The Glen Cuiellette-Terren Encalade connection that sprang to life in the second half and in overtime against ULL was alive and well as Tulane began serious preparation for UMass on Tuesday. Just after I arrived, Cuiellette threw deep for Encalade, with Tre Jackson (clearly healthy) running stride for stride with him. Jackson, though, could not make the play, tipping the ball and falling down as it deflected right to Encalade for a long touchdown.

Look for plenty of those attempts against UMass. Coach Willie Fritz confirmed the obvious after practice, saying Cuiellette would start Saturday with freshman Johnathan Brantley getting guaranteed time off the bench.

Thanks to the late explosion against ULL, Tulane no longer ranks dead last nationally in passing. The Green Wave leapfrogged Army with an average of 87 yards compared to the Black Knights' 75.8, and as long as Cuiellette remains the starter, the Wave should keep rising.

"We found a little rhythm in the passing game in overtime," said Encalade, who had two scoring receptions in the extra session of the dramatic 41-39 four-OT victory against ULL. "That's going to open up the run, and the run is going to open up the pass. It's hand in hand."

Tulane's receiver depth chart changed during the ULL game. Freshman Darnell Mooney, who started against the Ragin' Cajuns and had three catches, including a nice 25-yard touchdown in the second OT, will start again versus UMass.

"Darnell particularly had a really good week of practice, and the times he'd been in the games, he'd made some mistakes just like a lot of young kids do, but he'd also done it going 100 miles an hour," wide receivers coach Jeff Conway said. "When you do that, you can build on that. You can get those corrected, and that's Darnell right now. He came into our summer preparation late and has done nothing but hard work trying to soak up what we're teaching him."

The depth chart lists fellow freshman Chris Johnson as a backup, but it also lists Devin Glenn as a wideout even though he was moved to running back (while not receiving any snaps there on Saturday) last week. Don't rule out Johnson starting ahead of Devon Breaux, who has three catches through four games. Yes, Johnson had a horrible drop in the third OT, but he was wide open.

"The thing I think that gets lost in that, and this is what we've really tried to help Chris with is he ran flat by the defensive back. There are not a lot of guys who can do that. He didn't need to have any technique except I'm big, I'm fast and I just ran by you. That gives him hope for the next play. It's all a learning process right now for those young guys, but they're trying like crazy to get better."

I would assume Tulane will have the starting offensive line against UMass, with Junior Diaz missing a second consecutive game with his bad ankle, John Leglue replacing him and Kenneth Santa Marina replacing Leglue at right tackle. The Wave had mixed results with that group against ULL, struggling to open holes in the running game and looking shaky early against the pass rush before settling down late.

The defense, which played well against ULL, should have the same 11 starters, including sophomore end Peter Woullard. Cornerback Donnie Lewis, who many people have been hard on but whom Fritz loves, played his strongest game despite getting burned twice. He picked off his first pass and providing good coverage the rest of the time. Having not played much in the past, Lewis needed something good to happen to gain more confidence. Look for him to give the Wave an outstanding cover tandem along with Parry Nickerson, who had another interception on Saturday.

"It was nice to get the first one out of the way," Lewis said. "I talked to (Lorenzo) Doss, and Doss told me the first one will take some time but when it comes then the rest of them will start coming. Once it came, I was kind of excited."

Lewis had to keep his head high after giving up some big plays against Southern and Navy.

"It's really a challenge from the practice to the game," he said. "We are going against receivers bigger than us in the game (though not Southern's), which we don't get that look in practice. I practice having amnesia because you are going to give up big plays. I just try not to let it beat me."

I caught up with Ade Aruna, who executed two perfect back flips in the post-game celebration as he was running off the field. He weighs 260 pounds, which might qualify him as the biggest man in the country who do back flips, particularly after playing 84 downs in a four-overtime game.

"It goes back to Nigeria," he said. "I used to do gymnastics growing up. I wasn't thinking about doing it, but one of the freshmen (he thinks it was Larry Bryant) did it first, so I was just running to the field and I was like, OK, let me who them what I got, let me do mine, too."

Aruna, who used to struggle against the run, took pride in the way he helped the defense limit ULL star running back Elijah McGuire to 89 yards on 38 carries (2.3 average).

"Our coaches were preaching since day 1 that he's the best back we were going to play and he was supposed to go to the NFL," Aruna said. "It was just preparation, and we didn't let up. We knew he could make you miss, but we just played with effort and as one team. We got him out of the game.'

Aruna also took a playful jab at Woullard, who looked lost after he picked up a fumble in the first quarter, blowing an opportunity to score a touchdown by starting slowly and then running out of bounds for no reason.

"I was mad at him," Aruna said. "I said you should have scored. He just looked at me and said he was so tired. I said, no, just keep playing. I would have scored it. I think it caught him by surprise, so when he got it, he didn't know what to do. I wish he would have scored."

It was a strange week where people agreed on most of the games and no one got more than five points. Winwave was the only person who picked USL. No one picked Wisconsin. It would have been even worse for 16 of us if Stanford, which trailed UCLA almost all the way before going ahead in the final 30 seconds, had not covered with a fumble return off a sack with no time left. That was a bad beat for highwave, the lone UCLA picker.

5

ny oscar
MNalum
diverdo
kettrade1

4

LSU Law Greenie
Charlamange8
winwave
Gretna Green
Wavetime

3

Golfer81
WaveON
DrBox

2

Mono41
Guerry
highwave
paliii

1

Rcnut

OVERALL STANDINGS

20.5

Kettrade1
MNAlum

19.5

WaveON
Gretna Green

18.5

DrBox
diverdo

17.5

Rcnut
LSU Law Greenie

16.5

highwave
winwave

15.5

Harahan Wave (missed 1 week)
Mono41
Charlamange8
ny oscar (missed 1 week)

14.5

jjstock2005 (missed 1 week)
Guerry

13.5

Wavetime
Golfer81

11.5

paliii (missed 1 week)

8

buck2481 (missed 2 weeks)


Week 4 game-by game results

ULL over Tulane 1 of 17
Auburn over LSU 9 of 17
Tennessee over Florida 7 of 17
Ole Miss over Georgia 9 of 17
Texas A&M over Arkansas 12 of 17
Stanford over UCLA 16 of 17
Baylor over Oklahoma State 3 of 17
Wisconsin over Michigan State 0 of 17

Fritz confirmed on his TV show that Diaz is out for the season.

I'm pumped!!! Really having a good morning!

I'm stretching my memory, but the last OT win that I can remember was against ECU in the Dome when Powell made some really nice throws. ULL was stacking the box and that really stopped our O. Maybe our OL missed some assignments, etc, but the more I think about everything, especially considering the OT play calling, I think that GC is the only QB that can execute the playbook. The OT play calling showed everyone watching that this offense has the ability to be creative. However, with Brantley back there either the coaching staff doesn't have the confidence in his throwing and/or his handle on the playbook. Either way, I'm not trying to criticize Mr. Brantley who plays his heart out, just trying to figure out why we haven't been calling plays like that since the Wake game.

