Tulane's practice was closed today because it is the equivalent of a Friday practice, but here is some information from yesterday.

I arrived when scout team work was just about to begin The first-team defensive line was Angelo Anderson, Noah Seiden, Jeffery Johnson and Jojo Dorceus. The first-team linebackers were Dorian Williams and Marvin Moody. The first-team cornerbacks were Jaylon Monroe and Jadon Canady, with Ajani Kerr at nickelback. The first-team sfafeties were Derrion Rakestraw and Macon Clark.

The second-team defensive linemen were Darius Hodges, Eric Hicks, Adonis Friloux and Keith Cooper. The second-team linebackers were Jesus Machado and Mandel Eugene, although I was told Kevin Henry, who was in uniform, had practiced earlier and was just being given a rest. The second-team cornerbacks were Kevaris Hall, who has been invisible while recovering from last year's serious injury, and Kiland Harrison. Maybe Hall is ready tor real game action. The second-team safeties were Larry Brooks and Bailey Despanie (Rudy Dyxon is out), with D.J. Douglas at nickel.

There are no changes on offense from the norm, although Christian Daniels got some reps at wide receiver after missing the beginning of the year with an injury. Since Tulane does not have a backup center, Corey Dublin took those reps yesterday, with Timothy Shafter getting some reps at first-team left guard while Dublin rested. I did not see Cameron Jackel get any reps, with Michael Lombardi the second-team right tackle.

Dropped passes continue to be a theme. T.J. Huggins dropped one with no one around him in the end zone on a throw by Kai Horton. Neither one of them will play Thursday barring injury, so that one can be dismissed, but Shae Wyatt dropped an easy one in the end zone, and Will Wallace dropped one, too.

I see no issue with Pratt's arm at this point. He threw a ball about 55 yards. He is a little gimpy in the legs, though.

Justin Ibieta remains out, so Horton is the backup.

The practice ended about 10 minutes earlier than expected because of the short period in between games.

FRITZ

"We had a combination Wednesday-Thursday practice. A little bit different. We came in pads. I've played a lot of Thursday games and you have to have a different format. We came back on Sunday and we got our one lift of the week done and watched the film of Saturday and also got ready to turn the page for Houston and then had a big practice yesterday. We cut back a little bit today and will cut back a whole lot tomorrow. The last thing we want is for guys to be tired on game day. There's not a lot of time right now. We always talk about the final 48 yours--eating right, sleeping right, staying off your feet, hydrating, getting rid of distractions, but you can rest up. We have more like 56, 57 hours.

"Moving forward, it's a big challenge. Houston's got a very good team. Their defense is playing extremely well right now, very aggressive up front and a lot of tight man coverage. The safeties do a good job of triggering down and playing the run against you and then offensively they've got a lot of weapons. The running back (Allon McCaskill, whose numbers are nowhere near as good as ECU's Keaton Mitchell) ran a 10.4 100 meters in high school. Their other back is a very good player as well. They have a very experienced quarterback (Clayton Tune), good skill set with the receives and a very potent kicking game. They've got the best punt returner in the country, Marcus Jones, and their kick returner is dynamic as well, so we've got to play well in all three phases."

On protecting the QB:

"They got after us (last year). You have to pick your spots when you're going to throw third-level, long-developing routes. Sometimes you've got to keep some people in, but you also have to do it because when people are playing man coverage, sometimes it takes a little bit to get loose, so it can't just be all quick throws. They are on you if you get the ball out quick. We've got to mix it up and do both and we have to establish a run game, too. We have to get them to crowd the box and see if we can do some things behind them as well off play action."

On if he and his team's mettle are being tested;

"Yeah you do,. It's difficult. We knew coming into it that we had a really tough schedule without question, and you've gotta play really well. I've told our guys our margin for error is very small. We've got to play good, and I don't think we've played very well. Sometimes it's the offense. Sometimes it's the defense. Sometimes it's the kicking game. We've won a lot of games around here with all three phases playing well. That allows you to get an opportunity to win in the fourth quarter. We have to do things right to have an opportunity to win in the fourth quarter."

On the reason for slow starts:

"Some of it's adjustments. Some of it is execution. We've got the right call and they are in exactly what we thought they were going to be in Iand still give up a big play). Offensively and defensively that happened to us a bunch last week. Sometimes you get away with nine of the 11 guys doing the right thing. When the two dudes doing the wrong thing are at the point of attack, offensively or defensively, you can't overcome it. That happened to us a few times defensively where they were running the ball, we had a guy out of a gap. He's supposed to be in the D and he got in the C gap. We're supposed to have an edge fitter and he fit inside. That really gets you. If they had gone the other way, you can overcome that mistake, but they didn't. The same thing with the offense. We had a couple of play calls early in the game where if we had blocked at the point of attack, we had a nice play, but we needed the block. It's a combination of both things, and then you have to make adjustments. We are going to do some things a little different than what they prepared for, and they are going to do some things a little bit different. Both the coaches and the players have to adjust to it."

On if was harder to replace Patrick Johnson and Cam Sample than he thought:

"Without question they were great players. Both are playing a ton in the NFL right now. But we've got a lot of guys back. Part of our slogan for our team is recruit, retain, develop. We feel like we've got guys stepping into those spots. Are they going to be as good as those two guys right now? No, they are going to have to get a little bit better, but we have other guys that are a year older. They should be improved and should be better. Any time you lose a great player, it's difficult to replace him, but I feel like we still have enough to still have a good defense.."

On if Larry Brooks would be available:

"I hope so."

On underestimating intensity of ECU:

"No. They have a bunch of big, tall, long, fast athletes. They are very talented. We knew we were going to have to play really well in order to win. I followed the book and went after it there at the end of the first half with some timeouts trying to get the ball, and it went from 24-7 to 31-7. We were receiving the kickoff in the second half. That was one of the few times I wish I hadn't followed the book. We came within striking distance, got down two scores, had the fake punt and then we throw a pick on the next play. We just didn't play with momentum throughout the game. You've got to make plays and we didn't. We had a couple of calls defensively where we were supposed to be over the top and were not over the top. We have to do a better job calling and we have to do a better job executing. It's both. I'm going to point the finger at the coaches, the players, the trainers, the managers, it's everybody involved in our program. We've got to get better. The head coach. We've got to get better."

He hasn't played in two games.

Tulane practiced at the Saints indoor facility today, so I did not get to watch it.

Willie Fritz, Michael Pratt and Jeffery Johnson spoke when they got back to campus.

FRITZ

On quick turnaround being good or bad:

"We'll find out Thursday. They are very talented. They have done a good job of playing high school kids and transfer guys and JC guys and have some really talented players. They do a good job in all three phases and are playing excellent defense right now. They put pressure on the quarterback. They tackle well. They are not afraid to play a bunch of man coverage. A really nice run game. Some people think Coach Holgorsen throws the ball all the time, but they run extremely well. They play great in the kicking game. They have probably the best punt returner in the country. They have a great kick returner. They are just a really good overall team."

On defensive issues:

"Part of it is these guys need to do a good job of staying in their gap. When they run a stretch play and we have to tackle better than what we've been tackling. That's something we have to overcome."

On fake punt:

"We would liked to have gotten a little momentum with it and got some points out of that drive and been right back in the game, but unfortunately we didn't. He (Ryan Wright)'s got a good arm and throws the ball well."

On mindset of team:

"We talked about it last night. We normally take Sunday off but went last night because of the short week and just talked about how the season just jumps all over you. Sometimes guys, I call them offseason heroes, are really good in January, February, March, April, May, June, July and even into August, but when the season gets in, it's physically and mentally taxing. Some guys can respond to that day after day after day. We have to have everybody be able to do that day after day. We're worried about the 2021 Tulane team. That's what we're focused on."

