The coaches' awards were announced today, and Sam Scofield and Lorenzo Doss earned second-team spots.

Nico Marley and Parry Nickerson were two of eight players league-wide to get honorable mention.

I probably would have switched Nickerson and Doss, but that's impressive for Nickerson to get any honor since he's only a redshirt freshman and no one knew who he was at the start of the season.

The offense was shut out, as it should have been.

I like Tulane's defense a lot for next year, but the nagging concern is what it will do without Scofield. He saved guys' butts numerous times with tackles this year, and his two fourth-down stops against East Carolina were terrific. I'm not sure I see anyone on the roster who can do what he did.

Here's the link.

UConn did not have a player on the first team, second team or honorable mention. Ouch.

Full All-AAC team

With the season now over, we are less than two months away from football signing day, 2015. And recruiting will be the focus of football operations and fan interest for the next several weeks. So, how many people can we sign? After Van Hooser was medically disqualified and Boutte left the team, I believe we had 83 players on scholarship. This includes Anthony Taylor, who may be still on a track scholarship. I simply don't know. It also includes Rob Kelley who may or may not be back due to academics.

Sixteen seniors are graduating, so we should have at least 18 slots available for 2015 at this point. Depending on the status of Taylor and Kelley, that could add two more. We have several more players entering their third and even fourth years at Tulane with hardly any playing time. Will they stick around to ride the bench another year? Who knows? Finally, we are almost assured of losing one or more players to academics, injury, or simply a desire to transfer for a myriad of reason. Historically, most of these happen after spring practice, during the summer, or just prior to fall camp. And we don't have any history of "betting on the come" regarding possible attrition. Regardless, I'd guess we have about 20 openings for 2015.

Of possible importance, I think we would be allowed to have up to three recruits join the team for the second semester this year to participate in the spring. That's a big advantage for a young guy but I've heard nothing to suggest any of our current commits are planning on an early arrival.

Roll Wave!!!

Guerry- Not only was it a great idea to do these interviews, but you're doing a great job on them.
Thanks

OK. It was a terrible game. But, worse, it was a game that, in my mind, didn't bode particularly well for the future.


Once again, the defense stood up pretty well. We only allowed ten points and, considering the field position and the number of opportunities Temple had, that was incredible. But, a lot of that was due to Temple's problems. They missed two makeable field goals and missed on four long sure-TD's when the receiver was open up to five yards behind our secondary. I don't know what happened on those plays (you simply can't see the whole field on TV), but I know Nico Marley shouldn't be in one-on-one coverage 40 yards down field. Something is wrong with that!


We were very aggressive on defense, probably overly aggressive, as screen plays and QB draws worked almost every time. When six guys blow through the Temple line and four guys chase their receivers downfield in single coverage, there is a lot of space for a competent offense to operate.


I thought Gilbert had a great game and, surprisingly, Bailey played quite a bit and played well. They'll both be gone next year. Doss had a nice interception but didn't have a great game otherwise. Nickerson made several good plays and Smart and Wilson stuffed the middle very well, though were out of position on some QB draws. Regardless, if we can replace Gilbert, Scofield, LeBeau, and Nixon, the defense should be fine next year if others make hoped-for improvement.


Special teams continued to be a problem. DiRocco made a short field goal, though I didn't like the way it looked. Then he missed a mid-range kick that he HAS TO MAKE. Lizanich didn't have any errant snaps but he did get called for holding at one point (though it was negated by a Temple penalty). And his snaps looked like "change ups" looping back to the punter compared to what you see on Sunday or even three years ago at Tulane when Billy Johnson was our snapper for a season. Picerelli had four punts in the 40-44 yard range, but four others that weren't so good, including two less than 30 yards. That's a bad day. And our return game continued to be unimpressive. Of course, Veal's diving "shoestring" grabs of punt-after-punt might be entertaining to some, but probably not the way I'd plan it. Anyway, I don't see any improvement in special teams this season over some of the worst we saw during the "wanderings in the wilderness" we witnessed under Scelfo and Toledo. That must change; I just don't know how without changing the personnel and coaching we have.


But, in the end, the offense was the major problem. Most of us have thought the offensive line has progressed but I'm having second thoughts. Like last week, they were again horrible against Temple. Our rushing statistics are very misleading. Of the 25 running plays for 135 yards, we got good blocking on exactly three plays. Hillard for 37, Badie for 13, and Thompson for 48 made the most of those plays amassing 98 yards. The other 22 carries, with virtually no blocking, earned 37 yards. We were extremely lucky, and only because of Thompson's effort, to not give up a safety tonight. Our lack of a running game is not on our RB's; it's on a bunch of experienced linemen, who for good or bad will mostly be back. They're evidently better than whatever else we have.


