Guerry Smith please call Paul Fremaux at 504-432-6826 about access the The Wave Report.

This is not official, and I admit I saw less of this spring practice than any one since I became publisher of this site due to the ones moved to the Saints facility, my covering the AAC basketball tournament and a couple of unusual morning conflicts that got in the way. A quick check of my practice reports reveals I saw eight of the 15, but I did see two scrimmages plus the spring game, so these projections are not just a shot in the dark.

One ground rule: I am not including the guys who committed after the spring, although Kanan Ray and Prince Pines (who I still have not confirmed) will obviously be in the mix on the offensive line and Tylo Phillips will be a factor on the defensive line,

QB

1) Michael Pratt
2) Justin Ibieta
3) Kai Horton
4) Carson Haggard

Comment: Horton looked pretty good in the spring game, but a healthy Ibieta has more upside. Haggard tailed off significantly in live drills after excelling in regular practices.

RB

1) Tyjae Spears
2) Ashaad Clayton
3) Cam Carroll
4) Iverson Celestine
5) Ygenio Booker

Comment: Spears, of course, is the real deal. The others need to make sure there is not a dramatic drop-off when he is not in the game.

WR

1) Shae Wyatt, Duece Watts, Phat Watts
2) Jha'Quan Jackson, Dea Dea McDougle, Lawrence Keys

Comment: Jackson still has not found the form he had before his knee injury in preseason camp last year, but early depth charts do not matter at this spot. Production in the first couple of games will determine the pecking order. McDougle made some plays in the spring but also drew the coaches' ire with his inconsistency. Keys was dinged up.

TE

1) Tyrick James
2) Will Wallace
3) Reggie Brown

Comment: Wallace's brief entry in the portal was the first surprise of the post spring, but he changed his mind quickly and is back. The other guys who left were down on the depth chart. He will play a lot.

LT

1) Joey Claybrook
2) Sully Burns/Joseph Solomon/Nik Hogan

LG

1) Josh Remetich
2) Jackson Fort

C

1) Sincere Haynesworth
2) Ethan Marcus (but Fort would be the real second-team guy)

RG

1) Caleb Thomas
2) Trey Tuggle

RT

1) Rashad Green
2) Michael Lombardi

Comment: I left off Lillibridge because I cannot remember what position he played in the spring. The two newcomers should be factors immediately.

DEFENSE

Joker

1) Darius Hodges
2) Armoni Dixon

NT

1)Adonis Friloux
2) Elijah Champaigne
3) Alfred Thomas

DT

1) Patrick Jenkins
2) Eric Hicks
3) Noah Taliancich

Comment: When healthy, Taliancich will move up and be in the rotation.

DE

1) Angelo Anderson
2) Keith Cooper
3) Devean Deal

Comment: Same thing for Deal, whom Willie Fritz loves. I really like the defensive line depth.

LB

1) Nick Anderson and Dorian Williams
2) Jesus Machado and Corey Platt
3) Mandel Eugene

Comment: I like the inside linebacker depth, too. Machado is a player.

NB

1) Macon Clark
2) DJ Douglas

CB

1) Jadon Canady and Jarius Monroe
2) Lance Robinson and Shi'Keem Laister
3) Kiland Harrison and Levi Williams

SS

1) Larry Brooks
2) DJ Douglas

FS

1) Lummie Young
2) Bailey Despanie

Comment: More is to be determined in the secondary than any other part of the defense with multiple players capable of starting at more than one spot. I think Canady will stick at CB after playing nickel last year. I like Young in the back, with Clark moving to nickel, but Clark easily could go back to free safety. Kevaris Hall was the backup nickel for much of spring, so they may move DJ Douglas back there after he received most of his reps at safety in the spring. The only certainty is Clark and Canady will start somewhere. Competition is tight otherwise.

P

1) Casey Glover

K

Vacant



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This appears to be a huge pick up. FCS All American. Played at Baylor. He is good enough that Oklahoma St wanted him.

Guerry, what is the word on him

Tulane received a commitment from Tylo Phillips, a defensive lineman out of Lamar who took an official visit on the weekend of April 8. He had offers from Memphis, Louisiana Tech, UAB and SMU.