I thought our D played great. With exception to the blocked punt, I thought our Special Teams played good also. Where did DiRocco's leg strength come from? I guess he ate his Wheaties and had the adrenaline going . Marley and Smart had good games....

Anyway, I'm pumped, we're 2-2 and have a fighting chance.

Whittington is up to 10 offers. All of the teams view Whittington as a WR at the next level with the exception of Baylor who likes him at DB.

https://n.rivals.com/news/2019-wr-reaches-double-digit-offer-total#

As always, the Tulane game counts double, the home teams are listed first and the spreads come from VegasInsider.com consensus:

Tulane (-5) Louisiana-Lafayette
Auburn (+3.5) LSU
Tennessee (-6.5) Florida
Ole Miss (-7) Georgia
Texas A&M (-6) Arkansas
UCLA (+3) Stanford
Baylor (-8) Oklahoma State
Michigan State (-5.5) Wisconsin

Glen Cuiellette, who handled his benching after two games with incredible grace on the outside even though it was killing him on the inside, revealed how emotional Tulane's 41-39 four-overtime victory against ULL was for him after the wild game was over. He went from wondering whether he would ever play a significant down again to a triumphant finish off the bench in what almost certainly will allow him to reclaim his starting job from freshman Johnathan Brantley.

Here's what Cuiellette had to say after throwing Tulane's first four touchdowns of the season--the last three in overtime:

Was that the wildest game you've ever been involved in?

"Yeah, definitely. Definitely."

What happened in overtime, when it seemed like there was a touchdown on almost every play?

"You know, going in I really didn't get that many reps in practice. JB got the majority of the reps and I got the majority of the reps in seven-on-seven, so I knew it was going to be a like a pass situation where 'we need you,' so I just went in there and said, look, I told myself, Glen, you know the coverages, you know what they're doing, you study film, so just go out there and just play. I just went out there and just played, I just did what we practiced. Scoring at will like that really blew me away. It was like, is it that easy? It just kept going and kept going, and you're just wondering, like, dang. I'm at a loss for words really."

Considering the ups and downs for your season individually, what does a night like tonight mean for you?

"A night like this is just something I can't ever forget. Growing up I used to always watch USC and all the powerhouses--USC, Ohio State, LSU. My favorite game was Matt Flynn when LSU played Auburn, and he hit Demetrius Byrd in the corner of the end zone for a touchdown as time expired to win the game. Ever since that game, I just remember like man, I want to play college football. I want to do it. I've always loved football, too, and just having a moment like that, or just something equivalent to it, like a roller coaster with ups and downs, whenever I got my chance, I just said, you know what, seize it. I kept praying the whole game. I was like, God, please, please stop them, just stop them or God, please just put us in good situations and let the plays fall."

It looked like you hurt your ankle, and you hopped off the field after the last series of regulation. How did you recover from that to play the way you did the rest of the way?

"Yeah, it wasn't just my ankle. It was my hip, too, so I had two nagging injuries--not really injuries, just pain that could have hindered somebody from playing. I'm not going to lie. On the sideline for a moment, I couldn't for a moment there take a three-step drop and plant and throw because of the pressure on my front-side leg. After that ankle, I was like, God, I just said, Glen, you've got a choice: just sit back and watch the game unfold and put it in someone else's hands, or step up and be a man like you say you are and step up for your team and make plays. God just put me in situations and helped me through because I've been playing so much and just he's been helping me. My parents have been so supportive. After that game I went straight to them and I was in tears. It's just something I will never forget. It's very special."

I'm sure you guys heard the fans after the first three games complaining about the passing game and wanting to see it progress. What did it take for you guys to explode the way you did tonight (in overtime)?

"Honestly, we didn't think anything of it. We were just saying let's just play. When we have passing opportunities we have to capitalize on them. When I first got in, I had to get warmed up a little bit in the game. I haven't played really since week 1 when it comes to dropping back and passing. Not that that was an excuse or anything, but I had to get warmed up, I had to get in the flow. Once we just started clicking, that's when I was like, all right, we've got something.

"We didn't really think much about what people were saying. Yeah we do listen, we do know what's going on with what people are saying, but we just said, hey, let's play our game, don't focus on the outside stuff, just focus on us."

When you threw your first TD to Terren Encalade in regulation, you ran all the way to the end zone to congratulate him. Did that help you relax a little bit like, OK, now I know we can do it?

"Definitely. Once he (offensive coordinator Doug Ruse) called the play, I just looked at the defense and said, OK, we got this. I said we got this, and then I'm like I just need some time. And then I saw them blitzing, so I just tried to step up, tried to slide, and I saw him beat the guy and a guy fell, and I just put the ball up there and he ran under it. Once that happened, I was at a loss for words. I was losing it. I almost came out of my uniform. I literally almost took my helmet off, and I was like, nope, don't do that, you don't want a flag. I was just really excited. It did help me relax. It made me realize like, hey, you're meant to be here, you're meant to make throws, you're meant to be a quarterback, so play like it. You've got the monkey off your back."

The 2-point conversion after the last touchdown was as important as any play in the game, and Kendall Ardoin was wide open. How did that play work so well?

"That was a play we've worked since before the Wake game. Honestly, in practice I was like, we're never going to get this opportunity, so why are we working on it? But lo and behold, he (Ruse) called it, and I was just like, dang, he's really calling this. It worked to perfection. Great call by coach. Honestly, coach made really great calls throughout the whole game but mainly I noticed in overtime, a lot of those plays were wide open and he just made it very easy on me as a young quarterback to just have confidence and make the throws. Coach Ruse did an excellent job tonight calling plays. It was a great team effort."

You see often in college football a guy lose his starting job early in the season and lose his confidence. What did it take for you to stay up and prepare for this type of moment?

"Yeah, that was big. I thought I didn't play that bad against Wake Forest, and some of you guys were saying I didn't play that bad considering the circumstances I had to deal with. I did lose my confidence. I didn't show it really, but you could tell. I'm passionate about what I do, so it's going to eat at me a little bit. I would be in my bed at night just thinking, am I even going to get another chance? I talked to my dad and was like, is this even for me, I don't even know if I'm going to make it to the pros potentially, like I just don't have any shot now. I was thinking about my future a lot, and then all of a sudden they threw me in the game and I said, this is your opportunity, you've got to do it. Just play. And the whole night, I was very calm and ready to get back out there and make plays for my team."

What was your immediate reaction when the defense stopped the 2-pointer to win the game?

"Well, I'm not going to lie. I went down on my knees, I said thank you and I was in tears really. I remember I said to myself, you worked two hard, long years of just working, just grinding in the hot sun, just running all the time with my teammates and just doing extra afterwards when no one wanted to throw, throwing in the net, just working on something. And just seeing all that pay off in a big win like this is unreal."