And pass blocking was no better. Our QB's were harassed all night. Lee looked totally confused and out of his depth throughout the game. I completely disagree with Jeff Duncan's comments in the TP this morning that Lee "didn't commit any freshman mistakes, the kind that beat Tulane in close games earlier in the season. To the contrary, he played with moxie and poise. He made smart decisions and avoided crucial mistakes." Who's kidding who? He threw four sure INT's directly into the chest of Temple defenders not even counting the INT that was called back due to a penalty that, in truth, probably led to the interception and wasn't Tanner's fault. While the offensive line let defenders through at will, Lee didn't seem to recognize the rush, where his "go to" receivers were, or make the necessary decisions to get the ball off. And his accuracy was very suspect. He missed wide open guys and bad throws, though complete, forced running backs and receivers to stop their routes, dive for passes, and generally allow no yardage after the catch. Those are BIG deals. Like everyone I hope it's something he can overcome in time, but that's a hope, not an assurance. A lot of first and second year QB's across the land are outplaying him.


As for our wide receivers, I don't know what to say. They seem to have speed but frequently don't get much separation. Veal made a great catch of a throw from Montana and Encalade kept spectacular concentration on the batted ball near the end of the game that might have been yet another INT. Those were our two longest completions. Our longest throw was probably the one to Marfisi that went incomplete down the left sideline. (BTW: who's idea was that to throw deep to the slowest receiver on the entire roster?) Our guys didn't drop a lot of passes but they didn't make many plays either.


Of course, Temple's defense looked good. But, so has most everyone's against our offense. And Temple wasn't loaded with seniors. In fact, according to their official site, they only had seven on the entire roster- two true seniors and five redshirt seniors. Of those, only two appeared in even half their games this year. And, of their 120 players, 45 were true freshmen and 15 more were redshirt freshmen. Obviously a lot of those are walk-ons, but it suggests a very young squad, though I didn't take the trouble to examine each of the 60 "frosh" and their contributions.


While losing more key players than Temple, we have most of our starters and contributors back for next year. Are they "talented" but need coaching? Or are they simply not very good? What we all know is that we're not playing very good. Yet, I still have hope.


Roll Wave!!!!
This post was edited on 12/7 9:48 AM by WaveON

The "hot" rumor is that UAB may vote football out as early as this week. If that happens and, for the people involved, I hope it doesn't, many teams will be seeing if they can take advantage of the situation.

I spent some time looking through the UAB roster and 2015 commitments for anyone who might be of interest to Tulane. Their best returning player is a running back, Jordan Hunter (6'1", 228#), who in his first two years rushed for 2,468 yards and scored 17 TD's. As a junior with two years of eligibility left, I'm sure a lot of people will be after him, though he might not be a high priority for us.

Their QB, Cody Clement, will be a senior, having transferred from a JC. He had a good year-66.5% completion rate, 2,227 yards, 14 TD's and 8 INTs. He also rushed for four TD's and over 300 yards before sacks and losses were counted. Again, though his numbers are better than anyone we have, I doubt we'd have much interest for his one year.

UAB has several returning Offensive Lineman. One of them, Cameron Blankenship, 6'4" and 305#, has played in 30 games in three years, starting 24 of them. He could probably step in immediately for us, but for only one year. Since we have a tremendous number of offensive linemen, I doubt CJ would go for that.

I then specifically looked for snappers, kickers, punters, and tall wide receivers-- to me our primary needs. I saw no likely candidates among the first three categories. All of their "specialists" (some pretty good) are already seniors. However, according to some sites (ESPN and 247 specifically), they have a commitment from a kid named Ivy Wall, from Oak Forest Academy, Amite, Louisiana. He is a punter, kicker, and kickoff specialist with some good reviews, primarily as a punter. According to 247, he also received an offer from Auburn, who has now got a different punter committed. With our problems in these areas and with Picerelli entering his senior year, I'd think someone on the Tulane staff ought to take a look at him. As an aside, and assuming UAB does "pull the plug," he might be a good interview candidate, Guerry, if for no other reason than to find out what a 17 year old thinks about when the "rug is pulled out" from under him like this.



I found only one returning wide receiver who I think might be a possibility but he clearly would not be a "game changer" by any means. His name is Nyiakki Height from Marrietta, GA. He will be a senior next season, having played and lettered all three years at UAB. He is now 6'2" and 191 pounds. Out of high school, according to Rivals, he was a three star with offers from Purdue, Maryland, TULANE, and UAB. His first year in Birmingham, he played in the defensive backfield and then was switched to wide receiver. The past two years he has caught a total of 24 passes for 249 yards (10.4 average). Since we offered him before, I'd guess he's OK academically, but, again, I doubt he'd be a major gain if we signed him or a loss if we didn't.

I'm guessing that a major program will pick up the running back and the QB could end up at another G5 school. Teams like Troy and South Alabama due to the local connection might grab some of the others.

With the possible exception of the punter/kicker recruit, I don't see much likelihood of Tulane playing much part.

Roll Wave!!


This post was edited on 12/2 4:37 AM by WaveON

This post was edited on 12/6 12:47 PM by WaveON

On rivals he's listed as a wr, but his video looks like he could be a good dual threat Qb in college. Which position did Tulane recruit him at?