On low point:

"They are disappointed, no doubt about it. We were all disappointed. We didn't play well and in the first half we gave up the score to make it 31-7. Following the analytics, we tried to use timeouts to see if we could get the ball back and score and cut the lead. Unfortunately it didn't work that way. We have to execute. Like I told the guys, we're not going to roll the ball out and beat people. We have to play well. We don't have to play perfect, but we have to play well."

On Jha'Quan Jackson:

"He's a big banged up right now. He's like a lot of the guys. He's got to get going and play with confidence and he'll be fine. He's just got to get healthy and play with confidence and fight through adversity."

On three straight kickoff returns that did not get back to 25:

"They did a good job against us. We were trying to use some guys in there and play and were having a tough time getting bodies on bodies."

PRATT

On chasing early deficit again:

"That just changes our game plan up a little bit, but we just have to be able to go out there no matter the score and be able to emphasize the little things and correct plays and do things the right way."

On ball saiilng on him:

"There was no excuse for those. I've just got to get my footing right and get the little details down and make throws."

ON quick turnaround to Houston game:

"I think it's got to be. The guys are back in here. We're working. We had a good practice today. It's a quick week, so you've got to be able to go out there and get it done on Thursday."

On showing he is different QB than in first career start against Houston:

"Definitely think I've improved in a lot of ways. Thursday night I think it will be a different game than it was last year, and we're excited to go out there and put on a show."

On Jha'Quan Jackson not being productive in passing game:

"He's close. We just have to find a way to get him the ball and get our playmakers the ball. We're right there. We'll have him in there."

On getting within one score and then having it slip away again:

"Just the little details. We've got to be able to execute all four quarters, and that's what we struggled with. A couple of games we played we played three really good quarters, whether it's first, second and third or first, second and fourth, whatever it is, but we have to find a way to play four really good quarters of football.:

On having Thursday night spotlight:

"It's back in our stadium, prime time TV on Thursday night. We just have to go out there and execute."

JOHNSON

On biggest issues defensively:

"First of all, everybody has got to do their part. We've just gotta really buy in and commit to getting better, and I feel like that's the biggest problem. We've got a bunch of younger starters and guys playing for the first time, and everybody has to buy into that process and commit to getting better."

On guys getting flustered:

"I really just think it's guys putting in the work. It's a lot. It takes a lot. There's a lot that goes into the process, and I feel like that's what guys need to do, whether it's just getting in the playbook, getting extra time after practice and in meetings, stuff like that."

On being 1-4:

"Obviously it's something we can easily fix. I tell the younger guys all you can do is stay positive. The more you give up, everything else fails. You have to keep going and lift each other up and encourage each other. That's how it is. We've been here before. We've just got to get that win to get back rolling."

On rushing defense:

"It hurts, but the problem is easily fixable."

On Houston game two years ago:

"The biggest thing was Jalen McCleskey caught that ball for the touchdown. That was a pretty awesome memory. We always have those close games. That was a big game for us. Being down, we just got that feeling we were going to win."

On quick turnaround:

"It can be challenging, but it's the most important game because it's the next one. We just have to let bygones be bygones and move on to the next and prepare for this one just like we prepare for any other game."

Tulane's descent continued today in impossibly ugly fashion. Not much more needs to be said, but here is what Willie Fritz, Cameron Carroll and Dorian Williams said. No other media member had the guts or the interest to ask any questions, so I flew solo.

FRITZ

"I'm disappointed. We dug ourselves a hole. The guys pushed back in the second half and played better, but we were horrible on offense and defense and had that miscue in the punt-return game (in the first half) and dug a big old hole. I talked to the guys in the locker room, our margin for error is very, very, very small. We have to play well. If we don't play well, we have a tough time winning games. If we play well, we have a chance to win a bunch of games in this league. (Inaudible on my record) challenged everybody else to play physical and smart, and if we do that, we have an opportunity to win. We didn't call a good game, the coaches, and there were a lot of execution errors as well. There were far too many times guys were hitting gaps incorrectly. Heck, one time we had a coverage call and should have had it double covered right there before the half, and they hit a guy over the top. We've just got to execute and play a heck of a lot better than we did. That was very disappointing."

On what they can do about the abysmal starts to games:

"Execution. We just have to do a better job of sticking bodies on bodies, blocking things up. We had some really big plays against us defensively, and offensively we didn't make big plays in the first half. Both sides didn't play very well, and we fumbled on the punt return on special teams."

On explaining how his defense could give up more than 300 rushing and passing yards:

"Tackling. We sometimes get confused whether we're on offense or defense and go up and try to cut guys. We have to use our arms and get them down. We have a hard time getting a pass rush and have to cover a little bit longer. No. 7 and No. 5 play in the NFL right now. We just have to find some guys that can rush the passer better than what we're doing right now. I thought Jadon Canady played real well today. We stuck him out there at corner (for an injured Lance Robinson). We'll look at the tape and see what he can improve on. The tackling, rushing the quarterback and not allowing guys to get out in space."

On if players are having a hard time understanding what Chris Hampton is teaching them:

"No. We review it and review it and review it review it, maybe too much. Paralysis by overanalysis. We take their offense and review these plays over and over and over and over and over again. but in the heat of the battle we've got to go out and execute. We had a tough time doing that."

ON ECU responding with touchdown drive after Tulane cut deficit to 8 in third quarter:

"Yeah, that really hurt us, but there was still time left if we played a little bit better. We had a chance to get back in the game at that point."

On if Pratt's misfires had anything to do with his injury:

"I don't think so. I'm sure he'd like to have a bunch of those balls back. I don't think that's what it is. It appeared to me he had good zip on the ball. He was just inaccurate at times. He played just like everyone. He wishes he would have played better just like I wish I would have coached better."

On timetable for when Nick Anderson can come back:

"In a week or two."

CAM CARROLL

On what the problem is at the start of games:

"Honestly it just comes down to execution. We're putting ourselves in the right positions, but we're just not making plays. We have to reflect inward on the mistakes that we're making because everything that we're doing is self-inflicted. If we focus in and lock in on each other and what we're supposed to do with our responsibility, it will help us out a lot."

On the difficulty of coming back from huge deficits:

"Our philosophy is we're never out of a game, so no matter what the scoreboard says, we have to keep pushing because we can't let negativity creep into our minds because then that becomes a cancer to the team, so we all have to stay kind of like-minded and positive on the same page so we can all keep pushing in the same direction. We may be down, but regardless of what the scoreboard says, we never feel like we're out of a game."

On if this is low point since he's been on team:

"I'd say it's definitely difficult, but like I said, all the mistakes that we're making are self-inflicted and we just have to keep responding. We have to keep working, we have to stay hungry and we have to stay positive most importantly. We have to continue to be here for each other and be able to help each other and lift each other because at the end of the day, we have to go out there as a team and make plays. Today we struggled with that, we had our issues, but everything that we're doing is self-inflicted. We have to keep honing in on our mistakes and make sure that we work to limit our mistakes. We can't keep making the same mistakes and expect to play our best brand of. football."

On if quick turnaround to Houston game is good or bad:

"Honestly it just depends on how we respond mentally. I feel like it will be a good thing for us because quick turnaround, we are going to keep working and it will be a good thing for us. We stay on the grind constantly and I honestly feel like it might help us."

On if everything that went wrong after they cut deficit to 8 in third quarter was the crucial time in the game:

"That's a tough question. Like I said, we have to work on limiting our mistakes because they come back to bite us in the end and our margin for error has to continue to decrease and we can't let negativity sink in. We can't let outside things creep in. We have to just stay focused and stay positive. That's the biggest thing for us. We can't get down on ourselves. We constantly have to lift each other up, we have to be there for each other because at the end of the day we have to go out and make plays."

DORIAN WILIAMS

On awful start for defense in games:

"We're just starting off slow. We need ti figure out a way to come out fast and slap people in the mouth."