Did you watch Andrew DiRocco's 48-yard field goal?

"Yeah, I was watching it. I was watching it go, and I was like, that's in."

I don't know if you saw Ade Aruna's backflips in celebration, but what are your thoughts?

"I didn't see that. I'm probably going to tease him about that now. Thanks for telling me. He's a freak. He's every bit of 6-6, 250 or something like that, runs a 4.6, 4.7 in that range. He's a freak, man. He's long, fast and physical. Every time I have to read him in practice, I'm just like, ah."

Tulane has a bunch of unofficial visitors but no official visitors in a relatively light weekend

Here are the key guys:

1) Daniel Young, a 3-star RB from Houston Westfeld High who has interest from Nebraska, Boise State and Houston among others

2) Reginald Hunter Jr, a 2-star RB from Pasgagoula with offers from Louisville, ULL and Tulane

3) Amik Robertson, a 3-star DB from Thibodaux who has committed to La Tech and had offers from several 5 programs

4) Jeremiah West, a repeat visitor and 3-star DB from St. Aug. who has committed to ULL

5) Michael Young, a 3-star WR from Destrehan who has committed to Notre Dame

6) Josh Clarke, a 3-star LB from Riverdale who has committed to Ole Miss

ALREADY COMMITTED

Stephon Huderson
Dane Ledford
Gage Mallor
Davontavean Martin
Caleb Sampson

ALSO VISITING

Carlos Alexander, Riverdale DB
Allen Arclies, TE, Abbeville
Nash Adams, SS/RB Helena High in Alabama
Terence Dunlap, RB Maplesville High in Alabama
Dontay Hargrove, LB, Pickering High in Leesville
Cameron Heil, LB, Baker
David Mosley, TE, Rummel
Amik Robertson, DB, Thibodaux

2018

Bishop Breaux, LB, Acadiana
Brice Johnson, QB, Saint Joseph High in Greenville, Miss.
Xavier Lodge, DB, Woodlawn High
Juan Monjarres, DE, St. Aug.
Larry Moton, WR, Woodlawn
Lance Robinsion, DB, De La Salle
Kemon Smith, DL, Northshore
Dentarrius Yon, QB from West Gadsden High in Greensboro, Fla.

Tulane is not mentioned other than as one of the 11 final candidates. It's pretty clear the league is not sure what it wants to do at this point.

http://www.espn.com/college-footbal.../where-do-things-stand-big-12-expansion-talks

Fritz did not reveal the exact QB plan after practice today, saying only that Brantley and Cuiellette would play. Brantley has thrown better in practice this week than he did last week, and there may be a concrete reason.

“Mechanically we’ve changed a few things he’s doing because he’s got a plenty strong enough arm,” Fritz said. “Sometimes quarterbacks are like punters and kickers and snappers and golfers. They get into a funk and then you’ve got to get them back out of that funk. That’s what we’ve got to do with him.”

Fritz added this about Cuiellette.

"We maybe put pressure on Glen that he's a vet, but he really isn't a vet," he said. "He's got all of one play (before this year). He's been here for three years and just hasn't played a whole lot. But he's a smart guy and Johnathan's smart. They'll both pick up things and make fewer and fewer mistakes as the season progresses."

With ULL RB Elijah McGuire coming off a 200-yard game, Fritz had a quick answer for what Tulane needed to do defensively this Saturday.

“You have to stop the run," he said. “They really do a nice job with running the inside zone. You have to be gap sound. He’ll find the open crease, so we have to make sure there aren’t any open creases.”

If practice is any indication, Charles Jones will start on offense at tight end. The other starters will be Jacquet, Taylor, Leglue, Brown and Santa Marina on the line, Hilliard at RB, Dace, Encalade and Breaux at WR and, I expect, Brantley at QB. I took a gamble by writing about Devin Glenn for The Advocate yesterday, but judging from practice, he really will get some significant action against ULL. He's been prominently involved in their rotation of four with Hilliard, Rounds and Thompson.

On defense, the starters likely will be Aruna and Carroll at end, Smart and Wilson at tackle, Marley and Harris at LB, Nickerson and Lewis at CB, Allen at nickel and Teamer and Franklin at safety. I don't expect to see Kennedy because he did not practice Wednesday or Thursday after getting some reps Tuesday.

Someone asked last week about the freshman RB, Miles Strickland, and I never answered. He still has not returned to practice as he recovers from a serious ankle injury.

Fritz ended practice by telling the players to make sure they ate properly and hydrated well. Then he went into the stands to get a football that had gone over the railing and walked back down to the field, a process that took a couple of minutes. He joked afterward "I'm the jack of all trades and the master of none."

I tweeted it yesterday but don't think I posted here that Junior Diaz was the Pro Football Focus highest grading out center for any Group of Five conference team. Leglue has quite the task replacing him, but the coaches believe he is up to it. The bigger concern is how Santa Marina fares replacing Leglue, but Fritz said Santa Marina had made a lot of improvement since the start of preseason camp, and Santa Marina is more comfortable at tackle than guard.

Any word on visitors this weekend?

Roll Wave!!!

Another tough loss for Tulane, which obviously could have won but did not deserve to with its penalties, sloppy tackling, cramping issues, pathetic passing attack and poor play on third down on both sides of the ball.

It's a testament to Willie Fritz and his staff that Tulane overcame those issues and was ahead in the fourth quarter and driving for another score before the possession bogged down and Andrew DiRocco missed a long field goal. At that point, Navy's game-winning drive appeared inevitable to me because the defense had worn down.

Here is what Fritz and four players had to say about the Wave's second excruciating loss in three games:

FRITZ

"It's the first game in my career where we've been plus-two or better (in turnover margin) and lost. I think I've coached 270 or 280 games or something like that, so that's disappointing. We just had far too many penalties and we just weren't really assignment sound, especially at crucial times during the game when we needed to be sound and we needed to make sure we had bodies on bodies and guys not going the wrong way and those kind of different things. It's disappointing. That's how Navy wins games, just how they did it. They grind it out and they have a winning culture there. That's what we want to have, and we want to get that sooner rather than later, so we have to continue to keep building this program and we have to win games like this."

Did you feel like a lot of the mistakes were self-inflicted?

"Yeah, there were quite a few mistakes that were self-inflicted. We had a couple of protection busts, and it was across the board. We had seniors, juniors, sophomores, freshmen. And I challenged guys downstairs. I said, hey, if you're not sure what to do, come on back here and see us. We work from 5:30 in the morning until about 9:30 or 10 o'clock at night, so we're there. We're at the office. Come on in and we'll go over it with you a hundred times if you want to. That attention to detail is part of what you gotta have if you want to win these kind of games."

What's your assessment of Johnathan Brantley's first start?

