremely meager compared to last week, but that's probably to be expected.
- UCF is looking pretty good against Texas. Tulane doesn't play them this season...
UPDATE: Texas 26, UCF 24 with under 10 mins to go.
- It's official -- Keenum will definitely start. Houston will also
Houston has won the toss and chooses to receive, and Tulane will defend the South end zone.
FYI: Tulane's captians were Forte, Barto, and Goosby.
- Tulane will put out the same starting lien up as last week (including Elliot starting at quarterback despite his ankle) with the exception of DE: Reggie Scott and Adam Kwentua will start instead of Scott and Carney. Regardless, Logan Kelley should see plenty of time behind both.
- The student section looks extremely meager compared to last week, but that's probably to be expected.
- UCF is looking pretty good against Texas. Tulane doesn't play them this season...
UPDATE: Texas 26, UCF 24 with under 10 mins to go.
- It's official -- Keenum will definitely start. Houston will also
Houston has won the toss and chooses to receive, and Tulane will defend the South end zone.
FYI: Tulane's captians were Forte, Barto, and Goosby.
Keenum will probably start
It looks like the Cougars will probably start redshirt freshman Case Keenum over junior Blake Joseph. Both threw interceptions last week against Oregon, but Keenum also threw for a touchdown and is probably the better passer. Both, as you can see from the box score from last week's game, are formidable rushing threats.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Game Updates
Since tomorrow's 6pm game against Houston isn't televised, if you are out of town or can't make it to the Superdome, we will be blogging live from the Superdome! So while you're keeping track through GameTracker, you can keep tabs on what really happened (since we all know GameTracker alone doesn't tell the whole story) by updating the Hullabaloo Sports Blog.
Cougars Practice Report
It looks like tropical storm Humberto avoided Houston enough to where the Cougars could practice yesterday. Houston head coach Art Briles talked about how the team is looking forward to playing in the Dome and how big the turnover battle will be. Nothing too earth shattering, and he hasn't changed from his position on Tuesday as far as not announcing a starting quarterback. Both are pretty similar as far as experience and ability is concerned, so it won't really matter. The Green WAve just needs to find a way to stop running back Anthony Aldridge
Also, if the Houston players start the game with a little hop in their step, it may be because the team had last weekend off. Their opener against Oregon Sept. 1 is the only game they've played this season. Tulane, meanwhile, had its "bye" week the first week of the season and will be playing on 12 consecutive weekends this season. Ouch.
Also, if the Houston players start the game with a little hop in their step, it may be because the team had last weekend off. Their opener against Oregon Sept. 1 is the only game they've played this season. Tulane, meanwhile, had its "bye" week the first week of the season and will be playing on 12 consecutive weekends this season. Ouch.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Toledo Press Conference
Went to the press conference this week with Toledo and he said a few key things....
Biggest weakness on their team is their physical strength and stamina. Most college teams he says has 40-50 guys capable of benching 400 pounds. Tulane only has 2. That is a big reason why they wore down in the second half against a much stronger SEC team.
Also, Scott Eliot is day to day, and he may be able to play on saturday, but he is not sure yet. I personally feel like he wont.
Anthony Aldridge, a Univeristy of Houston running back on the pre season Doak Walker award list (best running back in the country), concerns Coach Toledo the most. "Everytime he touches the ball he can take it to the house."
Houston, even though they lost Kevin Kolb, still clearly has an explosive offense. They were able to put up 27 points on Oregon, who manage to hold the University of Michigan to 7 points. So if Tulane wants to win this game, its gonna be a shootout. And the combined score of the past two meetings between these teams is 69-10. Not looking too good for the Green Wave
Biggest weakness on their team is their physical strength and stamina. Most college teams he says has 40-50 guys capable of benching 400 pounds. Tulane only has 2. That is a big reason why they wore down in the second half against a much stronger SEC team.
Also, Scott Eliot is day to day, and he may be able to play on saturday, but he is not sure yet. I personally feel like he wont.
Anthony Aldridge, a Univeristy of Houston running back on the pre season Doak Walker award list (best running back in the country), concerns Coach Toledo the most. "Everytime he touches the ball he can take it to the house."