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

PLEASE NOTE: THE ARIZONA-OREGON PAC-12 TITLE GAME IS FRIDAY NIGHT. PICKS NEED TO BE IN BY THEN

Tulane (+3.5) Temple
Cincinnati (-6.5) Houston
Alabama (-14.5) Missouri (neutral site)
Florida State (-4) Georgia Tech (neutral site)
Wisconsin (-4) Ohio State (neutral site)
Oregon (-14.5) Arizona (neutral site)
Marshall (-12) Louisiana Tech
Baylor (-9) Kansas State

Anybody surprised about the Number of defensive back commitments. I have read we our up to 7.

Since it was the final practice of the year, here's a long report as I empty out my notebook.

1) Proving some things never really change, both kickers hit the upright during a field goal drill, something they have been amazingly proficient at doing all year.

Trevor Simms, who will be back next year for a final year of football eligibility (I got that confirmed today), clanked a 20-yarder off the right upright. This matters because Simms, if he works on it hard enough, can become a weapon as a long-range kicker. His leg is as good an any kicker in the country, but he understandably struggled with his accuracy in practice this year after not kicking for three seasons, and his one attempt in a game (against Cincinnati) was an embarrassment.

BUT after missing that 20-yarder, he hit from 29 yards and 39 yards and then sent a 49-yarder right down the middle, over the net behind the goal post and into the stands. That thing would have been good from 65 yards. He already is capable of putting most of his kickoffs into the end zone, but he can win a game with a long-range kick if he improves his accuracy enough to make the coaches trust him with a long-range kick. Recruited to the baseball team as pitcher, he has to sit out 2015 for baseball as a transfer from West Virginia, but he apparently will not participate in spring drills. Even though he can't pitch in games, his primary obligation remains to the baseball team.

"I hate to say this because the baseball coach is going to kill me, but I wish he would just kick for the spring," CJ said. "But I understand. Look, this guy hadn't kicked in three years. It was the craziest thing in the world. He's a great kid."

As for Andrew DiRocco, he has become much more reliable as the year went along, but he has clear limitations. He hit the left upright from 39 yards today, and when he tried a 49-yarder, it clearly was out of his range. He sent it wide right and short while trying to kick it too hard and getting little height.

2) It clearly has been a disappointing year for sophomore wide receiver Devon Breaux, who I touted as a future star when he practiced with the scout team offense two years ago. A gaggle of freshman receivers passed him on the depth chart, and Tulane lost what would have been a nice bridge between its two seniors (Shackleford and Rush) and its freshmen. Breaux made an outstanding leaping grab for a touchdown in Wednesday's practice, reminding everyone of what they missed as he struggled to do anything in games. Despite starting twice, Breaux has six catches for 39 yards this season.

Breaux had a rough outing at Tulsa to begin the year, looking clueless on several passes thrown in his direction, and never really recovered.

"He was a slow starter," CJ said. "These freshmen came in here
and really played well. They began to open eyes. He's a kid that he has to be a
hundred percent. He's a track guy, so these little knick knacks are going to
set him back when that shouldn't set him back. He needs to get a little bit
tougher, but I think he's grown through this season and he'll be a big part of
next year. It's just that when it's time to make that play, you've got to make the one play, especially as an older kid. Earlier on in the season he didn't do it, so he got a little bit on the shelf."

3) For the second time this week, CJ talked about his team practices a lot better than it plays in games, something he had not mentioned early.

"It was the last practice, and they ran around and looked good," CJ said. "I don't get these guys. I wanted to yell at them today but I couldn't really do too much yelling. I don't get it. It's a happy bunch. They are rowdy."

4) Matt Marfisi scored the last touchdown of practice. A few players later, the whistle blew to end Thurday's workout, and all of the seniors got carried off the field on the shoulders of teammates. Sean Donnelly needed about five guys to get him off the field.

"They are great guys to be around," CJ said. "It's never a dull moment, but it's never a bad day. These kids are easy to coach and fun to coach. I love them."

5) Edward Williams will not play against Temple after suffering an off-field knee injury that CJ does not want to elaborate on, other than to say he does not think it will require surgery. That means Eric Thomas, who has 29 tackles, will start at middle linebacker for the fourth time this year.

"I like what Eric's doing," CJ said. "Since we've been here, we've known
this guy is a run stopper. One thing he has to do is work on his pass coverage
and I think he's done that."

6) CJ talked some more today about UAB shutting down its program. The Blazers, who have been to one bowl game in their history (Hawaii Bowl 2004), exceeded expectations this year and were bowl eligible at 6-6 before the rug was pulled out from under them.

"That's horrible. It's the worst thing," CJ said. "Just imagine how many routes they ran and how many sleds they pushed and everything, and now some of these juniors don't even know where they're going to be spending the next year at. It's just unfortunate when programs don't have the money and don't have the facilities. They tried to get a stadium and couldn't get it. It's just unfortunate to see those kids. Those are the people that will suffer the most. The coaches will have a little dent in their careers, but they'll be OK. But for the kids, you hate to see that anywhere. My nephew (Jay Davis) plays there. He's a senior, so he's done though.