On ECU rushing for more than 300 yards:

"It's very frustrating. I thought we had the right calls on. We have to wrap up and make tackles and stay in our gaps. We can't get greedy. We have to play our gaps."

On fourth-down conversions:

"Those were very crucial in the game. Fourth down, that's momentum, so we have to get off the field on third and fourth down and third-and-long situations and convert."

On defense jumping offside on fourth-and-short twice:

"Discipline, It's all about we have to be more disciplined on defense, just letting each other know what the yardage is. Fourth-and-short they are always going to hard count you, so you have to pay attention in those situations."

On key to defense turning it around:

"The key is playing smarter. We have to know our assignments and just be coachable. We have to be more coachable:

On if he sensed frustration as game went along:

"It's always frustrating giving up big plays, giving up runs, so it is very frurstrating."

On if short turnaround to Houston game is good or bad:

"I like it. You always like to play big Thursday night games on ESPN, so I like the competition. We just have to get going starting Sunday and get back into the groove."

Tulane's Wednesday practice was cut short by about 20 minutes because of lightning in the area. Before the lightning, the Green Wave worked in a downpour for about a half-hour, one that contradicted the weather forecast Willie Fritz had received when he was planning the day.

"Any time there is lightning within eight miles, you have to stop," Fritz said. "We were at 7 1/2, so I guessed wrong. Instead of going out to Metairie or Saints indoor, they told me there would be no rain, that we had a good opening at 7 a.m. and here might be a little bit at 8:15. It came down hard for about 45 minutes. We got a lot of good work in. The kids enjoyed it (practicing in the rain). We had fun. We do it once or twice a year."

On Michael Pratt:

"He practiced today, so he's back and all good. Today he was full go."

On Tyjae Spears:

"I think he's full speed. We have a good group of backs. Every year is a little bit different. Some years a bunch of guys get injured and hurt and you think thank goodness that you have a bunch of backs, and other years everybody gets hurt and it's hard to get who has the hot hand. We've had some different guys in different games run the ball well, but it all seems to even out over the course of 12 or 13 games."

On Shae Wyatt:

"He didn't play as much last week. He was a little bit banged up, but I think he's going to be able to go full this week."

On ECU:

"It's like you said. They've had a chance where they could have had a much different record. Good quarterback, very experienced. I guess he classifies himself as a junior but it's his fourth year as a starter. He runs it better than you think he does, a big, strong guy. It's a little different because he's a lefty, but he's a really good quarterback with a good stable of receivers. They have a big back and a real quick back. 25 (Keaton Mitchell, 5-9 and 188 pounds) and 47 (Rajhai Harris, 224 pounds) are two totally different running backs. They've played some good ball. They've played some good teams and have a good schedule (Appalachian State, South Carolina, Marshall, Charleston Southern). Sometimes early in the season, you gotta look at who they are playing. They did a really nice job against South Carolina (in a 20-17 loss). One of their (South Carolina's) scores was on a pick-six (a 63-yard return with one minute left in the first half when ECU led 14-0) when they threw a screen and it bounced up in the air and a D-lineman intercepted it and ran it back, so they really held them to 13 points. App St. is a top-25 team."

NOTE: Harris was the AAC Rookie of the Year and a first-team All-AAC selection in 2020, rushing for 624 yards, but he has been usurped by Mitchell, a second-year freshman who did not play last season. Tulane held Harris to 27 yards on 13 carries last season.

On Mitchell, who is averaging 7.8 yards per carry and 10.4 yards on 14 catches with an 88-yard TD run and a 63-yard reception:

"He's really fast. When he gets the ball out in space, he's trouble. He has great speed. We are going to have to tackle in space and do a great job of setting edges. We had a tough time on that (against UAB). You always want to have an outside player, then you have to rally inside out and get somebody over the top. There have been a few times when we've had a tough time having an edge player. You want to have an edge to your defense on every play whether it's run or pass."

On offensive line:

"Up and down, like the whole team almost. Some good stuff where they've done a nice job, and then some other games where we've had a tough time with protection and getting bodies on bodies, so we have to improve in that area just like a bunch of spots."

On first normal week helping:

"I hope it does. We're back into going to class. We're back into having breakfast and lunch check here at the training table we use. Back into being able to go into our training room and sleep in our own beds, so hopefully we can feel a little more comfortable."


NOAH SEIDEN

On starting against ECU

It feels different this time around because this time I've earned it. Last year it was a lot out of necessity because of the game plan. Playing Army and Navy, you are going to have more defensive linemen in your base scheme, so this one feels better. It's the first time I feel like I've actually earned it, and after all these years it's very rewarding to be able to say that I'll be earning my first start.

Kept working rather than resting on laurels after earning scholarship last year:

"I try not to. If they have enough faith and trust in me to give me that scholarship, the least I can do is get out there and give it my all. Plus it's how I play, it's what I know. I'm going to go out there and try to make my family proud as well. I'm not going to give minimal effort. It wouldn't make my family proud."

On last time he had two sacks in a game before UAB:

"Shoot, probably Jesuit my senior year of high school. Even just to get a sack in college is incredible. To get two in a game is something I didn't know I could do."

On improvement:

"Definitely working with (defensive line) coach (Byron) Dawson, we talk about technique a lot. It's something that he harps on and that we try to focus on, and then also coach Hamp has been really on point with some of the play calls putting us in the right positions,.Especially after Saturday we went back and watched the film, and the plays he was calling were putting us in the right positions, and we just have to execute. On some plays we did. On some plays we didn't."

On defensive issues:

"We really aren't executing. We're missing tackles that we usually make. The good thing is that it's correctable stuff. It's not lapses of judgment. It's moreso just get your head across on this tackle, wrap up a little tighter and squeeze the gap a little more. It's not major issues that can't be corrected in a week."

On sudden tackling issues:

"I definitely think there's a bit of mental wear that contributes to that. You really have to be focused during a game, and after a while, especially with everything that's been going on, being home is great because it's given everyone a chance to lock back into what they know and to get back to their roots. I think it will show this week with all the work we've been doing extra now that we're back home."

On first normal week:

"We had to be off campus by noon. Yeah, this is definitely the first normal week. Everyone's back in classes. It's starting to feel more like sophomore years. It's been an interesting two years. Last year you have COVID. This year you have a hurricane to start the season off, Being able to get back to in-person classes and being home and now being able to play in front of people, it's going to start letting everybody get back into a rhythm."

On tough in Birmingham:

"It's difficult any time you're taken out of your environment. You have to adapt. You have to roll with the punches, and in football no one really cares. No one's going to take it easy on you. It's definitely something as a team we would build for and that any football player would attest to, that you just have to roll with it. But it definitely was very weird living in a hotel for a couple of weeks at a time, not being around family, not being around what you know, not having the facilities we're used to having, so being back really is incredible."

Reset button:

Anybody can attest you go into each week and your 0-0. It's a new game. As coach Dawson says, this is the best game because it's the next game. You have to be able to put it behind you. One failure doesn't make a person or make a team. This team if anybody can bounce back. We have a lot of good leaders that can help people remember that each game is its own and that we just have to go out there and give it our all. That's something I've been impressed with., No matter the win or the loss, no one's given up in any game. It hasn't been just a total lack of effort."

When truly believed he could be in this position:

"It's just something I try not to think about. You can't let it get to you. You just have to roll with it. I just keep working, and I know that's what I'm going to keep doing. Recently it's been the reps, reps, reps. Now being able to have a year-and-a-half with coach Dawson, who's working specific moves. He harps on getting reps in a lot, and the muscle memory is starting to show."

On weight in high school:

"If you look it up it says 240, butitI was never 240. I was about 225, 230. Now I'm 280."