Listed as 6-3, 290 pounds by Lamar, he played in eight games last year with 19 tackles, 5 1/2 stops for loss and four sacks, including one when they stepped up in competition and played UTSA. He started the first five at end and the next three inside, and Tulane plans to use him in both roles, too. In the 2020 season, which was played in the spring of 2021, he had 22 tackles, five stops for loss and three sacks. The Mississippi native attended Hinds Community College for two years before going to Lamar.

The week-late tradition continues with the list of visitors for Tulane's spring game, which included the Wave's lone commitment for 2023, WR Dakota Williams from Hahnville. Kanan Ray visited before committing. The rest were high school seniors.

1) Jameian Buxton, a 4-star 6-2, 275-pound DT from Thibodaux rated the No. 171 overall national prospect, the No. 17 overall prospect in the state and the No. 6 DT nationally

Skinny: LSU and Georgia has offered among other big names.

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2) Jai Eugene, Jr, a 3-star, 6-0, 191-pound CB from Destrehan and the son of former LSU player Jai Eugene

Skinny: Has offers from Mississippi State, Purdue and Virginia among others. Rated No. 64 nationally at his position.

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3) Jamall Franklin Jr., a 3-star, 6-6, 379-pound OT from Scotlandville in Baton Rouge

Skinny: Has offers from Missouri, Texas Tech and Houston. He's definitely not skinny.

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4) Terrell Washington, Jr., a 3-star 5-11, 185-pound RB from Wylie East in Texas.

Skinny: Listed as athlete by Rivals but Tulane sees him as running back. Has offers from Vanderbilt, Washington State and several top AAC schools.

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5) Manny Covey, a 3-star, 5-11, 180-pound RB from Bradford County High in Stark, Fla.

Skinny: Visited Cincy and has offer there plus offers from several P5 schools.

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6) Ethan Crawford, a 3-star, 5-11, 202-pound QB from Tuscaloosa Hillcrest.

Skinny: Has offers from Miss St, Kentucky, Maryland and Georgia Tech among others.

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7) Daniel Blood, a 3-star, 6-0, 175-pound WR from Destrehan

Skinny: has an offer from La Tech and has attracted interest from others.

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8) Lynard Harris, a 3-star, 5-10, 180-pound CB from Destrehan.

Skinny: Visited Miss St. and has offers from there along with Virginia and South Alabama.

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9) Evan Haynie, a no-star, 6-0, 175-pound cornerback from Chattanooga (Tenn.) Baylor High

Skinny: Has an offer from Memphis plus about a dozen smaller schools.


10) Oniel Senatus, a no-star, 5-11, 170-pound RB/WR from Celebration High in Florida

Skinny: Visited USF and has an offer there.

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11) Bo Burklow, a no-star, 6-4, 230-pound TE from Christ Presbyterian in Nashville, Tenn.

Skinny: Has offers from UCF and Memphis among about 20 schools.

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12) Caleb Bryant, a no-star, 6-3, 250-pound DE from Vicksburg

Skinny: Visited Miss St. has has offer there along with Memphis and Miami.

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13) Joshua Ficklin, a no-star, 5-10, 200-pound RB from Bentonville, Ark.

Skinny: Has an offer from Memphis.

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14) Ashton Stamps, a no-star, 6-0, 167-pound WR from Rummel.

Skinny: has an offer from Missouri.


15) Aidan Donald, a no-star, 6-4, 250-pound OT from Lebanon, Tenn.

Skinny: Has an offer from Army and numerous FCS schools. You don't see too many 250-pound OT prospects.


16) Jeleel Fleming, a no-star, 6-2, 175-pound safety from Vicksburg.

Skinny: has no reported offers at this point.


17) Antonio Ross, an unrated, 6-2, 180-pound defensive back from Alexandria High in Alabama

Skinny: Tulane is recruiting his as a DB, but he is listed as a WR by 247 Sports.

18) Dickson Agu, an unrated 6-1, 220-pound LB from Dutchtown

Skinny: He is not in the Rivals database but is listed by 247 Sports with offers from Purdue, Air Force, La Tech and UL-Lafayette

19) Landon Ramson, an unrated, 6-0, 170-pound WR from Byron Nelson High in Trophy Club, Texas in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.