"It's hard for me to evaluate it without looking at the videotape and stuff. I thought he did some good things. He made some mistakes and understandably so with him being a freshman in his first start here at the Division I level. He did some really nice things as well. He's going to get better."

The passing game, is that an area the team just has to get better at?

"We've gotta get better at it. When it's a pass play, we've got to jump off the ball. There were a couple of times we had pretty decent protection. We've got to make sure we're doing a good job of throwing routes that are quarterback is capable of throwing and if we're throwing deep balls we've got to get somebody some juice out there. We had some guys I think can run, and when their number was called they had a hard time getting behind anybody. Give them credit. They did a good job of staying over the top and making us earn our passes. We were just off target on about two or three throws where they were a little high."

I assume you put in Glen Cuiellette at the end for his passing potential?

"Yeah, when you're doing complex throws, concepts, he's probably a little further advanced."

How much did this game send a message to your team about closing out the fourth quarter?

"We had that message the first week, and now we got that message here again. I coached some teams where we could play our C game or D game and still win. We've got to be on point in order to win. Every game we play from here on out is going to be difficult. and we've got to play well. I told them last week was a game with the possibility if we came out and played our C or D game, we still had an opportunity to win. We've got to be on point every single week, and we certainly weren't tonight. We had nine penalties for 71 yards, and that was a big one there when we had the hold and the personal foul. That really hurt us. We get a couple of first downs and we're in the driver's seat, so we've got to play smarter."

How do you balance the happiness about being in the game against a good team but also upset about not coming out with the win at the end?

"Well, they should be upset. We put a lot of time, effort and energy into this, and when you don't get the result that you want, it's disappointing. But we have to move on. We're going to reap the benefits of our hard work sooner than later as I said before."

Were you surprised by some of the cramping issues?

"No, it appeared to be a little bit on both sides. We do everything that we can under our power with hydration and nutrition and everything else. If there's something else, we'll need to look at it."

Andrew DiRocco had never made a field goal as long as the 45-yarder he attempted. Did that feel like an obvious choice or did you consider going for it on fourth down?

"Yeah, what was it, fourth-and-7? I thought it was a little long (to go for the first down), and if we hit the field goal, now they have to score a touchdown. That's something we have to really look at. What's his range exactly? He's hit some of those in practice, so we wanted to give it a go. That was our best alternative at that down and distance."

Josh Rounds gave you a spark in the first half and Dontrell Hilliard in the second half. What did you feel about the running backs' performance?

"I thought they did some good stuff. Probably looking back, we might have wanted to stay inside a little bit more then outside. I don't know. I'll have to go look at the tape. Both of those guys showed some flashes without question."

Navy's a hard team to get off the field, and they converted a lot of third downs. What was the issue there?

"They are very assignment sound, and toward the end of the game they started finding what was hurting us. They were running middle line option, with the quarterback following, and it started getting us."

Do you anticipate Brantley remaining the starter, or is too early to make that call?

"It's too early. I'm going to look at and see."

Here's what ran in the Acadiana edition of The Advocate today.

http://www.theadvocate.com/acadiana...a8e9-a3f202d6ccdc.html?sr_source=lift_amplify

I'm dumbfounded by coaches who rely on charts to determine 2-point conversions rather than common sense. Hudspeth went for 2 up 11 in the second half against South Alabama because his chart told him to do it. They missed, and South Alabama drove for a TD to cut the score to 28-23 and had a chance to get within a field goal before missing its own 2-pointer.

Couldn't the coaches just know that a 12-point lead would force South Alabama to score two TDs? Instead, Hudspeth says he will change his chart to make it accurate.

I finally got to talk to Tulane strength and conditioning coordinator Kyle Speer today after practice. We had an informal conversation, and as I expected, he does not buy the talk (some of it by me) that Tulane had a severe cramping issue against Navy.

According to Speer, only three players cramped (Nico Marley, Roderic Teamer and Braynon Edwards). Eldrick Washington's issue on both halves was an ankle problem. Marley is is terrific shape, but guys with low-bady fat like him are more susceptible to cramping. Having covered Warrick Dunn, another supremely fit athlete, at FSU, I can vouch for that. Dunn had major cramping issues in a Sugar Bowl against Florida, and it had nothing to do with a lack of conditioning.

Speer is an outstanding strength and conditioning coordinator. He says cramping has not been and will not be a significant issue for his players and that some cramping is unavoidable in humid, hot weather.

Tulane's opening series

1-10 21: Hilliard dropped for 4-yard loss
2-14-17: Option right pitch to Thompson for 3 yards
3-11-20: High pass through finger tips of Devon Breaux
4-11-20: Punt 44, NR

Analysis: Todd Jacquet or Chris Taylor appeared to miss an assignment on the first play, with Jacquet letting his guy through while moving forward to block someone else and Taylor blocking no one. Willie Fritz said Tulane could have rushed for 400 yards if players had been more assignment sound, and this was an example.

Navy's opening series

1-10-36: INC deep
2-10-36: C +7 on in route
3-3-43: PEN offside Smart
1-10-48: Roll out pass for 14 yards
1-10-38: Option left pitch + 3 but PEN hold -10
1-17-45: INC--pop pass dropped
2-17-45: INC--nice breakup by Donnie Lewis
3-17-45: SACK -11 Marley gets there first untouched and Smart finishes off, virtually untouched.
4-28-44: Punt 35, FC

Analysis: Surprising Tulane with early passes, Navy was undone by a holding penalty.

TULANE SERIES NO. 2

1-10-21: Hilliard 9 yards up gut (good blocks by Diaz and Brown)
2-1-30: Hilliard dive +2
1-10-32: INC--dropped by DB in double coverage, Dace not open on corner
2-10-32: C Hilliard swing pass +5
3-5-37: Option Brantley left good block Ardoin + 9
1-10-46: SACK minus 12
2-22-34: Hilliard draw +7
3-15-41: C Hilliard + 11 nice effort
4-4-48: PUNT 42, OB

Analysis: Brantley started making poor decisions in the passing game, throwing to Dace in double coverage and then holding the ball too long on the sack. Ardoin let a guy in late.

NAVY 2ND POSSESSION

1-10-6: RUN +2
2-8-8: RUN option left, Marley misses flying tackle + 6
3-2-14: QB keep +6 nice run
1-10-20: QB keep +4, nice tackle Marley
2-6-24: option pitch right +5
3-1-29: QB keep +2
1-10-31: INC Lewis Donnie Lewis (who the announcer kept calling a free safety)
2-10-31: C for 19 yards, receivers slips tackle by Allen for extra 13 yards
1-10-50: Pitch left minus-2 (nice tackle Aruna)
2-12-48: INC overthrow receiver behind Donnie Lewis
3-12-48: Reverse well-executed, but Donnie Lewis misses tackle with contain +21
1-10-31: PEN offside Smart +5
1-5-26: Run +4
2-1-22: option left blown up by Woullard minus-2
3-3-24: pitch left knocks over Allen, runs through Franklin +18
1-G-6: Tulane blocked totally on easy TD run (Edwards was useless, knocked to ground)

Analysis: Three missed tackled prolonged the drive. Allen could not make a play in the open field, turning what would have been a third-and-4 into a first down. Lewis, who actually had played well to that point, made a lame effort as the only player who could stop a well-executed reverse on third-and-12. If he makes the play, Navy punts. Allen then got trucked trying to make a tackle, setting up the TD. Counting Smart's second offside, it was a sloppy series for the D.