On putting on that weight:

"My knees hurt. My back hurts. It's difficult. That's just something where I knew I was going to have to do it. I only had two walk-on offers coming out of high school. I had no real offers because of the weight. You can't really come in and play interior lineman at 230 pounds, and so it's just something I remember every day my mom would be set me with a footlong sandwich, and I would take two or three jars of peanut butter a week and I would just sit in class and eat them. That's how I put my weight on then, and I just continued that into college, and once I got to a college program with the supplements that they are able to give to us, I put the weight on, but it's been long. You feel bigger."

On not playing DE anymore:

"At 280, I run better than I thought I would, but I'm definitely not as quick as I used to be. Top end I'm similar just because it's a lot of muscle I was able to put on, but speed wise it's hard to play on the edge at 280 pounds."

I talked to Ron Hunter on the phone last Thursday right after the basketball team returned to New Orleans from Birmingham. As usual, he is very excited about his team. From the outside looking in, Tulane definitely should be better this year, but how much better remains to be seen. All hoops practices are closed, so I won't see any of the new guys until the season starts. Although Tulane has not released its schedule because the AAC has not released its portion yet, the regular-season opener is Nov. 17 at FSU and the home opener is Nov. 22 against Drexel. I assume Tulane will play an exhibition before then but did not ask.

Here is what Hunter had to say:

On his thoughts about team:

"By far this is the best team I've had since I've been here. We were close last year and I thought we were a point guard and shooting away. We solved the point guard situation probably better than I even thought. Jalen Cook is one of the top five players I've ever coached talent-wise. He's really talented. Then with the experience of the other guys that are all coming back and bringing in those two other players who can really shoot. Again, I feel really good about it. This is as good as any of the tournament teams I've had, including the one with R.J. (Hunter). How many wins that translates into, I don't know, but this is the first time since I've been here where I feel like we're just not going into games to prove that we can compete. We can now win these games. We have enough talent where we can win these games now."

On what makes Cook special:

"He just can score. I don't have to run plays for him. I don't have to manufacture baskets for him. He's just one of those guys, whether it's a George Hill or R.J. Hunter, the guys that knew how to score, and that's what he has. There's a lot we're still trying to teach him, but you can't teach a natural guy how to score, and that's what he does. And he's a tough kid. I love everything about this young man. Even my son came in and watched him play and was like, he's got a chance to be a pro. He's just a really special player."

On continuity in program for first time in his three years:

"We're not starting over, and knock on wood this might be the first time I can finish a season. I have not finished a season yet (The AAC Tourney was canceled in 2020 due to COVID and he missed a chunk of 2021 due to COVID while his team did not get to play four games that were scheduled)."

On positivity:

"The main reason I feel good is basically I don't want to call it a throwaway year, but normally I don't play that many young people (freshmen Sion James and Tylan Pope played integral roles, second-year guy Jaylen Forbes was the star of the team and freshman Jadan Coleman was in the rotation at times), That's the first time since I've been a head coach we played that many young people, and we threw them into the fire. Not only did it get them better, but this summer has been unbelievable. This is the first time that I've had a group since I've been at Tulane that everybody knew the defense, that everybody knew the offense, so the familiarity of our program, to see Sion actually teaching it to Cook, I just haven't had that. That's the main reason that I feel good about it. But really all of the things that have happened between Ida and COVID has really helped this young group, and for them to get a year back is going to be crazy because on paper, we still look like a young team, but we've got a lot of guys who have some mileage. I won't go into a game wondering. Since I've been here I've always wondered will we do this, will we do that? I've got a pretty good idea how this group will compete and play."

On what did during Ida;

"Nothing. We were very fortunate to find a place to practice, and the people in Birmingham were great, but outside of going to the workout and the hotel, that was it. Now what I do think it did was create a bond. They knew each other from a year ago and I put the onus on them. The very first night that we got in there from the hurricane, I said two things will happen. There will be no excuses and there will be no complaining, and we did a really good job of that. With all the other things that were involved, with the animals there and all that, we talked about Noah's Ark a lot. But again, we took the positives out of it. There were a lot of things we could have said negative wise, but we took a lot of positives leaving Birmingham."

On Jaylen Forbes:

"He tried to do too much last year and he had to. If he didn't score, we had no chance of winning, and he was learning also how to be the best player on the team and learning how to deal with scouting reports and those things. He doesn't have to do as much this year. I think he can be a better player and average less points because of the talent they have around him."

On frontcourt:

Probably the biggest surprise since April has been Oton (Jankovic). He was so unhealthy last year. The COVID hit him. He could never get a foothold, especially for a foreign kid. This is the first time since he's been in the United States that he's played for somebody back-to-back years. He transferred high school and prep school and then he goes to Vanderbilt and transfers after one year, so is the very first time he has been in his second year of a program. He's been tremendous. With his athletic ability and his skill set and the improvement of (Kevin) Cross, we feel really good. That was a position last year that was by far our weakness, and this year it is going to be one of our strengths. Every time Oton does something, it looks like we recruited another player. His confidence has grown as he's gotten stronger, and I'm really excited to see what he brings to us this year."

On Devon Baker (transfer from La Salle) and Scott Spencer (transfer from UNC Asheville):

"Incredible depth and shooting. We couldn't sub much last year as you know and we couldn't shoot it. Both of those guys are career 40-percent shooters. Both of those guys have played in big games. They are older. They are not 18- or 19-year-old kids, so everything we needed to get better, those two guys bring to the table."

We were down to 13 pickers last week, which is low. Aside from all of us missing on Tulane, it was a pretty good week for scores, although I continued my descent into the abyss, tied with p8pkev, who has not picked the last two weeks.

WEEK 4 RESULTS

6

Kettrade1

5

ny oscar
2DatWuzAGoodDay2
tacklethemanwiththefootball
chigoyboy

4

charlamange8
diverdo


3

Guerry
MNAlum
WaveON
winwave
Wavetime

2

DrBox


OVERALL RESULTS

19

diverdo

18

2DatWuzAGoodBoy2
Kettrade1

17

chigoyboy
DrBox

16

charlamange8
MNAlum
tacklethemanwiththefootball

14

ny oscar
winwave

12

WaveON
paliii (missed 1 week)

11

Guerry
p8kpev (missed 2 weeks)

7

MMBBE

6

Wavetime


GAME-BY-GAME RESULTS

UAB 0 of 13
Notre Dame 8
LSU 7
Arkansas 6
UCLA 6
Oklahoma State 9
Florida 7
SMU 8

As always, the Tulane game counts double, home teams are listed first and the point spreads come from VegasInsider.com consensus, although last week I missed the Arkansa-Texas A&M game being in Arlington rather than the Razoerbacks' home field.

East Carolina (+4) Tulane
Notre Dame (+2) Cincinnati
Alabama (-14.5) Ole Miss
Georgia (-18.5) Arkansas
LSU (-3..5) Auburn
Wisconsin (-2) Michigan
Kentucky (+8) Florida
Kansas State (+10.5) Oklahoma

Tulane practiced for two hours this morning at Yulman Stadium with the hope that its first normal week since Hurricane Ida hit in late August will result in a better performance this Saturday at East Carolina. Michael Pratt was limited in practice after not really practicing at last week, but he definitely will start against East Carolina and after shaking off the rust, played pretty well in the 28-21 loss to UAB, throwing for 297 yards in what probably would have been a 350-yard night if he had gotten a little more help from his receivers. Nick Anderson, who will miss another two to three games after sustaining a high-ankle sprain against Ole Miss, was in a walking boot on his left leg and had a scooter to get around..

The depth chart looked pretty similar to what it was the last time I saw practice (late August) and in the first four games, but Noah Seiden has been promoted to first-team defensive tackle after registering two sacks against UAB. He will start Saturday alongside Jeffery Johnson, his current roommate.

The dropped pass were there again, too, although it was not the main guys. Freshman T.J. Huggins dropped one off his fingertips in 7 on 7. Ryan Thompson appeared to haul in a long pass on the sideline with a leaping grab, but the ball popped away from him when he hit the ground. Huggins dropped another one in a receiver drill in the end zone with no defender on the field.