Skinny: He is not in the Rivals database but is listed in 247 Sports with offers from Army, Navy and Rice.

20) Jay'veon Haynes, an unrated, 5-9. 175-pound RB from Woodlawn High

Skinny: not in the Rivals or the 247 Sports database.

Tulane kept itself relevant in the race for first place in the AAC and in the NCAA at-large picture by taking two of three from ECU over the weekend, but the Wave has to win a high rate in the final 15 games to feel good about its position entering the AAC tournament.

The issue is not the RPI number, which at 48 should rise into the top 40 or very close to it if the Wave wins its remaining series and at least two of the three remaining non-conference games. The selection committee tends to adhere slavishly to the RPI when picking teams and seeding them, with exceptions made for teams in areas of the country that make quality midweek games difficult and for power-conference teams with crappy league records but decent RPIs (they rarely get in).

The issue is the lack of quality wins, which the committee also treats as very important. La Tech fell to No. 50 by losing a home series to Middle Tennessee over the weekend, and La Tech is Tulane's highest-rated victim. ECU is 52. Mississippi State is 76. No one else is in the top 100 at the moment. It usually is hard for teams to get in with a resume like that, but Tulane can make its case by winning the AAC regular-season title and winning at No. 65 South Alabama tomorrow.. Nothing is set since what other teams do is just about as important as what Tulane does, but my best guess is the Wave needs to go 11-4 the rest of the way and 9-3 in the AAC. That mark likely would be good enough to earn the regular season title, and even with a slip-up in one of the two game against South Alabama or the one against UNO, I feel like Tulane would get in assuming a reasonable showing at the AAC tournament.

The number of teams that appear likely to get in from the big-four conference (SEC, ACC, Big 12, Pac-12) will not be higher than a normal year. I count five sure teams from the Pac-12 and no one else with any chance for an at-large bid. The number could change from the other three conferences, but as of today I see eight from the SEC, nine from the AAC and six from the Big 12, which would allow the other 27 conferences nine at-large bids. The good news is the Big Ten, which has gotten as many as five teams in as recently as 2019, is rated below the AAC at No. 10 and may only get two teams in this year. The AAC, which was 10th a week ago, is closer to Conference USA in seventh place and the Sun Belt in eighth place than the Big Ten is to the AAC. By just winning at South Alabama, Tulane can close the gap considerably between the AAC and the Sun Belt.

First and foremost, Tulane just needs to win. A lot. One bad series could torpedo the Wave's chances, like this weekend at co-leader UCF. With one game separating the five teams at the top of the league, the Wave could go from the No. 1 seed to the 5 seed in three games, and getting the No. 1 seed is essential.

Here is what Wave players and Travis Jewett said after Sunday's win against ECU. The weekend was made more impressive because Grant Siegel did not pitch and the Wave overcame his absence, but pitching remains a significant question mark heading down the stretch. If the starters pitch well, I believe the Wave will get it done. We shall see on both fronts.

LUIS AVILES

On comprehensive Sunday win:

"Absolutely. Very impressed with how (Michael) Massey kept himself in the game, starting off with the homer to center field. He kind of just settled in after that. I'm really happy with his performance and the same thing with Brian (Valigosky). We did a really good job the whole weekend of just getting them (ECU) into their bullpen. They used a lot of good arms on Friday and continued to use them and we just kept wearing them down, so I'm really happy with the way we played this weekend."

On not letting pressure of moment get to them:

"I think we've been playing since Southern Miss, after that we decided to just calm down a little bit. We played a little tight and you could see it. The whole weekend we never really felt any pressure. We were having fun, and even yesterday when we were down, they are a really good team and (Carter Spivey) was doing a really good job of keeping us off balance since the second inning when he came in. I'm just really happy with how we composed ourselves this weekend."

On what they need to do moving forward:

"Continue these feelings honestly. We just have to make sure that we stay in the midline, enjoy this now but get ready to work again tomorrow and get ready for the game on Tuesday and continue to do the things we've been doing in practice because they are starting to show up in the game."