TULANE 3RD SERIES

1-10-25: Option right pitch to Rounds + 12, nice cut after pitch.
1-10-37: INC horrendous wobbling overthrow by Brantley that should have been picked
2-10-37: Rounds run up middle + 16 (nice seal Chris Taylor)
1-10-47: Rounds gorgeous run + 18 with beautiful cut and acceleration, also good blocking
1-10-29: Rounds +4 middle
2-6-25: PEN Hold minus-10 on Taylor (on messed up play)
2-16-35: QB draw +25
1-G-10: PEN illegal formation minus-5
1-G-15: Option right pitch Encalade +13 (Breaux held block just long enough)
2-G-2: Rounds TD up middle, nice run again

Analysis: For those of us who questioned Rounds getting significant playing time in a deep backfield, he turned in the best series of his career. He was really outstanding on four runs, showing ability I had not seen before. Great answer to Navy's long drive.

NAVY THIRD SERIES

1-10-25: INC deep pass on Nickerson (excellent coverage, good pressure Smart)
2-10-25: Run +2 off right guard
3-8-27: Sack Marley minus-3 (awesome play avoiding RB then diving for QB's legs)
4-11-24: PUNT 32, Ret. +5, PEN illegal block Lawrence Graham minus-10

Analysis: The best players on defense came up big, from Nickerson making an excellent play on the ball to Smart's pressure to Marley's athletic sack. Tulane can win now with that trio.

TULANE FOURTH SERIES

1-10-36: Hilliard +6 middle (excellent block Diaz)
2-4-42: Hilliard option right +3 pitch
3-1-45: Hilliard NG mid
4-1-45: HIlliard +3 middle (good block Leglue)
1-10-48: option right Hilliard NG
2-10-48: INC--swing pass over Hilliard head
3-10-48: INC deep
3-10-48: Punt 35

Analysis: Another rough passing series for Brantley, who should not have missed Hilliard on the swing pass that would have gone for a first down probably and then was lucky for a second time not to be picked off on a deflected deep pass.

NAVY FOURTH SERIES

1-10-17: Run +1
2-9-18: Run +8 (Edwards knocked down)
3-1-26: QB keep +7
1-10-33: Sack minus-7 (Smart penetrates, Woullard reaps benefit)
2-17-26: C +5 (nice open field tackle by Marley)
3-12-31: C +14 sideline (weak, soft coverage by Nickerson)
1-10-45: QB keep +7
2-3-48: QB keep NG (Teamer tackle)
3-3-48: Run +2
4-1-46: Penalty minus-5 false start
4-6-49: Punt 34

Analysis: Tulane showed good discipline on the fourth-and-1 play as Navy tried to draw the Wave offside. Not sure if Navy would have snapped the ball or not due to the false start penalty.

TULANE SERIES NO. 5

1-10-17: Thompson +2
2-8-19: Thompson minus-4

--Tulane was running out the clock for halftime

NAVY SERIES NO. 5

1-10-25: Run +26
1-10-49: Option right pitch +14
1-10-35: Run NG
2-10-35: Fumble caused by Jarrod Franklin hit, recovered by Ade Aruna

Analysis: Navy made good halftime adjustments and gouged the Wave on the first two plays. I'm not sure Eldrick Washington was doing on the first play when he took a step forward and fell down without being touched, possibly the result of cramps earlier. Quinlan Carroll was too passive on the pitch, taking away nothing. Franklin saved the defense with his form tackle that forced the fumble.

TULANE SERIES NO. 6

1-10- 30:Hilliard +3
2-7-33: Hilliard +1
3-6-34: Brantley keep +5
4-1-39: Hilliard plus-5
1-10-44: Option left pitch Hilliard minus-2
2-12-42: Brantley minus-5 (tried to run like it was QB draw, but nowhere to go)
3-17-37: INC--deep pass thrown up like punt
4-17-37: Punt 38, FC

Analysis: Leeward Brown missed a block on the QB draw. Brantley almost threw another INT, but once again Navy showed why it was pick-less this year.

NAVY SERIES NO. 6

1-10-25: QB keep +18
1-10-43: option left pitch +2
2-8-45: QB keep NG
3-8-45: option right pitch +14 plus PEN horse collar +15
1-10-26: PEN chop block minus-15 on 1-yard run
1-24-40: QB keep +14
2-10-26: QB scramble +11
1-10-15: Run +3
2-7-12: QB keep +4
3-3-8: QB keep +4
1-G-4: Run +4 TD

Analysis: Edwards and Marley cramped up on the same play and missed the rest of the drive. Smart moved to nose guard and got great penetration on the first two plays but the rest of the defensive collapsed. Allen's horse collar penalty, which was questionable, came after h missed a tackle initially. Zachery Harris missed a tackle, too, and Donnie Lewis failed to make a play on the third-and-3 run that created first-and-goal. Seans Wilson was cleared out on the DT run, which was easy.

TULANE SERIES NO. 7

1-10-24: Rounds +1
2-9-25: option right Rounds +10
1-10-35: Brantley keep NG
2-10-35: option Rounds +4
3-6-39: C Breaux +5
4-1-44: Rounds +4
1-10-48: HIlliard +18
1-10-36: HIlliard +36 TD

Analysis: Another great answer to a Navy TD even though Junior Diaz went out with an ankle injury that looked bad when a Navy defender dove into his leg while it was planted and he was looking the other direction. Leglue, who replaced him at center, and Todd Jacquet had nice blocks to spring Hilliard for his long TD. Brantley made a good throw to Breaux, who with second effort made the fourth-down attempt more palatable.

NAVY SERIES NO. 7

1-10-25: INC-scramble throwaway
2-10-25: Run +8
3-2-33: Run minus-1 (John Washington with the play)
4-3-32: Punt 48, downed

Analysis: Tulane looked like it was going to win when unheralded John Washington stuffed the third down play, forcing a three-and-out.

TULANE SERIES NO. 8

1-10-20: PEN hold on Leglue plus PEN personal foul on Chris Taylor
1-25-5: Brantley QB draw +3
2-22-8: INC sideline pass to Encalade
3-22-8: option Encalade +10
4-12-18: Punt 37, FC

Analysis: I didn't see the holding penalty on Leglue, so I can't judge it one way or the other. The personal foul call on Taylor was a little cheap because the Navy player took a dive. That usually probably gets called because Taylor hit him late, but it was a no-call without the embellishment.