Other quick notes:

--Rudy Dyson, who played pretty well against UAB, intercepted a deflected pass.

--Duece Watts is clearly the best receiver on the team with Jha'Quan Jackson struggling. Yes, Watts missed that pass that turned into an interception on Saturday, but he made two outstanding catches while well covered on the sideline, and he beat Kevaris Hall easily for a deep ball today. I'm not sure Hall, who has played only in the Morgan State game, has recovered totally from his knee injury last season. He slammed a tackling dummy (cushion variety, not the hard type) as he walked on the sideline after the play.

--Christian Daniels is practicing. He was out with an injury for much of preseason camp and never was mentioned as a potential contributor, so I'm not sure he will crack the rotation at receiver.

--The starting offensive line and second-team line is exactly the same as in August and through the first four games, although Corey Dublin got some reps as the backup center rather than Caleb Thomas.

--Shi-Keem Laister served as the scout-team quarterback.

--Tyjae Spears practiced. Obviously something is holding him back in games as he returns from ACL surgery, but he looks healthy in no-contact practices.

WILLIE FRITZ

"This was really our first normal week. We got out of the hotel on Friday and moved into the residence and had class in-person again yesterday. The second day will be today. We are getting some lifting in as well back in the weight room. Some guys went Sunday-Tuesday and some guys Monday-Wednesday. We had a good practice. This is our heavy practice here on Tuesday, so it'a always a good workout. We're working on ECU, a good opponent. They had a tough schedule also, played some good schools--South Carolina, Appalachian State, Marshall and had a tough game last weekend against Charleston Southern but came out victorious. It's another big challenge for us."

On issues in run game:

"Sometimes it's been the score (Tulane trailed Oklahoma 37-14 at halftime, Ole Miss 40-14 in the second quarter and UAB 21-0 early). You have to score quick and it's more difficult to score quickly if you run the ball in a series, and we've got to do a better job of it. We have to run the ball more effectively. We have to get some run plays we can hang our hat on, a run play we know we can gain some yards on every time we call it."

On longest stretch without good run game in his tenure:

"We've got a few new guys in a few new spots, and a little bit of it has been the score of the game dictated a little about running the ball and when we could run it. Sometimes at the end of halves we've had very little time and have had to go two-minute. Some of it is situation, and some of it is score."

On Booker's performance:

"He's going to keep playing more and more and more. The issue's always been with YG is just health. He's been banged up the last couple of years. When he was healthy, the guys in front of him were healthy. We have some good backs. We need to exploit their ability a little bit more."

On how defense can improve:

"Yeah, we did a poor job tackling last week and have to get better at tackling. We're certainly working on it a bunch. We have a few guys out right now, some of our better tacklers, and hopefully we'll get one or two of those guys back this week (I have no idea who he is talking about). We just have to tackle better. If we had tackled better, we really would have played darn good defense, but we didn't tackle well (laughs ruefully). To play good defense, you have to tackle good. You can't have one without the other."

On missing Nick Anderson:

"He's obviously a great tackler and a really good player for us, so it certainly doesn't help us that he didn't play for us."

On if he could see UAB performance coming:

"No, I knew UAB's a good team. I believe they won their conference three out of the last four years (two out of three). We knew we were going to have to play real well to win the game. We didn't start off well and then in the second half we had a couple of crucial plays we needed to make, and we didn't make them, and it made us play catch-up for the rest of the game. They are probably the frontrunner to win that league again. They are a good team. We felt like we were capable of beating them, but we had to play well in order to do it. We didn't play a great game."

On any similarities to turning around 2-5 start in 2018:

"Every year is different. We just need to keep pressing and keep playing hard and not worry about the rest of the season. Once you get into it, you've got to go one at a time. I've got a 24-hour pout rule. It was a hard one this week, but you've got to turn the page and move on."

On Seiden:

"He has great technique. He earned himself a starting job. He'll start this week, but he's got excellent technique and get off of block. He's not a rep guy at all. When you tell him something, he's able to do it immediately."

On transition from Sample and Johnson:

"Those two guys are great players. Cam just had a sack in the NFL the other day and Patrick played quite a few snaps for Philadelphia, so I heard. They are both excellent players, but you have to be able to replace guys. We lost some guys the year before that and the year before that and the year before that. Guys have an opportunity to step up and show what they can do, and they need to take advantage of it. We need some guys to step up, and it doesn't necessarily have to be at that position. It might be at another position. It might be a linebacker or a safety that all of a sudden elevates his play."

Tulane practiced from 6 to 7:45 tonight because there are no classes with the moved-up fall break starting and they wanted to get acclimated to playing under the lights at Yulman Stadium. For the first time ever, my computer ran out of juice during Fritz's Zoom call, so I missed the end, but I was there for the first four-and-a-half minutes.

FRITZ

"We came out here this evening, no class. We had a nice, cool evening. We had a good, spirited workout and just walked off the field a couple of minutes ago."

On atmosphere he was looking for on Saturday night:

"I actually hope we get a great crowd. I think everybody's champing at the bit to do something. I can't think of anything better than coming over and watching the Green Wave play. I brag about it all the time. I've been to hundreds of stadiums, and every seat here is a great seat. It's different than other stadiums. You go other places, you can't see the field very well, sometimes your sight lines are restricted, and we don't have that at all here at Yulman Stadium. I always add to that, too, they have cheap beer, too, so.that's a plus. I've been to some places where you have to spend 15 bucks for 12-ounce beer. I just think if we got people to come out ,and we always have pretty darn good crowds and a lot of steady regulars, but if we get people to come in and watch a game, they are going to see it's not too expensive, they are going to have a great experience and they are going to really enjoy Yulman Stadium. If you haven't been here, you need to come. Its a very, very neat venue."

On benefit of practicing at night before night game:

"We hadn't been out here for a long time. During preseason camp we'd come out and do our walkthroughs at night and put the Juggs machine out there and probably did that eight to 10 times during camp, but we didn't actually practice during the evening Tomorrow we're going to actually go in the afternoon. Move-in is in the morning. Our guys are actually staying at the hotel right now, and they are going to move back in to the dormitory tomorrow morning and then we're going to come out in the afternoon. Sometimes you go Friday morning and that's a long ways from Saturday night, so we're going to go tomorrow afternoon and get done about 5:30."

On defense ready to bounce back:

"Yeah, I think those guys were embarrassed. We didn't play very well, didn't tackle very well and weren't a physical team. Like I said a bunch of times, a lot of that credit goes to Ole Miss. They were on point and played extremely well, so we have to play a heck of a lot better than we did Saturday. We had a great week of practice and our guys are excited to redeem themselves, but that's also offense and kicking game as well, not just defense."

On handling distractions:

"We've certainly had two different years. The COVID year and this year we're the only team in the country that's had to endure a lot of adversity. I think things will be back to normal (and that's where it cut off)."





"

Tulane's practice was delayed for 30 minutes today because the bus transporting the 50 or so dorm residents who have to stay in a hotel until campus re-opens this weekend got blocked in, Willie Fritz said on his Zoom call. This team has dealt with a lot of stuff since evacuating for Hurricane Ida 25 days ago.

UAB is the fifth Group of Five /independent non-conference opponent Tulane will face at Yulman Stadium. The Wave is 4-0 to this point, winning two close games with Army (2017, 2020), beating ULL in OT in 2016 and crushing FIU to open 2019.

Yesterday I posted that Tulane probably was the last team playing a home game in the country, but of course UAB has not played a home game yet because its new on-campus stadium will not be ready until its debut the first Saturday of Oxtober, so that's al least one team right off the bat.

Fritz and Sincere Haynesworth spoke today, I requested Dorian Williams the past two days to get his take on the targeting ejection, but he was not made available either time. I was the only reporter on the call.