On how much leg injury affected him during recent 1 for 25 slide (he went 4 for 11 with five runs, three RBIs and two homers this weekend):

"Maybe not as much as I thought it was, but just little mechanical things that I couldn't do hitting wise that threw me off just a little bit. I"m very thankful for Victoria (athletic trainer Dr. Victoria Elia) helping me out. I feel a lot better. A lot better. Thank God. I can actually walk now after a game."

BRADY HEBERT

On Tulane scoring in each of the first seven innings:

"Oh yeah, whenever your opposing team is seeing that, that's tough to go through a whole game when you're seeing that."

On two home runs after hitting one all year:

"It felt really good. I was seeing the ball well all weekend, and I just happened to run into two of them. It was good to see these guys doing the same thing as well."

On massive win:

"It was one our our cleaner games of the year. We had Michael go out there and give us a great start. We played clean defense and we were putting the ball in play. Any time that happens, you are giving yourself a chance to win."

On potential of team:

"Whenever we are playing clean baseball, there's not many teams that can beat us, so we just have to focus on us and keep trying to play our best game."

On second home run, which he sent into Claiborne parking lot:

"It was a breaking ball that he left up, and I just put the bat on the ball and happened to get it."

MICHAEL MASSEY

On bouncing back from home run:

"Good swing, bad pitch, next pitch. It's always about the next pitch. If I throw a bad pitch, I've got to scratch it because you can't turn one bad pitch into a bad outing. It's all about being a quick-recovery athlete as they always preach. I knew I threw a bad pitch. It was supposed to be a fastball away and I threw a fastball middle. It happens."

On pitching with wind blowing out:

"Sundays here it's always boom box blowing out, so I'm kind of used to it. I can't really change my game. I like to pitch low, bottom of the zone, and if I hit my spots on the bottom of the zone, it's harder for them to elevate it. I just pitch my game. Once I start changing my stuff, then I'm not me."

On Jewett saying he is a master of preparation:

"It's everything from what I'm going to do tonight to what I'm doing Saturday night before I get ready to pitch next week. Everything goes into it--how much I'm sleeping at tonight. I track everything--how much I've eaten. I want to make sure my body's fueled. I can't come into a Saturday night or even Sunday morning and wake up and be like, oh yeah, I'm pitching tomorrow. It's everything."

On significance of beating ECU:

"It's amazing. Any time you can take a series from another conference team, it's a wonderful feeling, but especially them. Their track record is amazing. They came off a road sweep against UCF last week, so to tun around and have them come around and think they're going to do the same thing again, to beat them is an amazing feeling."

Talked to Travis Jewett for a while today before the defining series of Tulane's season. The Green Wave can't play their way into a regional this weekend, but they can play their way out of one.

On it being massively important series:

"it really is, and what I think is important is that we do understand that and see that and recognize it and don't be timid about it and be aggressive and be confident. Losing two out of three (to Houston and then losing on Tuesday, that was then and this is now. We're 6-3 in this conference. They are one game ahead. There's four-plus weeks left. There's still time, but this is the shot, and the thing I like about it, whether we're playing East Caroline this week or in two weeks, they are the gosh-darn champs. They are the league standard. They have been since I've been here, and they still are. In anything in life, if you want to dethrone the champions, then you have to do something about it. So here we are, and we have a chance to do something about it, but it's not as easy as sitting here and talking about it. We've got to effect change. We have to be the doers, not the triers. In order to be the doers against a good team like these, as well coached as they are, as tough as they are, we are going to have to play routine defense and get quality starts. We're not going to have (Grant) Siegel this weekend. It's the most he's pitched in a while. Some of those young guys have a little bit of a brick wall in front of them right now. It can be moved, though. It just needs to be kicked down and moved so we can get that second wind."

On rotation without Siegel:

"We are going to move (Dylan) Carmouche up to Friday, so he'll stay on his seven-day deal. I was kind of hopeful that everybody would get that eighth day with Easter. (Michael) Massey will stay on, and Saturday is a little bit TBD, but hopefully maybe (Chandler) Welch can insert himself in there.And (ECU coach) Cliff (Godwin) knows who he's going to throw tomorrow, which is (Ryder) Giles (0.89 ERA) and it's kind of TBD after that. We're in that Saturday same mode. We'll give Massey his week normal plus one."