Houston, even though they lost Kevin Kolb, still clearly has an explosive offense. They were able to put up 27 points on Oregon, who manage to hold the University of Michigan to 7 points. So if Tulane wants to win this game, its gonna be a shootout. And the combined score of the past two meetings between these teams is 69-10. Not looking too good for the Green Wave
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Tulane Hall of Fame inductees announced
Obviously this is a bit of old news, but better late than never. Tulane Athletics announced the Class of 2007 Tulane Athletics Hall of Fame inductees, which include baseball players Jake Gautreau and Andy Canizarro (now with the Yankees), tennis player Anna Monhartova, basketball player Janell Burse, female long-distance runner Hanne Lyngstad, football player Bernard Robertson (a third-team all-American who played for the Bears a few years back) and legendary broadcaster Bruce Miller, who was the voice of Tulane sports from 1959-1975.
This is the first year of eligibility for pretty much everyone except Miller, so it's good to see former athletes get the recognition they deserve.
This is the first year of eligibility for pretty much everyone except Miller, so it's good to see former athletes get the recognition they deserve.
Kevin Everett
By the time I wrote my 3 point play, I realized I had forgotten perhaps the most important sports story this week. It involves Bills safety Kevin Everett, who after attempting a tackle on Broncos returner Dominick Hixon, lay motionless on the field for several minutes with a cervical spine injury. What is scary about this incident is that the type of hit that may paralyze Everett takes place all the time in football. It is incredibly lucky that these types of injuries are not sustained more often. I hope Everett's case will help bring about better protection for the players who take part in the game that all of us love to watch. The NFL has hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars and some of it should be spent to further research these types of injuries.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Basketball recruits in town
Head coach Dave Dickerson and the men's basketball team hosted a pair of highly-touted prospects this weekend, according to Scout.com. Evan Ravenel and Shaquille Johnson were in town Saturday (probably to check out the football game) on official visits. As of now VA Tech seems to be Tulane's biggest competition for both players. We'll see if Dickerson can work his magic and pry players away from BCS conference schools this year.
Of course, keep in mind that last year's big-time recruit, Kris Richard, didn't even see the court while Kevin Sims, a lesser-known prospect, was one of Tulane's best players in '06-'07.
Of course, keep in mind that last year's big-time recruit, Kris Richard, didn't even see the court while Kevin Sims, a lesser-known prospect, was one of Tulane's best players in '06-'07.
Toledo's Players of the Week (vs. Miss. St.)
The official website announced that Coach Toledo named his players of the week. They include:
Offense: WR Jeremy Williams (4 catches for 85 yards)
Defense: LB James Dillard (16 tackles, 10 solo)
Special Teams: K/P Ross Thevenot (40.9-yard avg. on seven punts, 3/3 on PAT's)
I agree with all of these. As I said in an earlier post, Forte was clearly the go-to guy and the most valuable player on either team in the first half. but his play in the second half combined with his two fumbles really put a damper on his performance. Williams showed he can be counted on for one or two big plays per game, and I agree with the Dillard selection as well. None of the kick returners had particularly good games, so Thevenot gets selected by default.
Offense: WR Jeremy Williams (4 catches for 85 yards)
Defense: LB James Dillard (16 tackles, 10 solo)
Special Teams: K/P Ross Thevenot (40.9-yard avg. on seven punts, 3/3 on PAT's)
I agree with all of these. As I said in an earlier post, Forte was clearly the go-to guy and the most valuable player on either team in the first half. but his play in the second half combined with his two fumbles really put a damper on his performance. Williams showed he can be counted on for one or two big plays per game, and I agree with the Dillard selection as well. None of the kick returners had particularly good games, so Thevenot gets selected by default.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Volleyball goes 2 for 3 at LAX Classic
Tulane volleyball suffered their first loss of the season in last Friday's LAX Classic opener against Loyola Marymount University, 3-1 (30-17, 29-31,30-21, 31-29).
Sophomore Ksenija Vlaskovic hit a season-high 18 kills, while juniors Sara Radosevic and Bridget Wells added 17 and 16 kills, respectively. Jenn Miller, sophomore liobero made a season-high 27 digs, and setter Rachel Lindelow gave a leading 28 assists.
Saturday's game versus the University of Wisconsin, #10, resulted in a 3-0 loss (30-27, 30-22,30-27). Though Wisconsin clearly had the advantage in height, Vlaskovic was still able to knock out 12 kills while Radosevic added eight kills and 11 digs. The six-foot-three Wells amassed four kills and three blocks.
The wave rolled out of Los Angelos on a high note after sweeping Columbia University 3-0 (30-13, 30-19, 30-11) that same day.
Wells, OH, hit 10 kills (.444), and Lindelow gave her second 30+ assist performance of the season.