"It's just hard to survive and compete. I wish there were some way we could save all of them. Every one has their challenges. It's just unfortunate that a program like that which has so much potential was shut down."

7) Jarrod Franklin, though still wearing a knee brace, practiced more this week than at any time since getting injured in the spring. He should be available for spring practice and will be a redshirt sophomore in 2015.

8) This will not be the latest regular season game in Tulane history. According to the Media Guide, the Wave played USC on Dec. 21. 1946 in New Orleans, three weeks after playing LSU.

It's funny. I noticed Sam Scofield was not there right away, and I joked to the SID that he probably was on a job interview. It turns out that is exactly where he was.

"He's either in New York or Houston. I can't remember which one," CJ said. "It's a job interview. (Matt) Marfisi had one (earlier in the year) and I think (Sean) Donnelly had one. We've been fortunate that it's been like Mondays (when Tulane does not practice). They go Sunday-Monday and then they're back here. If I was a kid, I'd definitely come here for what this degree holds."

CJ said Scofield would be back Tuesday.

Linebacker Edward Williams surfaced with a mysterious injury Tuesday, wearing a brace on his left knee and staying on the sideline. CJ's explanation:

"He had a little limp. We're going to wait and see how it goes, but he's limping a little bit."

Asked if the injury occurred in the East Carolina game, CJ said, "no, it happened here. It's just unfortunate. Practice or somewhere. I don't know where it was."

That answer came after practice. When Tammy asked him when they would know if Williams would play against Temple at his press conference a little later, he said Wednesday but quickly moved on, refusing to elaborate on his answer. This is pure speculation, but it sounds like Williams got injured away from the football field. He was really coming on in the second half of the year, but Eric Thomas will start in his place if he is not ready Saturday.

Your humble correspondent thought Lazedrick Thompson missed practice, too, but it turns out he switched numbers with tight end Sydie London in what CJ referred to as a senior tribute he allowed for one day. Nick Montana and Jordy Joseph exchanged numbers as well. I spotted London in the Thompson uniform but did not see Thompson in London's uniform. Regardlless, CJ said Thompson definitely practiced and looked good after missing the East Carolina game with an ankle sprain.

Add two more seniors to Tulane's list of departing players. Redshirt juniors Nate Skold and Marc Edwards (Edwards has been out with an injury all year) will take part in the senior ceremony before the Temple game and won't return. That means 16 scholarship seniors will be gone, freeing up at least that many scholarships for what is going to be a small signing class. Considering the normal attrition rate of about two players from the end of the year to the beginning of February, the class could be as large as 18 in theory. I'll do a full count later this week.

Sherman Badie looked good today in practice, but the real test will come early against Temple. If he tweaks the ankle again, he won't be effective against Temple's tough defense, and Tulane needs him to be close to full strength.

When Tanzel Smart deflected a Tanner Lee pass in a 2-minute drill, offensive line coach John McDonell hollered at his group that they let "the shortest player on the field" knock the pass down. He meant the shortest defensive lineman --Smart is 6-1.

It has been a disappointing year for wide receiver Justyn Shackleford, but CJ intimated this morning that Shackleford's shoulder has bothered him since the start of the season and he was surprised his senior receiver had made it through the full year.

Overheard from Jesuit product Todd Jacquet, a third-year junior whose high school team is playing in the state championship game for the first time since 1978. Back then, the Blue Jays were in Class 4A, Louisiana's largest classification. Now, with the separation of public and private schools, the Blue Jays were in a 12-team playoff field that included the entire Catholic League. After upsetting undefeated Rummel in the semifinals, they have the tough task of beating perennial titlist John Curtis.

"If they had the playoff system they have now I'd probably have three rings," Jacquet told a teammate.

Lee and Jacquet are from Jesuit. Sherman Badie, Richard Allen, Tyler Gilbert, Brandon Godfrey, Anthony Taylor and Eric Thomas are from John Curtis. None of them will get to be in the Superdome for the game, though, because it is Friday night, when Tulane will be at the team hotel that Lee pointed out had a view of the Superdome. That will be tough on the guys.







This post was edited on 12/2 2:58 PM by Guerry Smith

Saturday, Senior Day, will be the last time a number of players take the field for the Wave. Sixteen scholarship seniors, including three who as redshirt juniors will forego their final year of eligibility, and eight "walk-ons" will be honored at the game. In my opinion, all of these young men deserve our respect. I thought I'd take a little time to briefly profile their time at Tulane.

Sean Donnelly[/B]. A four year letterman, Donnelly has played in 41 games, starting 34 of them. He didn't have the senior year some had expected of him, but he played in and started every game.

Matt Marfisi[/B]. Another four year letterman, Marfisi is our best blocking tight end and has played in 48 games in his career, starting 30 of them. He has caught 27 passes for 221 yards during that time and, though he has played more this year than any other tight end, he was supplanted in the pass-catching department by freshmen.