On Carmouche's ankle:

"It's still maybe a little bit colored, but there's no pain and he's pushing and landing. He's fine."

On trying to flip the script from ECU going from second to first place in series last year:

"Yeah. Maybe us not coming in a on a high will be a good thing. We had a really good day of training yesterday. There was some communications amongst our kids, amongst ourselves, just talking about where we are and what we are going to do. We have shown some resilience. We'll need to lean on those experienced that we've had already this season. We've just got to get back on the saddle. It will be a good test for sure."

On Ethan Groff's amazing year:

"It's been so fun to watch. Any time you have a player have this kind of statistical year, the biggest thing for him is to not try to be three hitters in one and just be himself. Just keep doing what he's doing, stay humble, stay hungry and keep doing the things that have given you this kind of success. He's very routine oriented and he's figured out who he is as a player and he's attacked it as such. It's fun to see, especially when guys have been here for a while and it hasn't really gone their way, for them to still be present and fighting and hungry, to see those guys get success has been pretty cool."

On three home runs in last three games to take over team lead with eight:

"Yeah, and when you think about it, the home runs are like line drives (two were, the other was a bomb against Houston). It's got a who I am as a hitter kind of trajectory. The shortstop might think he's got a chance to catch it first, and then the left fielder, and then it's oh, geez, it gets over the fence. That just tells you he's spinning the ball good and staying on it well. He's having a heck of a year, and we'll need him to keep doing that. Especially when times are tough, you need your best player to step up in these kind of moments and trust that that will carry on."

On how much of his improvement came at the start of the season since he began No. 8 in the batting order:

"Well, he played well in the fall, which is good, but based off the past history, it was kind of like, OK, let's start this a little slow and let him prove it to himself and to us and stuff like that. It just got to the point where his on-base percentage was high, he was walking, he was doing all those things, so it was like let's get him up there as much as we can, and since we've put him up there he hasn't let up on the leash. if I'm on this team, I'm following him around in his back pocket a little bit talking about what's he doing, what's his routine, what's he thinking about when he's at the plate. There are just things that can be learned amongst each other. He's doing a good job, not only there but he's leading well and doing a lot of things that older people in this program should do."

0n if Teo Banks' status has changed:

"Yes. He swung the bat a little bit last week. Throwing, he actually pulled down a little bit more. Swung again yesterday. Looked pretty good, athletic. Pain free. Pain free. That's a good sign. In the remainder of this season I would like to find some ways to get him going. It's going to be important to create some opportunities in training on non-game days where we're maybe throwing some pitchers that haven't thrown much so they can get some mound time, face some hitters different than a bullpen (session) and he can face things different than a B.P. pitch and see some live competition. Even when his hand was hurt, he was working his tail off in the outfield in B.Ps and shagging and he's improved there just from his work that way. Now it's just like game rhythm, and then it's us feeling confident or comfortable putting him in a high-leverage game situation. We talk about 18 games left in the season and 15 of those in the conference, so we'll have to do a good job now that he's kind of going to create some game-like situations for him."

On if he would be held out against ECU:

"This weekend, probably yes. Next weekend, probably not. That could be. If I can get him on that 27-man (conference roster) the way he is throwing the ball and what he can do offensively on the base paths, he just gives us another option and a two-for-one body (pitcher, hitter) if all of a sudden he can get you an inning on the mound or two in a weekend, maybe play a little outfield, maybe get some at-bats, pinch run. He's a really good athlete. I can't tell you how giddy and excited I get when I start talking about him and Jackson Linn as your athletic cornerstone outfielders of the future, and then Bennett Lee will still be back and Chase (Engelhard)."

On Linn being second in the AAC in batting:

"Look at some of the impacts on these bats. That ball he hit to center for the sacrifice the other night and the ball he hit over the second baseman's head on a line, he almost bent his hand back. That's not normal. He can run and he just keeps getting better. There's still some crude on there, no doubt about it, but that's part of the lack of playing and where he's fun and the competition."