"Bridget came out with an improved performance. With continued effort, she can sustain these types of performances throughout the season. That is what we have charged her with for this season," Head Coach Liz Kritza said.
This Wednesday Tulane heads to El Paso, Tx for the Conference USA Opener against University of Texas El Paso.
Sophomore Ksenija Vlaskovic hit a season-high 18 kills, while juniors Sara Radosevic and Bridget Wells added 17 and 16 kills, respectively. Jenn Miller, sophomore liobero made a season-high 27 digs, and setter Rachel Lindelow gave a leading 28 assists.
Saturday's game versus the University of Wisconsin, #10, resulted in a 3-0 loss (30-27, 30-22,30-27). Though Wisconsin clearly had the advantage in height, Vlaskovic was still able to knock out 12 kills while Radosevic added eight kills and 11 digs. The six-foot-three Wells amassed four kills and three blocks.
The wave rolled out of Los Angelos on a high note after sweeping Columbia University 3-0 (30-13, 30-19, 30-11) that same day.
Wells, OH, hit 10 kills (.444), and Lindelow gave her second 30+ assist performance of the season.
"Bridget came out with an improved performance. With continued effort, she can sustain these types of performances throughout the season. That is what we have charged her with for this season," Head Coach Liz Kritza said.
This Wednesday Tulane heads to El Paso, Tx for the Conference USA Opener against University of Texas El Paso.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Grading Saturday's Game
Obviously, there wasn't a lot to be happy about after Saturday's 38-17 game, especially in the second half when the Green Wave was outscored 21-0. Here's my breakdown of the game:
Offense: C-
QB: C
Aside from throwing an interception for a touchdown on the third play of the game, Elliot looked solid in the first half as soon as he slowed down. He went 13 for 18 in the first half and looked especially comfortable throwing screens to Forte. The second half, however, was a disaster. A lot of it might not have been Elliot's fault, but when an offense plays as bad as it did in the second half, much of the blame lies on the quarterback.
RB: C+
Forte would get an A - had it not been for his two fumbles that completely turned the momentum of the game. He was unstoppable in the first half, but he couldn't find any holes in the second half and the Green Wave had to stray away from running the football.
WR/TE: C
Jeremy Williams and, of all people, Jeremy McKinney both get A-'s. Brian King was good as well, although he dropped a few catchable passes. Everyone else was virtually non-existent, including the tight ends Bob Toledo said would figure into the offense more.
OL: C-
The line did a pretty decent job of pass blocking and even created some room for Forte on the outside the first half. The second half everyone looked worn down and dejected as the Bulldogs defensive line was able to stuff the run with ease.
Defense: C+
DL: B-
This unit played extremely well in the first half. It was clear from the start the Bulldogs would try to wear them down by running the ball with its gigantic running back Anthony Dixon, and at first they couldn't. But the plan eventually worked, mostly because the offense kept on turning the ball over deep in Tulane's own territory and going three-and-out. Henig being able to do anyting he wanted out of the shotgun really opened up the run as well. Depth will be a problem here all season. The pass rush was extremely inconsistent.
LB: B-
Once again, this unit played well. Evan Lee was in on a lot of plays, and even backup David Kirksey had himself a solid game. But tackling was an issue in the second half. Although Dixon is a tough guy to bring down, he shouldn't be bowling over guys like he did in the third and fourth quarters.
DB: D+
Once again, this unit played decent in the first half and seemed to be able to limit the Bulldogs offense on first and second downs. But there seemed to be a lot of miscommunication in the secondary and the Bulldogs seemed to be able to make big plays fairly easily on third-and-long. Giving up big plays on third-and-long will lose a team a lot of football games.
Coaching: B+
There's still a lot of work to be done, but Toledo has this team fighting. I thought it was a curious decision to decide to start the game on offense considering the way Toledo had been talking up the importance of the defense over the offseason.
Overall: C
Give credit to the Bulldogs -- they came out and showed they were the better team in the second half. Tulane still could have won this game had it not been for giving up big third-down plays and turnovers. This team will probably be better by the end of the season once it gets accustomed to the new schemes. Nonetheless, I shudder to think what the LSU game will be like.
Offense: C-
QB: C
Aside from throwing an interception for a touchdown on the third play of the game, Elliot looked solid in the first half as soon as he slowed down. He went 13 for 18 in the first half and looked especially comfortable throwing screens to Forte. The second half, however, was a disaster. A lot of it might not have been Elliot's fault, but when an offense plays as bad as it did in the second half, much of the blame lies on the quarterback.