Nick Montana[/B]. Nick came to Tulane with tremendous hype due to his name and JC performance. He started 11 games as a junior and two more as a senior for the Wave. A promising start to his Tulane career was greatly affected by injuries but, by all accounts, he continued to conduct himself in a positive manner. Overall, he was 200 for 368 passing (54.3%) for 1,887 yards with 15 TD's and 12 Interceptions.

Dante Butler[/B]. Butler has been a solid RB for Tulane earning four letters and playing in 45 games with 11 starts. Never the "featured back," he, nonetheless, has carried 104 times for 548 yards (5.3 yards/carry) and caught 44 passes for 315 yards (7.2 yards/catch). His "per attempt" results rushing are excellent.

Justyn Shackleford[/B]. A track star coming out of high school, "Shack" has been a member of the Tulane track team every year at Tulane. In football, he has been a part-time starter since his "true" freshman campaign. In 46 games (24 as a starter), he has caught 131 passes for 1719 yards (13.1 yards/catch).

Xavier Rush[/B]. Like, Shackleford, Rush came out of high school as a sprinter and participated on the Tulane track team for two year. He has also been a part-time starter in football all four years. When injuries curtailed his career, he had a total of 99 catches for 1349 yards.

Tyler Gilbert[/B]. One of three transfers in this senior class, Gilbert will get his second letter this year after playing in all 24 games for the Wave with 17 starts. He's made 61 tackles and, if his value was ever in doubt, one only needs recall the results after he was "tossed out" of the game earlier this year. He'll be one of the tougher people to replace on this team.

Kenny Welcome[/B]. Welcome is a four year letterman who has played in 44 games with 13 starts and 48 tackles. Unfortunately, despite playing all eleven games this year, his playing time has been limited and he has made only one tackle leading into his final game.

Andre Robinson.[/B] Another four year letterman who has seen his playing time reduced, Robinson has played in 48 games with two starts. Prior to this season, he made 47 tackles, but, with fewer reps, has made only five this season.

Matt Bailey[/B]. Yet another four year letterman, Bailey, like Welcome and Robinson hasn't played that much this season, partly due to our only playing two linebackers most of the time, and partly due to the improved play by younger players. Nonetheless, during his career, he has played in 44 games with 14 starts and made 86 tackles (10 this year).

Taureen Nixon[/B]. Nixon, who, after Allen and Badie, is the third fastest sprinter on the Tulane track team (based on 100 meter times), is a transfer who has played in 19 games with seven starts during his junior and senior seasons. He has made 41 tackles during his time at Tulane and is one of the six DB's who see the most playing time.

Brandon LeBeau[/B]. LeBeau came to Tulane as a wide receiver and started four games, caught 14 passes for 143 yards, and took a reverse for another 26 yards as a freshman. CJ moved him to the defensive backfield, where he has been ever since. Over all, he has played in 46 games with seven starts and made 48 tackles, one of which will probably be remembered by many Tulane fans for years; best form tackle I've ever seen.

Sam Scofield[/B]. Probably the most difficult senior to replace, Scofield is an Academic All- American and, for the second year in a row, our leading tackler and leader of our defensive backfield. Sam has played in 44 games, 28 as a starter, and made 248 tackles.

Aaron Bryant[/B] Bryant is one of three redshirt juniors on scholarship who will not return for his final year of eligibility. During his career he played in 33 games with 9 starts and 34 tackle, though none this year.

Marc Edwards[/B] Edwards is another redshirt junior on scholarship who will not return for his final year of eligibility. He played in 18 games at Tulane, including 3 starts, 27 receptions and 264 yards as a redshirt freshman. Due to injuries, he only caught one pass for 4 yards since.

Nate Skold[/B] The final redshirt junior, Skold will also not return for his final year of eligibility. But, during his career, he played in 34 of Tulane's 36 games, mostly on special teams. He didn't get a chance to start any games.

Carlos Wilson[/B]. Wilson is a walk on who came to Tulane on a legislative scholarship. After lettering two years, he chose to come back as a redshirt senior for his final year of eligibility to earn his third letter. Overall, Carlos has appeared in 30 games, mostly on special teams, though he did catch 4 passes for 51 yards when given that opportunity.

Jordy Joseph[/B]. Joseph is another walk who was a legislative scholarship recipient. His primary value has been as a scout team member and "mentor" to the other QB's. He evidently knows the playbook better than anyone outside the coaching staff. He played in four games at Tulane and earned one letter in 2013.

Jo Jo Dobbs[/B] Dobbs was a walk on only saw brief action in two games, but was a valuable member of the "Scout team" for all four years.

Preston Payne[/B] Payne is another walk-on who has never seen the field for Tulane, contributing during practice.

Anthony Bronzo[/B] A "walk on,"Bronzo has played in 14 games on special teams for the Wave over the past two season, earning letters both years.

Brandon Schmidt[/B] Another legislative scholarship recipient, Schmidt is a "walk on" who has played in 16 games over the past three years, all on special teams, earning himself three letters in the process.

David Laborde[/B] Yet another "walk on" at Tulane on a legislative scholarship, Laborde finally saw the field this season, earning a letter and playing on special teams in six games.