On Jared Hart's struggles at the plate:

"He was struggling, and then had a little spin going where he lowered his leg a little bit and was finishing the swings. The swing can get a little bit flicky, and the bat gets in and out of there a little bit, which is why you see the lofted balls into the outfield. He's a speed pressure guy. You talk about knowing who you are as a player, he needs to be hitting those hard grounders that take the shortstop to his right and use his speed. Sometimes, and this is natural, when you're struggling a little bit and then you start swinging better like he did in the Memphis weekend, then all of a sudden it's I've got to do something more and be a little bit more powerful and then all of a sudden you revert back (to bad habits). What I'm trying to consistently impress upon him is find something and let's do it for an extended period of time and not try to be three different guys in the course of a month. With the consistency and the ability to play defense in that part of the field (center field), we've got to have him in there. He's capable."

Guerry any word on how long they think he'll be out?

I don't really have strong opinions about spring games and what happens in them. The scrimmage the week before is usually more significant, and with a split roster, the results aren't very reliable. I will say the quarterbacks completed a lot higher percentage of their passes in 11-on-11 drills throughout the spring than Michael Pratt or Carson Haggard did Saturday. Haggard clearly looked like a deer in the headlights.

Here is what Willie Fritz and four players said after it was over:

FRITZ

"I thought it was good. It didn't look like we really got many guys banged up, which is always something you're concerned about when you play a spring game. It was competitive. Pretty crisp tackling for the most part defensively. We don't do a whole lot of tackling to the ground. We did it three times this spring, which is one more than I normally do it. We've got one more practice on Tuesday. It's going to be special teams emphasis, helmets only, and then we'll get into the offseason program and come back this summer. We'll finish this semester up. We plan to finish it."

On building to where bad taste of last year is gone:

"Yeah, I think it's been away from us for quite some time. You have to turn the page when that occurs. I tell the guys all the time you can't sit around and revel in past successes or be a pouter when things don't go good. You've got to move on and play the next day and compete, so our guys are raring and ready to go."

On Pratt saying this is closest team he's seen here:

"I think we've got a really good culture. We're probably amongst the nation's leaders in fewest guys entering the portal. I think that tells you something. They value a Tulane degree, but more importantly they really enjoy playing with each other and being around each other. Our coaches foster that relationship between our players and the culture that we're trying to build. They'll get a heck of a lot closer if you win a bunch of games. I know that."

On Tyjae Spears not participating:

"He didn't practice all week, and this one doesn't count. I've seen what he can do. He's pretty good, so we went ahead and sat him out."

On Michael Pratt's performance:

"There was some good stuff in there. You really put a guy behind the 8-ball because I didn't announce (the split-squad format) to the guys until yesterday morning, so they didn't have time to practice together and get some chemistry between the offensive line and the receivers, so that was difficult for some of the guys. When I got out there and started looking at the squads, I thought maybe the coaches didn't do quite as good a job as they should have dividing them up, but that's all right. I let the coaches get a little draft and we tried to make sure we had enough offensive tackles and centers. We had a couple of guys who played on both sides and kind of divvied up the quarterbacks. I just wanted everybody to play today. We're getting ready to have a crawfish boil, and I told the coaches if I go upstairs and one mom comes up to me and says how come my son didn't get to play, I'm going to bring her over to the coach and say that's his fault right there."

On Tyrek Presley moving to CB having potential:

"I think so. He's tall. He's long. He's tough. He's done a nice job at receiver. I've been telling you this since I got here--we've got to be a little taller and longer out on the perimeter. We don't have a whole lot of real big receivers, and in this league you need some, not all of them, but you need some of them, and certainly you need to be that way at the corner position as well, so I think it's a good move for him. We will assess it here in the next week, but I see him probably staying there."

On Kai Horton:

"He pulled the trigger faster today. Sometimes I'm harping on him to get rid of the ball, and he did a good job of that today. You've got to know pre-snap where you probably are going based on the call and based on their deployment. He did better at that today."

On when Ibieta would be back full strength:

"Probably in June. He can throw a little bit right now, but you have to be selective in your play calls. We don't want to put him in that situation."

DUECE WATTS

"We came out with a little bit under two minutes and the offense was moving a little slow. The coaches were like, when we've got one-on-one, take a shot. I just went out there and ran and he (Horton) gave me the ball and I made a play."