FRITZ

On if things were getting back to normal:

"Well, there's still nobody else at the building. We've got all the guys who live in residence halls staying in a hotel downtown and the bus got blocked in, so (practice) started a half-hour later. We had to wait about a half-hour for it. If it's not one thing, it's the other, right? We're getting there."

On how many players are staying at hotel:

"At least 50."

On UAB replacing QB on third series each game and then going from there (Tyler Johnston III starts, Dylan Hopkins relieves):

"There are a lot of similarities. We broke it down and the plays are fairly consistent. I'm sure when you get a whole body of work over the course of the season, you'll see some trends, but right now there are a lot of similarities."

On how similar UAB is to program Tulane lost to three years ago in Birmingham:

"A lot of similarities. They are a veteran team. They were a veteran team when we played the last time. I think they had the most experienced team in the nation and they are a veteran team now. Tjhey are always going to be loaded with (upperclassmen) because they have a lot of JC transfers and four-year transfers, so they are going to be a little bit junior and senior laden."

On needing to be better in run game:

"There's a lot of room for improvement. We need to get better at it. Last week obviously the score dictated what we did. Trying to get back into it, we probably threw a little bit more than we wanted to, but you're right, we have to run the ball more effectively. It's very, very important for us."

On Tyjae Spears getting limited carries:

"He's ready to go. I think he's full speed. He had a great week of practice (before the Ole MIss game) and he's really ready to go."

On Rashad Green struggling early against Ole Miss:a

"He played really well week 1 and week 2 and had a little bit of a hiccup in week 3, which a lot of guys did. Some of the times we were trying to get help with backs and tight ends as well, and I know on a couple of occasions the help that should have been provided wasn't provided very well. He's a work in progress. He's a great athlete, a super kid, a hard worker. He's only going to get better."

On Michael Pratt not throwing the ball in the second half, repeatedly tucking it and running:

"It was a combination of a lot of things. Pressure making him get out of the pocket, him not going through his possessions. There were some guys that came open after he decided to tuck it and run it. Receivers not getting open. There were a lot of things. Each one of them was a little different, but we have to do a good job of understanding when to sit in the pocket. There were times they rushed three and I thought we had it protected pretty well and we tucked it and ran instead of letting the play develop. There were some times they rushed three and we should have had it blocked and they got some pressure on us and he had to tuck it and run, so each play's different."

On everyone having to look in mirror and get better:

"Yeah. Coaches, players, managers, trainers, everybody. We obviously didn't prepare our guys very well. Some guys played well. I hate it when you get your butt kicked, but there were some guys that played awfully well. Not enough."

On Darius Hodges:

"He's like a lot of guys. He has up moments and down moments. He's a really good athlete. The guy's 6-1, 6-2, 280 with great speed and great movement. When he puts his mind to it and plays hard every down, he's a very good player for us."

On pass rush:

"A lot of room for improvement. We've got to do a good job number one of not allowing the quarterback to escape the pocket. We've got to collapse the pocket and have leverage on the quarterback whether you're on the left side or the right side, keeping him on your inside shoulder compressing the pocket. We'll get better. We have a lot of young guys playing right now and they are kind of learning. You've got to understand a lot of things. If you really did a good job throughout the week, you'd have a pretty good idea on every play based on down and distance and stance of not only your offensive lineman but adjacent offensive linemen of whether or not it's going to be a pass. You have to understand those things."

On getting out of gaps on pass rushes against Matt Corral:

"Well, we've got to corral him and do a good job of keeping him in the pocket. You know, there's only about 15 or 20 quarterbacks who are real comfortable sitting in the pocket play after play after play and being able to keep their eyes downfield, and one of them retired last year. His name is Brees. There's not 100s of them. The college game is so different than.the pro game. A lot of college quarterbacks do their best work outside the pocket rather than inside the pocket. We have to do a good job in rush lanes of keeping them in that pocket with pressure in their faces to see if they're patient enough and disciplined enough to keep their eyes downfield and throw the ball."

SINCERE HAYNESWORTH

On being back in New Orleans practicing on home field:

"It's great to be home. It's starting to get back into a routine, just figuring things out. and getting to who we are and it feels great."

On first home game coming up:

"It's great to be back in our environment. I think it's going to be really good for us coming off a hard loss to be back at home and everything starting to get back to normal. It will be big for us to come back and get a welcoming energy and just be able to perform and hopefully give everyone the game they want to see."

On improving the run game:

"There's a ton of room to improve. We're just getting started. Of course we have to start quicker. We have to really establish ourselves in the run game as an offensive line and be comfortable seeing the whole defense with one set of eyes and really execute at a high level."

On Rashad Green:

"He's gonna adjust. As a player you have your good days and you have your bad days, and it's all about how you respond. Win, lose or draw, it's about how you respond and I think he's a good responder. He's been working real hard this week trying to perfect everything that he messed up in the game, and that's true for all of us."

On third-quarter woes:

"Just like the start of the game, we didn't get started fast enough and unfortunately sometimes against really good teams if you don't get started early, you won't get started at all, and that's what we fell victim to."

On what saying to make sure loss doesn't linger:

"We know we're a good team right now. We're working to be a great team, an elite team. It's all about how we handle ourselves during practice, the little things, and making sure we're practicing being an elite team and not practicing good and then expecting to be elite on game days. We have to practice at a high level and play at a high level every time we get the chance, and we're really working on that, including myself, being able to play at an elite level and then help keep guys around me playing at an elite level is really important."

On Spears:

"Tyjae is a person to keep his head down and keep pushing no matter the situation, whether he's getting all the reps or none of the reps, so he's got something big coming soon,. He's been working very hard."

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

Tulane (-4) UAB
Wisconsin (-6.5) Notre Dame
Mississippi State (+2.5) LSU
Arkansas (+5.5) Texas A&M
Stanford (+4.5) UCLA
Oklahoma State (-6) Kansas State
Florida (-19.5) Tennessee
TCU (-9) SMU

In what I believe is a pick' em first, none of the 15 entrants got more than four points (and only two got that many). Almost all of us tied with 3 points, with a lot of similar picks.

WEEK 3 RESULTS

4

MNAlum
DrBox

3

charlamange8
Guerry
ny oscar
2DatWuzAGoodBoy2
Tacklethemanwiththefootball
chigoyboy
paliii
Kettrade1
winwave
diverdo
MMBBE
Wavetime

2

WaveON


OVERALL STANDINGS

15

DrBox
diverdo

13

MNAlum
2DatWuzAGoodBoy2

12

charlamange8
chigoyboy
paliii
Kettrade1

11

tacklethemanwiththefootball
winwave
p8kpev (missed 1 week)

9

WaveON
ny oscar

8

Guerry

7

MMBBE (missed 1 week)

3

Wavetime (missed 2 weeks)


GAME-BY-GAME RESULTS

Ole Miss 0 of 15
Florida 4
Penn State 8
Cincinnati 13
Memphis 3
West Virginia 5
Nebraska 2
LSU 11

Guerry is it serious or will he play Saturday?

Tulane is back home and I have these tickets to the games below.

Tickets will be transferred electronically once I receive payment via PayPal or Venmo.

Sec. 114
Row LL
Seats 5-6-7-8

UAB - $15 ea.
SEP 25 2021
7p

Houston - $15 ea.
OCT 07 2021
6:30p

Cincinnati - $50 ea.
OCT 30 2021
at TBA

Tulsa - $10 ea.
NOV 13 2021
at TBA

USF - $10 ea.
NOV 20 2021
at TBA

On what might have the last sweltering morning of the year, Tulane practiced at Yulman Stadium for the first time since 24 days on Tuesday to begin preparing for Saturday's home opener against UAB. Reporters were not allowed to attend because of a school policy banning visitors from campus until Tulane re-opens Monday (an exception will be made, of course, for the game), but Willie Fritz, Cameron Carroll, Macon Clark and Michael Pratt spoke on Zoom afterward. Pratt speaking is a good sign. Nothing is certain, but if he had not practiced today after landing hard on his shoulder on his final play against Ole Miss, it is doubtful he would have spoken.