NAVY SERIES NO. 8

1-10-45: Pitch +23
1-10-32: Fumbled pitch that Woullard recovered

Analysis: Just when Tulane appeared in trouble, the slotback dropped a pitch that hit him in the hands. It wasn't perfect, but it never should have been dropped. Nice alertness by Woullard, who was not even on the depth chart, to capitalize.

TULANE SERIES NO. 9

1-10-34: Rounds +2
2-8-36: Rounds +2
3-6-38: Thompson +6
1-10-44: Thompson +5
2-5-49: HIlliard +20 over left side (excellent blocking by Kendall Ardoin)
1-10-31: Deep pass INC that would have been intercepted by 99 percent of DBs
2-10-31: Brantley QB draw +4
3-6-27: Brantley QB draw NG
4-6-27: FG wide left (and probably short) from 45 yards

Analysis: Second-guessing is easy, but there was no way DiRoco was making that field goal. With no good choices available, I probably would have gone for it and seen if an option could pick up 6 yards.

I'm doing this piecemeal because of stuff that came up, but here's some comments from Fritz and Glenn about his move to running back.

FRITZ

"That was his position in high school, and it gives us a lot of speed. Sherman's going to be out a few weeks, so it gets more depth back there and also an opportunity to get him the ball. He's got some juice to him. I love the way the kid practices. He's got an endless supply of energy. He's on the punt (coverage team), he's been great on kickoff. He's good on everything. The guy plays with a lot of passion for the game. He really does."

He said he had some issues running routes. Was that a factor in the move?

"Yeah, it's not that he was poor. We could have kept him there, but he played running back all his career. I watched it again Sunday evening. We almost thought about doing it last week and we didn't. I kind of watched his highlight tape on Sunday, and he's a good back. He's real fast. If he's not the fastest, he's one of the fastest guys we got."

Speed isn't everything in football, but it matters, right?

"Speed kills. If you have a lot of fast guys and you get the ball in the hand of the fast guys, you've got a chance to make some big plays."

GLENN

What are your thoughts on moving back to running back?

"I think it's a great opportunity. Monday when they notified me that they were going to put me back in the backfield because we're short of depth. Sherman (Badie)'s down, and they just want to give me a better opportunity to make plays in open space."

You were a wide receiver from day 1 with this staff, so what's it like practicing at running back for the first time with these coaches?

"The transition wasn't really hard. I just had to meet extra with coach (running backs coach Jamaal Fobbs), and he just went over some plays on the board and I got it down pat. Yesterday he gave me a bunch of the reps, and I'm just doing what I can do for the game."

What was the hardest adjustment for you at wide receiver?

"I'd have to say running routes. It was hard, and I had to make sure that I had sure hands. I think that my hands got better."

Do you think you'll play a significant role?

Yes. We just want to get the ball on the perimeter and make plays."

This team is seventh in the nation in rushing. Is it exciting getting to be one of the guys carrying the ball?

"Oh yeah. When they told me, joy hit. I know we'll be running the ball a lot, so that will give me a better opportunity. It's my most comfortable position. I feel like once I get the ball around the edge, I'm just going to gash them."

You're returning kickoffs and covering kicks, and you tackled a returner for no gain on Tulane's first punt against Navy. How much fun is that?

"Yeah, coach (Willie Fritz) says he's going to play his best players on special teams, so playing in all phases of the kicking game is like a compliment to me. On returns, we just have to get bodies on bodies, and I think I'm gone. And on coverage, in high school I played on the defensive side of the ball, so I can hit."

With all 19 of us picking Tulane (and losing because of Navy's successful 2-point conversion) and agreeing on most of the other games as well, there were a lot of similar scores. Nebraska and Oregon was a push, which means a half-point for everyone.

6.5

WaveON
Rcnut

5.5

Harahan Wave
Charlamange8
MNAlum
Gretna Green

4.5

ny oscar
Guerry
highwave
diverdo
Golfer81
kettrade1
jjstock2005

3.5

mono41
LSU Law Greenie
winwve
DrBox
paliii

2.5

Wavetime

OVERALL STANDINGS

16.5

WaveON
Rcnut

15.5

Kettrade1
DrBox
Harahan Wave
MNAlum
Gretna Green

14.5

highwave
jjstock2005

13.5

Mono41
LSU Law Greenie
diverdo

12.5

Guerry
winwave

11.5

Charlamange8


10.5

ny oscar (missed 1 week)
Golfer81

9.5

Wavetime
paliii (missed 1 week)

8

buck2481 (missed 1 week)


WEEK 3 GAME-BY-GAME RESULTS

Tulsa over Tulane 0 of 19
Ohio State over Oklahoma 17 of 19
Ole Miss over Alabama 8 of 19
Louisville over FSU 13 of 19
Oregon/Nebraska push
Michigan St over Notre Dame 10 of 19
Stanford over USC 15 of 19
Miss St. over LSU 14 of 19

Devin Glenn has moved back to running back.

That probably means Badie will be out for a while, as many have speculated.

Now that everyone has seen what I saw throughout preseason practice--Tulane's epic struggles in the passing game (protection, receivers, QBs) has the Green Wave averaging 30 fewer yards in the air than any other team in the country (59), and coach Willie Fritz has a decision to make.

I expect him to stick with true freshman Johnathan Brantley as the starter against Louisiana-Lafayette, but Fritz refused to make a commitment after Tuesday morning's practice at Yulman Stadium. He did rule out third-string QB Darius Bradwell, but it looked like Brantley and Cuiellette were taking about the same number of reps against the scout-team defense.

"We have not 100 percent-yet," Fritz said. "We are going to probably wait until Thursday, just like game 1, game 2, game 3. Those guys did some good things and there are some things we need to improve on. The big thing we have to do is everyone--quarterbacks and offensive linemen, tight ends, wide receivers--we just have to be assignment sound. We had a few plays where 10 guys were doing the right thing and one guy not, and unfortunately it was at the point of attack on a lot of those plays, so we just have to be assignment sound."

Brantley added another element to the decision by saying he was nursing a shoulder injury in the Navy game. On Saturday night, he said he never got into a rhythm throwing, and it's possible the problem with his throwing shoulder contributed to his struggles. He said it started bothering him in practice last week because of overuse.

"Right now I'm going through shoulder rehab to get my shoulder back to the strength it needs to be," he said. "I'll be doing that every day and icing it."

Brantley added he could make all the throws required of him in the offense, pointing out many of the simple ones he missed against Navy, he'd been connecting on during preseason camp. Navy QB Will Worth, a senior, played much better in his second career start against Tulane than he did in his first career start against UConn. Brantley hopes to make the same progression. He admitted he over thought things on Saturday instead of just going out there and playing.