Sam Winston[/B] A Junior College track man, Sam was a "walk on" at Tulane who participated on the "scout team."

I still don't have a read on the basketball team. Missed the game today, when Tulane shot 17 for 27 on the first half and better than 53 percent for the game but still trailed by 1 point late before taking control with a good run at the end.

No player has scored 20 points in a game for Tulane this year, but the Wave goes 10 deep and is very balanced. It longer is the Dabney-Hooks-Stark show like last year. Payton Henson is making significant contributions almost every game. Cameron Reynolds is more inconsistent than Henson but had two big baskets at the end today and clearly has the potential to be a solid player. Dylan Osetkowski has a good feel for the game at center, nice passing touch and decent hands, something we have not seen in a while from the position. Whether or not he can hold up defensively against legit centers remains to be seen, but there is hope. Kajon Mack is limited offensively but provides needed energy and defense in the backcourt.

All that said, Tulane threw out a major stink bomb in its opener against Wake Forest, getting clobbered by a team that lost two days later to Arkansas 85-53 and has fallen to Iona and Delaware State (Delaware State!!??) since then. Of course, the Wave went 1 for 20 from 3-point range in that one, and this is a decent shooting teams, so that might have been a outlier.

Now 5-1 against modest competition, Tulane will face two test this week. First, the opening road trip against Loyola-Illinois on Wednesday. Loyola was no match for Michigan State but is coming off road wins against UTSA (by 14) and Kent (by 8). Tulane has really struggled in non-conference road games over the years under Conroy, so it will be interesting to see what happens.

Second is a home game against Mississippi State on Saturday. The Bulldogs were supposed to be terrible this year, but they won their first five games and beat 2013-14 Round of 32 NCAA Tournament participant St. Louis by 25 on a neutral floor this weekend before losing to TCU 61-52 in the championship of the Corpus-Christi Coastal Classic. TCU, coached by former LSU did Trent Johnson, is off to a 7-0 start.

The upshot: I still have no idea whether Mississippi State or Loyola are good, but they represent a significant upgrade on the last five opponents. If Tulane is 7-1 at the end of the week, it will be significant. If the Wave if 5-3, it will be significant, too.

Temple's O line is mediocre, while PJ Walker likes to scramble, he can't throw well from his left. LaFrance will Feast on Temple's right side and force Walker into operating from an uncomfortable position.

While Temple's D is ranked 40th overall, their rush D is 75th in the country. The performance of Tulane's RB's will relieve pressure on Lee to win the game with his arm.

Easy!!

Just saw the Nebraska coach was let go. This could be an opening for us for two players.

So far this year, we've only beaten the betting line 3 out of 10 games by my count. And, against ECU, we once again failed. We can't even call it a "moral victory."

We were beaten again in virtually every aspect of the game and, truthfully, were never in it. This week, at least, Special Teams, though not "special," were not a significant issue. Though his kicks weren't "pretty," DiRocco was two for two. And one of the two snaps was excellent. The other was "high and outside" but, unlike last week when he dropped a snap that wasn't as bad, Picerrelli got it down nicely. Snaps on punts were OK and "Pic's" punting was also fine. His average wasn't great (38.1) but he put two inside the 20 and coverage limited returns. Our own returns continue to be uninspired and, unfortunately, Simms kicked another one out of bound. That's three this year. Also, our coverage team allowed a 44 yard kick return. Overall, probably average to slightly below average but, like mentioned, not a major reason for the "beat down."

I thought the defense fought gallantly. ECU has one of the better offenses in the G5 and we forced them to punt four times and held them on downs twice. We even forced two field goals when TD's were certainly possible. Yet, we did allow 497 yards and 30 first downs, so we played pretty much a bend, bend, bend, defense much of the game and generally stiffened near our goal. Nonetheless, we did allow four TD's and, for the first time in a while, forced no turnovers. So that's not very good. On the other hand, had our offense been more effective, ECU might have had a couple fewer offensive series and a few less points. Alas….

After one of his least productive games, I thought Sam Scofield had the best game of his career. More than having a lot of tackles (17), he was everywhere. He made big plays when it counted and took good angles, made good reads, and took down every ball carrier I remember him getting his hands on. Great game!! I also thought Nickerson had a good game. For whatever reason, he was covering Justin Hardy one-on-one much of the game, though he got some help near the goal line most of the time. And, despite Hardy's good game, Nickerson didn't let him make the big gain. Hardy was just too strong for him on some plays.

The defensive line did not have one of its better games. No, ECU's running game didn't gash us but they averaged over 4 yards a carry (4.2) and we didn't get much pressure on the QB, other than the two sacks. It wasn't a dreadful performance by any means, but it needs to be better to compete for the conference championship in the future. The same with linebackers. I see Marley had 11 tackles but we didn't make many big plays either. It was more "workmanlike" than "exceptional." We need "exceptional."