FRITZ

"We just got done with our first practice of the week. We didn't practice yesterday. We didn't get from Oxford (to Birmingham) until 5 in the morning. We got up early and drove back here to NOLA and got back here about 3 p.m. on Sunday, so we had a little bit of a different day yesterday than we normally did. I wanted the guys to get a little bit of rest and sleep, get off their feet a little bit, so we're going to go Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday in practice and obviously playing a game on Saturday night. It will be a little different week for us, but we're glad to be back home."

On being back at Yulman Stadium:

"Last week was a long week. There were probably a couple of mistakes I made with the team. I brought everybody (from Birmingham) and unfortunately we had a real small locker room and then we had an extra two hours (when the game was delayed by lightning amid a torrential downpour) that we were over there. It was really kind of hard during that time period. We didn't play very well on Saturday. I think the guys were looking forward to the game, and I didn't time that out as well as I needed to. You never know when you have a situation like that occur what is the best thing to do. One thing I'm going to do a better job of is check locker room size before we go and understand you can't bring 115 guys to an away game in most places. The guys were very excited about being back in town. I know I am. Twenty-two days we were gone, and it's good to be back in New Orleans. It looks like the city is picking everything up and getting back to normal."

On if it feels normal yet:

"No. It won't. It was kind of a strange first practice today. It really was. The guys were very excited about lifting yesterday because we were going to kind of a health club that didn't have bar bells and racks and things like that, so that's what we had to go to for the last week. It was a little bit different lifting, so they were excited about getting in the weight room where we could get back to our regular routine."

On if both of his QBs would be available this week:

"Yes."

On if they sustained any injuries in the Ole Miss game:

"No. Justin (Ibieta) got banged up the week before, but he we got him in there a little bit towards the end of the game. We took Michael out because we were a little concerned about the score of the game at that point in time and didn't want him to take any more hits."

On Dorian Williams' targeting ejection:

"I think so. It's a good rule. We have to have something. I agree with the powers that be. You know, they have some guidelines for what is a proper hit, and I've been very fortunate that guys have stayed safe over 29 years as a head coach and 13 years as an assistant coach. We really teach those guys. The thing that's tough in my opinion is I see a lot of times the offensive player lowering his head or his target at the last moment because these are split-second decisions. Sometimes they don't take that into consideration. All be honest with you. I looked at it on the sideline and I thought they were ruling whether the guy had gone out of bounds (that is what they said they were looking at, but officials are allowed to look for targeting even when the stoppage is for something else). I looked at it, and by the letter of the law, it was targeting. We tried to get a look at the one with Jha'Quan (Jackson, which wasn't ruled targeting because the defender, though trying to smash him with his helmet, missed, and intent is not part of the rule) and it's hard for us to see with our game film. I have not watched the TV copy. I'm not going to subject myself to that quite yet, but I guess it wasn't. It was more hitting him in the shoulder, is what I've heard. There are split-second decisions that occur, and we talk all the tine about strike zone. We talk about arm pits and below, not neck and below, just to make sure. You have to practice it all the time, and bang-bang it happens, especially when the runner lowers his target at the last moment. That's difficult for a defensive guy or a tackler on special teams to adjust."

On significance of losing Williams:

"He's a great player for us. That was unfortunate. We would have loved to have him in there. We had a little bit of momentum going at that point in time, but obviously any time you lose a really good player, that hurts you."

On Macon Clark performance:

"He's practicing much, much harder and is more consistent on a daily basis with his practice habits. He played really well the first half. He had an excellent first half. Sometimes you look at it and our defense didn't play very well. Give credit to Ole Miss. That's a great offense without question, and we tackled very poorly. They were top five in the country last year in total offense and I believe they're number 1 now maybe. They do a great job getting the ball to their studs in space and make you miss. We really tackled poorly. Some of that was us and some of that was them, and they have a great quarterback and a good offensive line. It was definitely a tough night for the defense. We didn't play real well, but also Ole Miss has a tremendous offense."

On what said to guys to keep their heads up:

"We talked about it after the game and talked about it Monday. After this game Saturday night the season is going to be a third complete. Some of these guys don't realize that. It happens fast, and we need in-season heroes. Some guys are really good January through August. They light it up on social media, they lift the weights, they get personal trainers, they do all sorts of stuff. This is when we need the tough-guy stuff. It's going to be done before you know it. It happens fast. We've got three games in the book and there will be four games in the book after Saturday night. That's when we need it."

On what learned from past month:

"I'm really proud of our players and proud of our coaches and proud of our support staff. I had very few issues over there. I'd put our 18- to 22-year olds up against anybody. if some teams were over there for 22 days, they'd have probably sent 22 guys home. There's a lot of things that occur. And right now we're still doing it. Our freshmen are down in a hotel on Canal Street. They can't get into their residence halls under Friday, so it's still not back to normal, but we're creeping in that direction. It was a unique experience. I can go ahead and put this as a chapter in the book when I retire in about 15 years."

On it travel took toll on team at end of three weeks:

"I don't know. It's disappointing, there wasn't anything to do about it, but we got to the game and all of a sudden it was delayed for two hours. Like God Almighty, one more thing. I don't want to act like that's the reason why we got our butts kicked--Ole MIss played really, really well--but it was one more thing we had to deal with, and that's kind of how it's been. Hopefully after this week we'll have a retrn to nornality and get it going, but I know we're all excited to be back in New Orleans."

With Ole Miss leading 13-7 and facing a third-and-12 at the Tulane 15 near the end of the first quarter on Saturday night, the touchdown that occurred was a microcosm of the miserable night for the Wave. Nose tackle Jeffery Johnson, who deservaby has received rave reviews for his 50=pound weight loss and performance in the first two games, jogged after quarterback Matt Corral when he ran through a gap up the middle. Johnson then slowed to almost a complete stop when Corral was met at the 5 by freshman DB Jadon Canady, and when Corral trucked him, Johnson started moving again slowly but never really made any effort to get there as Corral bulled his way iito the end zone.

Tulane was not flat for the start of Saturday night's game. It simply got flattened, and the defense lost concentration quickly after being overwhelmed by the Rebels' pace and execution n the first two possessions. Johnson may yet have an All-AAC caliber year, and his effort level on that touchdown was not as bad as Willie Langham's while trailing a South Alabama crossing route for a score in the first half of the 2020 opener (in my mind, one of the worst efforts I've ever seen), but it was symbolic of what Tulane did not do against Ole Miss--compete as hard as the opponent.

As for the rest of that touchdown play, it Eric Hicks ran out of his gap on the pass rush, clearing a lane for Corral, who sidestepped linebacker Kevin Henry easily before running over Canady and pulling two more defenders into the end zone. It was a case of Corral being better than anyone trying to stop him all night. Johnson, who made little headway on his pass rush on that play, still was too far upfield to catch Corral, but he needed to run out the play at the bare minimum. Ole Miss, and particularly Corral, was brilliant offensively, but Tulane was really, really bad defensively. And Johnson could not have been tired. He was not on the field for the four previous plays, and the second one included a long review that ended in Dorian William's ejection for targeting.

Here are a few observations off the first half:

1) Rashad Green had a rough time at right tackle.

I singled out the performance of the tackles as the most critical element for Tulane having a chance to win before the game because I knew they would have to keep Michael Pratt clean to give the Wave a chance to match Ole Miss's offense. At least early, Green was not up to the task. On Tulane's second play, Sam Williams ran right around Green and hit Pratt as he threw it, forcing an incomplete pass when Ygenio Booker was open for a first down. Pratt could not find anyone open on third down and was stopped well short of a first down on a scramble, forcing a 3 and out Tulane could not afford.