"Yeah, I did feel different (in his first start)," he said. "This week it will be a major improvement though because I know what it is like now, so I'll be ready. The more experience you get, the better you get and the more acclimated you get in the game."

Fritz expects a jump, too, if Brantley gets the call.

"There's a big difference (between a first and second start) without question," he said. "You just get a little more comfortable in what you're doing. I sound like a broken record because I've said this 50 times, but there's a big difference between practice and games. I'm finding out a little bit more about our guys each and every week. There's a different type of competitiveness that occurs in games as compared to practice."

Sophomore Glen Cuiellette, who started the first two games, appeared to expect Brantley to start again although he stopped short of saying it.

"I could see that right now, but coach said right now it's a tossup," Cuiellette said. "I don't know who exactly, but he always has the potential to start every week."

"I didn't want to tell him too much in the game because I really care about my teammates, too," Cuiellette said. "That's who I am now. I have to be a great teammate for him and get better as my own personal goals, but I just told him you just have to calm down when you're out there. You know what to do. You know how to run the offense. You've been doing it since you got here. Don't over think it. Simple it down and just run it, don't try to do too much and let the offense run itself.

"He had some promise, too. He made some good runs to keep drives alive and he was pitching the ball very well. He had a good third-down throw on a curl route that kept a drive moving. He's going to be a great player, and I'm going to do my best to help him out and get him to be that player he can be."

It does not look like Junior Diaz will be able to play this week. He had a walking boot on his left leg Tuesday after getting injured in the second half against Navy. John Leglue shifted from right tackle to center, and Dontrell Hilliard busted a 36-yard touchdown two plays later. Before the season I would have said Diaz was one of the guys the offense could least afford to lose, but Leglue is very capable of handling center. If Kenneth Santa Marina does a serviceable job at right tackle in what would be his first career start this Saturday, the offensive line will be OK without Diaz. Any other injuries, though, would create a huge problem because no one else at any spot is ready to start.

"He really played well on the offensive line for us," Fritz said. "He's probably been our top player on the offensive line through three weeks, and he played center in high school, so it's not a real big deal for him, but he can play guard, he can play either tackle. He's just a smart player. He's a tough guy. He gets out there and just goes to work. You don't hear him talk much, and he's an extremely hard worker and really a hard-nosed competitor."

Asked if he was haunted by the 1-2 start that very easily could be 3-0, Fritz wouldn't go there.

"You have to wait until the end of the year until you really evaluate things," he said. "I really believe if you sit around, even when you string together a lot of Ws, some guys sit around and start getting patted on the back and they start thinking they are better than what they are and they don't see the problems that are really occurring. You've just got to move on regardless of whether you've had successes or failures in the past. All we're wanting to do is turn all of our focus to (Louisiana-) Lafayette."

Fritz praised LSU transfer Anthony Jennings, who has completed 67.5 percent of his passes for 612 yards and five touchdowns with two interceptions for ULL, which got blown out 45-10 by Boise State before beating McNeese State 30-22 and South Alabama 28-23 in three home games. Tulane is favored by 4 1/2 points to end its two-game losing streak to the Ragin' Cajuns.

"He's a good quarterback," Fritz said. "He runs the ball well enough where that's a threat for you that you've got to defend (26 carries for 133 yards factoring out sacks), and he's got some experience. He doesn't get flustered by pressure and things like that. Starting experience (one year at LSU) is good for a quarterback, and there's a big difference between high school starting experience and college starting experience."

Although ULL is not on Tulane's future schedules, Fritz said he would like to play the Louisiana schools as much as possible, anticipating an excellent crowd on Saturday because of ULL's close proximity.

Fritz also praised linebacker Nico Marley, who has moved to middle linebacker the past two weeks and will stay there.

"He had done such a good job of calling everything for us and he wasn't in the box," Fritz said. "So we made that change. He's a guy that's not afraid to open his mouth and talk and get guys lined up. He plays with a whole lot of confidence. That's one of the great things about Nico. He's very passionate about playing football, and we need more guys like that. I've used him as an example on many occasions about his competitiveness. As a matter of fact, yesterday I stood him up with Tanzel (Smart), and they are about as different as night and day in terms of how they go about their business, but they are both highly competitive guys."

Asked about the play of defensive end Peter Woullard and lightning rod-for-debate Braynon Edwards, Fritz had this to say.

"They did a nice job. Peter stepped in and had a sack and hadn't played a whole bunch of football around here. Braynon hadn't played a bunch and he got a lot of snaps. You've just got to be prepared because when you're number's called, you've got to be ready. Some guys aren't and some guys aren't. Those two guys were last Saturday."

Sherman Badie was not in pads today, joining Diaz, but Robert Kennedy and Sean Wilson were in pads. Kennedy apparently suited up in the second half Saturday but did not play after watching the first half in street clothes, although I did not notice him in uniform. Tight end Charles Jones, who has a sprained ankle, appears close to coming back. I walked past him on the outside practice field as I entered the stadium, and he was telling a trainer that he had to go inside the stadium in 15 minutes for team drills.

Now that we seen what we have in the offense . What does Fritz do this week at qb position?

Well, the baseball roster is out and fall ball begins Sunday, so I decided to divert some of my attention from football to everyone’s favorite sport; Ok, my favorite sport.

In looking at the roster, my first thought is who is not there. From last year’s 35 man roster, we’re missing 17 players. Those include six who have gone on to professional baseball: Jake Rogers, Stephen Alemais, Emerson Gibbs, Alex Massey, Trevor Simms, and Patrick Duester. I believe the last time we lost that many to the pros was more than a decade ago. Richard Carthon, Tim Yandel, Jordan Gross, Shea Pierce, Cameron Burns, and Max Braud completed their eligibility and Dan Rankin and Eric Steel decided to hang up the spikes. Cade Edwards, Anthony Forte, and Garrett Grey chose to transfer. All toll, these players provided one-third of our at bats in 2016 and hit .271. Returning players as a group hit .260. The big losses in the field are, obviously, Alemais and Rogers. On the mound, the departed players accounted for 53% of our innings with a 3.62 ERA. The good news is that the few who return had an ERA of 2.83 on the season. How to replace Gibbs, A. Massey, Simms, and Duester is the issue.

Looking at the roster, we have starters and part time starters all over the place. In the outfield, that includes Rex Kaplan, Grant Witherspoon, Grant Brown and Garret DeHart. Tyler Heinrichs who appeared in a few games last year, also returns

In the infield, starters Hunter Hope (3B), Jake Willsey (2B), and Hunter Williams (1B) all return, along with Jonathan Artigues who redshirted. Matt Rowland, who really hasn’t found a position but, until this past summer, has hit everywhere he’s played (.324 for the Wave in 2016) is also back.

Jeremy Montalbano returns at DH and, possibly, catcher, but injuries may dictate where and how much he plays.