Obviously, the offense is the "real" problem and most people are beating up on Tanner Lee it seems. And, clearly, he's to blame in many ways. His interception was thrown not only into double coverage but into double coverage where both coverage guys were between him and his receiver. He did that earlier in the game also, but the two defenders knocked each other off the ball. In neither case did our receiver have even the remotest chance of catching the ball or knocking it away. Awful choices by Tanner. He threw a third pass which also should have been intercepted but was dropped. But, unlike the Memphis game (which his stats were helped by going 11 for 12 in "garbage time"), I thought he looked more "under control" than in several outings this year. I think there is hope. Because at least five freshmen QB's for P-5 schools are having excellent years, I still don't think "youth" is an excuse, but it undoubtedly plays a part in his lack of success thus far.

I don't know how to assess our running backs in this game. They didn't gain hardly any yards but they got hardly any blocking. Our offensive line played very poorly. Obviously, experience isn't the answer; we're playing a fifth year guy, a fourth year guy, two third year guys, and a second year guy. And they played like… well, not very well. They provided decent blocking on exactly two running plays which gained 31 yards. On the other 20 carries, we gained a net of 16 yards as our backs were hit in the backfield on virtually every play. As for pass blocking, at least we only allowed four sacks, but on a number of other plays, Lee had very little time. We didn't get as many holding penalties as called because the resulting play was worse than the ten yard penalty. Enough said.

Two weeks to get ready for Temple and then the emphasis is on recruiting, spring practice, summer workouts, fall camp, and the 2015 season. It'll be my 54th season following the Wave!

Happy Thanksgiving Guerry and all the rest of our board. It has been a fun year with some really good discussions. Most Enjoyable. Maybe 2015 will be better in all sports and we will all be happier at what's going on in the Athletic Department at TU.

For the seventh time in 11 games Tulane failed to cover. I have gotten two Tulane games right vs. the points all year, but that's because I've been letting a true freshman make my picks, and you can't win that way. Seriously, though, I was a pathetic 1-7, bringing up the rear. Winwave, the contest winner two years ago, gets the consistency award for getting exactly 4 points in 8 of the 11 weeks so far.

St. Amant Wave 8
Golfer81 7
dew99 5
WaveOn 4
LSU Law Greenie 4
winwave 4
captcrown1 4
DrBox 4
Rcnut 4
jjstock2005 3
ny oscar 3
Wavetime 3
MNAlum 2
GretnaGreen 2
Guerry Smith 1

OVERALL STANDINGS

dew99 59
DrBox 52
GretnaGreen 50
LSU Law Greenie 49
Golfer81 48 (missed 1 week)
WaveON 47
jjstock2005 46
St. Amant Wave 46
MNAlum 43 (missed 1 week)
winwave 42
ny oscar 39 (missed 1 week)
Wavetime 38
p8kpev 37 (missed 2 weeks)
Guerry Smith 35 (missed 1 week)
Rcnut 34

Tulane conducted a full-fledged scrimmage of the younger players today that had a lot of intensity, a good way to keep the team focused during an open week after another lopsided loss. The day ended with Dontrell Hilliard bulling his way across the goal line for a touchdown that almost caused a fight. Before then, linebacker Robert Kennedy made a big hit on running back Josh Rounds and safety Carlton Williams leveled tight end Kendall Ardoin while the starters on the sideline whooped and hollered for almost every play.

"This is (like) our bowl week, so it was good. I'm excited about it. I liked it."

Meanwhile, CJ said he thought cornerback Lorenzo Doss would be fine after suffering a head injury in the second half against East Carolina. Doss appeared to be woozy after the hit and was in street clothes by the end of the game but will be ready for the season finale against Temple on Dec. 6.

"He got hit in the head. I think he's fine. He could practice, but we don't need to practice him now."

CJ's analysis of the ECU loss two days after the fact:

"The defense played good some, the offense played good some. We just gotta come together as a team and put some stuff together. We had Lazedrick out and Sherman wasn't healthy. He would have scored on a couple of those runs earlier in the year. It was just a tough matchup for us."

CJ on Tanner Lee's performance:

"He played very good. He started late, didn't hit guys early on, but against that defense he played well. Those were the same kids we played last year. I would say them or Cincinnati are very good teams, and all of those teams are older than us."

CJ said the emphasis on Tuesday would be the young players again before Tulane takes the rest of the week off for Thanksgiving and begins preparing for Temple on Sunday.

Sorry for the late results. Will get the week 11 results up by Tuesday.

Dew99 won the week as the only person who picked Memphis and virtually locked up first place overall.

Dew99 7
St. Amant Wave 6
DrBox 5
Wavetime 5
MNAlum 4
WaveON 4
jjstock2005 4
winwave 4
ny oscar 4
p8kpev 4
Rcnut 4
LSU Law Greenie 3
Guerry Smith 3
Gretna Green 2
captcrown1 2
Golfer81 2

OVERALL STANDINGS

dew99 54
GretnaGreen 48
DrBox 48
LSU Law Greenie 45
jjstock2005 43
WaveON 43
Golfer81 41 (missed 1 week)
MNAlum 41 (missed 1 week)
winwave 38
St. Amant Wave 38
p8kpev 37 (missed 1 week)
ny oscar 36 (missed 1 week)
Wavetime 35
Guerry Smith 34 (missed 1 week)
Rcnut 30

As always, the home teams are listed first, the Tulane game counts double and the spreads are from VegasInsider.com. How about LSU being an underdog to a team that has not won an SEC game in two years?