On Tulane's second series, with the Wave facing a third-and-8, Green had a choice of two players to block and touched neither of them in his indecisiveness. It might not have mattered because Cameron Carroll got whipped trying to pick up the outside rusher, but Pratt might have been able to avoid that guy. He had no chance avoiding two guys coming right for him and had to run backwards and throw the ball away for another 3 and out. Honestly, I cannot tell you how Green played in the first two games since I did not tape either of them, and I don't know he graded out overall Saturday, but his early struggles in a big setting hamstrung the offense on those first two drives.

2) Nick Anderson made the two best plays of the first half

While I focused on Darius Hodges and the early plays he made live, it was Anderson who made the only two stops of the first half. He got his helmet on the ball while wrapping up simultaneously to force a fumble on the Rebels' third series. Dorian Williams caught it but lost it immediately when he ran into Angelo Anderson, with the ball ricocheting to Rudy Dyson. That was a perfect tackle by a guy who will be All-AAC for sure.

When Ole Miss tried to chase its missed extra point after the second touchdown with a 2-point try after its third, Anderson pursued a shovel pass sweep and drove the runner backwards when he made contact at the 4. There were very few occasions when Wave defenders knocked Ole Miss ball-carriers backwards, but this was one of them.

Other than the forced fumble and the stopped 2-point conversion, Ole Miss reached the end zone every time it had a chance (excepting the missed field goal on the last play of the first half; more on that later) until it had 61 points midway through the third quarter.

3) The targeting ejection rule has to go,.

It's just not fair, and the announcers for the game had a good suggestion to add different degrees of targeting, with only the most severe one calling for an ejection. Williams certainly was not the first and won't be the last player tossed on an arbitrary ruling, but it's just a bad look for college football. In this case, there would been no review if the official in the booth had not wanted to check whether the runner stepped out of bounds before the first down. Upon review, they saw Williams drop the crown of his helmet before making contact and ejected him, costing Tulane one of its two best defensive players for three quarters and change. It was close, but it looks to me like he never hit him with the helmet before slamming into him with his right shoulder. The announcers felt it was the correct call by the letter of the law, but either way, it was incredibly unfortunate for Williams that there was a review in the first place.

His presence would have not have changed the outcome of the game much--Tulane already was getting dominated defensively--but the score might not have been as bad.

4) The two missed tackles that cost Tulane the most were by Jaylon Monroe and Lance Robinson

Both of them came up empty on opportunities to slow Ole Miss's momentum in first half. Monroe's play was not easy, but he had a chance to stop Ole Miss on its second possession and came up empty in the flat after a short pass on fourth-and-3 after the Wave cut its deficit to 13-7. on one of the many drives that turned into a touchdown. He dove low when he reached Drummond a couple of yards short of the first down, and Drummond fought off the angle tackle to to fall forward for an easy first down, leading to the Rebels' third touchdown.

Robinson's play was worse, though maybe not an inconsequential because it was third-and-15 and Ole Miss likely would have gone for the fourth-and-9 anyway and Tulane had given no indication it could stop the Rebels. But Robinson had a bead on Jonathan Mingo, who was stationary when he caught the out pass 10 yards shy of the first down. Robinson, who had a rough night, went low and nearly whiffed, with Mingo brushing off the slight contact to his leg and taking off for 34-yard gain. Robinson then dropped a deflected pass he could have intercepted on the next snap, and no one covered the flat on the play after that, with cornerback Ajani Kerr covering a receiver who went inside and no one else being in the area code (had to be a missed assignment), leaving Dontario Drummond open for a too-easy touchdown and a 26-7 lead. Robinson simply had to make that tackle on third-and-long, at least forcing Ole Miss to come up with the goods.

5) That Hail Mary defensive formation with seven seconds left in the half made zero sense.

This is nit-picking, but that was not the right time to drop eight players 30 yards or more off the ball behind a 3-man front. Tulane handed 16 yards to Ole Miss and it would have been 21 or more if the receiver had realized how much time was left on the clock when he took a knee. I get that Tulane gave up the Hail Mary to Tulsa last year and practiced this in the preseason to make sure it did not happen again, but you can't do it when a team has time for two plays. Someone on the sideline needed to overrule Chris Hampton there. Maybe it was the product of being skewered for 40 points and 26 first downs to that point, but it felt like a capitulation, with the coaches deciding their defense could not be trusted to prevent a 52-yard touchdown pass. No bueno.

Ole Miss failed to score because its 54-yard kick sailed about a foot outside of the upright, so the formation did not cost Tulane any points. That does not make it the right call.

Quick Hits

--On the errant third-down toss in the end zone that led to Merek Glover's 27-yard field goal miss (which cannot happen), It looked like Pratt thought Phat Watts would run a stop and go to the corner instead of cutting inside. The throw was too far away from Duece Watts to make me think he was targeting him.

--That was a tough call on Jaylon Monroe for interference on the deep ball the end zone when Tulane trailed 33-14. He did hit the receiver early, but it was bang-bang and that usually is not called. He did a really nice job of stripping the ball regardless of the flag.

--Macon Clark is going to have a good year. He has the best instincts and ball pursuit in the secondary. The other safeties will have to play better moving forward.

--Josh Remetich, who did not start, had a nice block on Pratt's 18-yard scramble in the first half.

Amare Jones and Stephon Huderson, two very good players, are not exactly lighting it up after choosing to leave Tulane after last season (or in Jones' case, before the bowl game).

Jones was allowed to compete for the starting QB job at Georgia Southern in the preseason while also getting reps at running back, and he really competed for the starting job last week but did not get it. Georgia Southern proceeded to lose 38-3 to FAU in an awful performance, which came after it barely beat Gardner-Webb, 30-25, in its opener.

Jones' stats through two games: 28 carries for 119 yards (4.3 average), four completions in seven attempts for 45 yards and four receptions for 33 yards. He is not returning kicks, which is strange.

Huderson transferred to McNeese State. I never found out why he left for sure, but I know the people close to him felt like he never got his due and had to prove himself each year. It was not clear how many carries he would get this season even though he had a very solid year in 2020.

His stats for McNeese: 36 carries for 146 yards (3.9 average) and a touchdown with four catches for 16 yards. He is the clear No. 1 there, which I believe is what he wanted, but McNeese is awful, losing to something called West Florida 42-36 in its opener (I lived in Florida for 21 years and don't recall ever hearing of West Florida, but a quick internet check reveals the Pensacola school won the NCAA Division II championship in 2010) before falling to LSU 34-7. Unless he was unhappy personally at Tulane, I can't imagine he is having more fun playing for McNeese, but maybe McNeese can turn it around in Southland play.

Keon Howard, by the way, is starting for UT Martin. His numbers are what you would expect --38 of 73 for 423 yards with three touchdowns and four interceptions, including three picks in the opener. He has rushed 28 times for 110 yards and three touchdowns. He was a really good guy, though, so I'm happy he's getting a chance to play.

Willie Langham and Davon Wright are playing for Central Arkansas.

Can anybody help? Will be pay a nice price plus postage, of course.

Guerry, any news you can share with us, especially WR. TE’s are flocking to us to play with Pratt. I think this will happen at WR, but a lot of players we offered at that position have already committed. There are still some good ones out there that are looking at us.

The Gunter pick up was huge. Really good player. I don’t see our recruiting taking a hit with the other AAC teams moving to the Big 12. As long as we have WF, Pratt, Long, New Orleans, and Tulane academics as our base, we will be ok.

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

Ole Miss (-14.5) Tulane
Florida (+14.5) Alabama
Penn State (-6) Auburn
Indiana (+4) Cincinnati
Memphis (+3.5) Mississippi State
West Virginia (-3) Virginia Tech
Oklahoma (-22.5) Nebraska
LSU (-19.5) Central Michigan