RB: C+
Forte would get an A - had it not been for his two fumbles that completely turned the momentum of the game. He was unstoppable in the first half, but he couldn't find any holes in the second half and the Green Wave had to stray away from running the football.
WR/TE: C
Jeremy Williams and, of all people, Jeremy McKinney both get A-'s. Brian King was good as well, although he dropped a few catchable passes. Everyone else was virtually non-existent, including the tight ends Bob Toledo said would figure into the offense more.
OL: C-
The line did a pretty decent job of pass blocking and even created some room for Forte on the outside the first half. The second half everyone looked worn down and dejected as the Bulldogs defensive line was able to stuff the run with ease.
Defense: C+
DL: B-
This unit played extremely well in the first half. It was clear from the start the Bulldogs would try to wear them down by running the ball with its gigantic running back Anthony Dixon, and at first they couldn't. But the plan eventually worked, mostly because the offense kept on turning the ball over deep in Tulane's own territory and going three-and-out. Henig being able to do anyting he wanted out of the shotgun really opened up the run as well. Depth will be a problem here all season. The pass rush was extremely inconsistent.
LB: B-
Once again, this unit played well. Evan Lee was in on a lot of plays, and even backup David Kirksey had himself a solid game. But tackling was an issue in the second half. Although Dixon is a tough guy to bring down, he shouldn't be bowling over guys like he did in the third and fourth quarters.
DB: D+
Once again, this unit played decent in the first half and seemed to be able to limit the Bulldogs offense on first and second downs. But there seemed to be a lot of miscommunication in the secondary and the Bulldogs seemed to be able to make big plays fairly easily on third-and-long. Giving up big plays on third-and-long will lose a team a lot of football games.
Coaching: B+
There's still a lot of work to be done, but Toledo has this team fighting. I thought it was a curious decision to decide to start the game on offense considering the way Toledo had been talking up the importance of the defense over the offseason.
Overall: C
Give credit to the Bulldogs -- they came out and showed they were the better team in the second half. Tulane still could have won this game had it not been for giving up big third-down plays and turnovers. This team will probably be better by the end of the season once it gets accustomed to the new schemes. Nonetheless, I shudder to think what the LSU game will be like.
Fans Display Optimistic Outlook For Football Team
Though the Green Wave lost their season opener to SEC team, Mississippi Sate last night in what seemed to have been a blowout, many long time Tulane fans were still impressed by what they saw on the field. Despite Mississippi's dominance in the second half of the game, Tulane fans argued that both the offensive and defensive camps played extremely well in the first half. According to two local Green Wave fans, the team "definitely held their own" versus a team that outmatches them in both physicality and numbers.
Fans were also impressed by Toledo's play- calling and the players' endurance throughout the game. One student mentioned that "this is a completely different team than last year. You can just tell by their play in the first half that they have been training differently and more effectively this year." Let's hope that Toledo can continue the team's forward momentum: it's way too early in the season to be discouraged by one loss.
Fans were also impressed by Toledo's play- calling and the players' endurance throughout the game. One student mentioned that "this is a completely different team than last year. You can just tell by their play in the first half that they have been training differently and more effectively this year." Let's hope that Toledo can continue the team's forward momentum: it's way too early in the season to be discouraged by one loss.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Tulane and Mississippi St. will play four more times...
Apparently today's game isn't the end of a five-game contract between the Green Wave and Mississippi St., but rather the first of a four-game contract. According to the article, the reason the two teams won't be playing the second game until 2011 because Tulane declined to play next year. The Green Wave probably declined because it will be playing Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide next year as its "other" SEC opponent.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Montagnino to play in Italy
It looks like Jami Montagnino will have to brush up on her Italian. The standout guard, who left Tulane as one of the school's best pure shooters (1st in FT%, 14th in scoring), will play for Ribera (Banco de Sicily) of the Italian League . She'll join Megan Duffy, who started for Notre Dame in 2006 and now starts for Ribera.
Montagnino was probably seen as extremely valuable not only for her shooting, but also the fact that she will count as a domestic player (Italian rosters can only have two non-Italians per team). Montagnino's grandfather is Italian, thus she will not cost Ribera a valuable "foreign slot."
Here's the link to the story.
Montagnino was probably seen as extremely valuable not only for her shooting, but also the fact that she will count as a domestic player (Italian rosters can only have two non-Italians per team). Montagnino's grandfather is Italian, thus she will not cost Ribera a valuable "foreign slot."
Here's the link to the story.
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