A core starting group of pitchers (Corey Merrill, J.P. France, and Ross Massey) returns, along with Christian Colletti and Sam Bjorngjeld, who each had some good appearances, mixed with bad, last season. Brandon Issa and Chris Oakley are also back though, between them, they only threw 2.2 innings last year (all by Issa). Jeremy Montalbano, at one point, became our closer last season but his return to the mound is doubtful.

That brings us to the newcomers. Four players, Luke Glancy (OF), Grant Matthews (IF), Alex Galy (IF), and Evan Rutter (RHP) were actually on the fall roster last season but did not make it to the final 35-man squad in the spring. The first three are officially redshirt freshmen, and Rutter, who, over three years (2012-2014) at Rice, threw 25.1 innings with a 2.16 ERA, is apparently being given a sixth year due to injuries, and is a graduate student.

Another newcomer, who probably has a better chance to compete, is Chris Hohlstein, a Davidson transfer, who sat out last year due to his transfer. He’s a redshirt sophomore 3B who hit .339 in summer ball.

Another graduate student, the 6’5” Ted Andrews, is a RHP who didn’t show much at Furman prior to coming to Tulane. He had Tommy John surgery back in 2013, sat out a couple of years and threw only 7.2 innings in 2015. This past season, he pitched 19 innings and was hit very hard (.386 average) with an 8.53 ERA.

Among the freshmen, several look like players and some will simply have to make a contribution.

In the outfield, Brandon Fraley and Kobi Owen will compete for time, with Fraley probably our highest rated recruit this season (10.0 by Perfect Game). Stephen Alemais was our last 10.0 recruit.

If Willsey doesn’t move to shortstop or Artigues steps up to the position, a freshman will have to replace Alemais. Sal Gozzo, Kody Hoese, and Michael Kirsch appear to be the most likely candidates, with Gozzo having the most “hype” out of high school (9.0 by Perfect Game).

Mitchell Hagan is a switch hitting LHP/1B who was also rated 9.0 by Perfect Game and could find a spot somewhere, though it’s hard to believe he’ll play in front of Hunter Williams. A left handed pitcher with some "pop" at the plate would be nice.

With Rogers and Cameron Burns gone, Garret Grey transferred, and Montalbano’s physical status in doubt, we only have two catchers, both true freshmen, on the roster. Paul Gozzo (the shortstop’s brother) was rated 9.5 by Perfect Game and Joseph Stingley, while unrated by the same service, was ranked the #9 player and #2 catcher in Delaware by them. One of these guys will really have to step up to replace Rogers both at bat and, particularly, in the field. It’s a great opportunity for a freshman. Moving someone else to catcher during their college career is not unheard of, but unusual to say the least.

On the mound, the freshmen include left hander Hagan (previously mentioned), and RHP’s Chase Solesky, Jack Hogan, Burton Schnake, Hunter Abdalla, Keegan Gillies, and Robert Price. Of these, only Solesky (8.5) and Hogan (8.0) were rated by Perfect Game, but none of them are shorter than 6’3” and Gillies is in the 6’7” to 6’8” range. So size isn’t an issue.

Artigues, Heinrich and Witherspoon (who also has injury issues) came to Tulane as “dual-threat” players and could also contribute on the mound. I also noted that Hunter Williams threw an inning of relief this summer. Is he a possible?

Speaking of summer, we had very few players participate in the “wood bat” leagues. The most impressive were Hunter Williams (.333) and Rex Kaplan (.357), along with Hohlstein (.339), who I previously mentioned. Artigues hit .269, but Heinrich (.198) and Rowland (.182) didn’t show much at all. The only pitcher who participated was Bjorngjeld, who was hit hard almost every outing and ended up with an ERA of 12.82 in 19 innings.

Anyway, going into fall ball, we have quite a few questions:
How will the players react to the new coaching staff? And, vice versa.
What’s the injury status of Weatherspoon and Montalbano? Any others?
Who will play shortstop?
Who will play catcher?
Who will fill in the 250+ innings at pitcher that went pro? Who will be the 4th starter? The 5th? Who will serve as closer(s)?
Can DeHart fulfill his obvious potential? Same question for Grant Brown.
Can Hope and Willsey continue to hit with power and cut back on the strikeouts?
What about the freshmen, especially Fraley, Hagan, and the Gozzo’s?

More than likely, few, if any, of these questions will be answered this fall, but we might see some indications. Can’t wait.

Roll Wave!!!

It's not as long a list this time, and apparently Jakyle Holmes did not make it as expected for the Southern game since he will be at Navy game. I have his number and will check in with him Sunday night or Monday.

UNCOMMITTED

1) Chase Kuerschen, a 6-1, 200-pound 2-star WR/DB from Knoxville Catholic (Tenn.) High.

Skinny: Tulane is recruiting him as an athlete. He is rated 3 stars by other sites but does not have any offers from P5 schools. Cincinnati and Colorado State are probably the top level programs the Wave is competing against for him at this point.

Rivals page: https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/1364

2) Jakyle Holmes, a 5-10, 195-pound 3-star RB from Ponchatoula

Skinny: Has offers from Arizona State and Minnesota as well as some smaller D1 programs.

Rivals profile: https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/94002

3) Matthew Nyman, a 6-2, 185-pound Athlete from Brentwood, Calif

Skinny: He's not in the Rivals or 247 Sports databases but is a 2-star recruit according to Scout and being recruited by San Diego State. Not sure what the Tulane connection is. Plays safety and wide receiver and is listed as running the 40 in 4.8.

4) Nicholas Sims, a 5-9, 175-pound running back from Mobile Murphy High

Skinny: He's in the Rivals database but does not have any stars, with no official offers listed but early interest from Alabama, Oregon and other big-time programs that likely has dissipated or never existed.

5) Corey Dublin, a 6-3, 282-pound offensive lineman from Jesuit.

Skinny: He is the Rivals database but does not have any stars. He told another site he had offers from ULL, ULM, La Tech and Ball State after camping at Mississippi State this summer.

COMMITTED ELSEWHERE

DB Jeremiah West, a 3-star from St. Aug who committed to ULL and was supposed to visit Tulane last week.

LB Jarius Warren, a 6-2, 250-pound Navy commit from Long Beach High in Mississippi

WR Griffin Hebert, a 6-3, 205-pound 2-star recruit from St. Thomas More in Lafayette who committed to Louisiana Tech

ALREADY COMMITTED TO TULANE

Caleb Sampson
Cameron Jackel
Charlie Clark

Hybrid OLB/S Bryson Jackson from Mansfield (Texas) Lake Ridge is talking about taking an official visit to Tulane later this season.

https://n.rivals.com/news/jackson-has-official-visit-to-boise-state-set#

KSM is now listed as the starter at RG w/ Brown as the backup. Kennedy and Wilson are listed as starters for what that's worth. Hope it's true.