Tulane (+10.5) Memphis
Penn State (-11) Temple
Wisconsin (-6) Nebraska
Georgia Tech (+3) Clemson
Arkansas (-2) LSU
Georgia (-2.5) Auburn
Miami (+1.5) Florida State
Alabama (-8.5) Mississippi State

As always, the spreads come from VegasInsider.com, home teams are listed first and the Tulane game counts double. It's a lousy group of games for the most part.

East Carolina (-18) Tulane
Memphis (-18.5) South Florida
Arkansas (+3.5) Ole Miss
Tennessee (-3.5) Missouri
UCLA (-3.5) USC
Utah (-4) Arizona
Notre Dame (-3.5) Louisville
Nebraska (-10.5) Minnesota

You won't see much coverage here early in the season because not much can be gleaned from most of the non-conference games, but I will post my thoughts periodically.

I did not attend the Mississippi Valley State game tonight, but from the box score, the most encouraging part was Dylan Osetkowski and Aaron Liberman combining for 14 points and seven rebounds while going 7 for 7 from the floor. Mississippi Valley State stinks, but I wasn't sure the centers could put up those numbers on air. Ryan Smith started but played only eight minutes, scoring zero points.

Tulane could be a decent team this year if it gets anything from its centers. Against Wake Forest, they were astoundingly overmatched to the point where they could not stop any big man or score or do anything offensively aside from a beautiful bounce pass by Osetkowski to a cutting Peyton Henson for a dunk (one of only three baskets Tulane had in the second half). Whether they can go against a real frontcourt without being abused remains to be seen, but their development is the key to the season. If they are useless, Tulane won't beat decent teams.

This post was edited on 11/21 8:23 AM by Guerry Smith

Tulane is ranked 119th out of 125 FBS teams in scoring offense this year, but when asked by Ed Daniels today if he plans to re-evaluate his offense in the offseason, CJ gave an emphatic, "No."

Here's what he said:

"The offense is on track exactly where we want it to go. We talked about what we were going to do when I got here. The first thing we wanted to do was run the ball. We are doing that. For two years we hadn't done much running of the ball, but schematically we're doing a great job running the football. We are averaging over 150 yards a game. In the passing game, we hit and we miss, we hit and we miss. Last year we had a receiver that caught the ball for 1,000 yards. He's playing for the Washington Redskins. So now what it is is just continuing to get together, continuing to get this thing where we want it to be. There's a lot of stuff that we want to do that we're not doing. I'm looking at some of these quarterbacks. These three-and four-year quarterbacks are outstanding. I think we'll be there."

Daniels followed up by saying the spread has taken over FBS football and not many schools play Tulane's pro style. He asked if it was harder to recruit to CJ's offense considering the preponderance of the spread in high school football. The answer:

"No, I don't think that's problem. If those kids look four years down the line, you look at receivers and quarterbacks from the spread offense, hardly any of those guys are successful in the NFL. So if you are going to sell the NFL, that's why I love what Stanford is doing, I love what Notre Dame is doing, I like what Florida State is doing. Alabama went to the NFL to hire Lane Kiffin, so all these teams that are really winning or are starting to are going back to what we're doing. I modeled this thing a little after Stanford offensively. They struggled early on when they got there, but when they got the offense down and what they're doing, the reason why they're beating people is because they're playing pretty much what I call the smart man's offense. Once you get older kids in, and then it also attracts great quarterbacks. There aren't many good drop back quarterbacks that are playing in the spread. All those guys are getting hit and they're getting hurt. The best spread quarterback was (Johnny) Manzel. He's not playing in the NFL. If I was you, I'd be like (Zach) Mettenberger. I'd be a drop back quarterback. I watched him last night, and he played pretty well."

My comment: This isn't the best year to single out Stanford, which ranks 82nd nationally in yards and 96th in points, but the Cardinal was effective with its conservative style the past four year, helped immensely by having Andrew Luck at QB for two of them. Although the spread teams definitely are pre-eminent in college football right now, I've never felt there was only one way to win. Through three years, though, CJ has not proven he can win with his system.

"When I took this job, the first thing I wanted to do, and everybody thought I was crazy, but all the coaches that mentored me said 'CJ, build your defense first. Whatever you do, build your defense.' So every play that we got, every defensive player, every guy that could play a lick of defense, we went out and signed him, and the offense suffered a little bit. So now this is a year where it kind of rears its ugly head with all these young kids playing, especially playing at once. So for that, I'm more at fault than anybody."

Your thoughts?

2016 3-star RB Trey Ragas of Archbishop Shaw has picked up an offer from Tulane

Trey Ragas