On what learned from adversity last year:

"We had a lot of adversity last year, but we learned from it and improved from it. Coach Fritz made a lot of changes around here to turn the program around. We've got a different mindset. We had a lot of injuries last year."

On good spring:

"It went great. Great. The team has a different mindset coming into this year."

On Horton:

"Kai did his thing. He balled. The coaches gave him opportunities, and he went out there and made plays and made smart decisions and didn't have any turnovers on bad throws. He made right reads and did great."

KAI HORTON

"I feel like we had a really good day. Our line did an amazing job protecting me, giving me time to get to my reads and get to my throws, and the receivers did a really good job of doing what they are supposed to do, making catches and getting open. We had a lot of man coverage today, and they did a really good job of winning, which made it easy for me."

On getting more comfortable since starting vs. Cincinnati last year:

"Definitely last year against Cincinnati I felt like I was ready, but transitioning from that high school to the college level, especially against a defense like that, it was a huge difference. I felt like after that game and getting that experience, it's progressed me into this spring and gave me a lot of confidence. I saw what one of the top defenses in the nation could do, and I just went home over Christmas break and worked on a lot of things and had a really good spring because of it."

On what he did best in scrimmage:

"Throwing the ball. I felt like I was really accurate today. I felt like I went through my reads really well, and I just have to give up to my team. They did a really good job today."

on new offense:

"When coach Svoboda came in, he takes it slow, but it's a good slow. He installs and makes sure we get the offense down until we move on to another install. This whole spring he's been a really great coach teaching us the basics, teaching us the fundamentals of what we need to do, making sure we have all of our reads down before we move to our next install. We've just done a really good job this whole spring of all the quarterbacks making sure we know what we're doing and making sure we're ready."

On TD pass to Will Wallace:

"We had a little play going, and it's just a man-zone (option route) and I saw they were in man coverage. I knew we had the corner route and I just trusted in Will that he was going to win one-on-one. He's a big body dude and an easy target to throw to and of course he won. I just put it out there for him."

I talked to Kanan Ray tonight on the phone. First, he apologized for not getting back to me immediately when I texted him this afternoon, saying he had classes. It's very unusual for any player to apologize for not getting back to me right away, particularly when he had a totally legitimate reason. Here is what he had to say: I saw a story on a Colorado fan website that he graded out lower than any of Colorado's offensive linemen last year, but I'm not sure how reliable that is.

Why did you choose Tulane?

"Really the coaching staff. Coach (Eman) Naghavi and coach Fritz and I also have a pretty close relationship with coach Boda (offensive coordinator Jim Svoboda). My high school coach actually played for him back in the day at Northwest Missouri State, so I had great trust in them. I really wanted to play for them, and Tulane obviously, the school itself is such a great school. It was an offer I really couldn't turn down."

What other schools did you consider?

"I was looking at UNLV, Tulsa, Arkansas State and UConn."

Last year you started the first three games at Colorado, then became a backuup and didn't play at all in the last four games. What happened?

"Yeah, I thought I should have been playing more, but it kind of didn't go how I wanted it to. It was one of those things out of your control, so you just kind of deal with it the best that you can."I'm excited to get things started at Tulane."

What position did you play?

"Right guard."

What position do you see yourself playing at Tulane?

"Probably one of the guard spots for sure."

What do you consider your best assets?

"I'm mature. I have a great knowledge of the game. I'm a finisher. I try to be nasty in my approach and try to always go hard and be methodical in my process."

You are going to be reunited with Ashaad Clayton. Are you excited about that?

"Oh yeah, no doubt. I love Ashaad. He's a great player. I'm happy to see him playing back in his hometown, so it will be great to join him and hopefully help him score a lot of touchdowns."

Tulane had a rough year last season after three straight bowl appearances. What kind of situation do you feel like you're getting into?

"I feel like it's a great program that coach Fritz has in place. Last year didn't go how they wanted it to. It was kind of the same situation for me (Colorado went 4-8), so I think we're really hungry. All the pieces are there to win, so I add on to it as well. I think we can get back on a winning streak."

When do you arrive for classes?

"I visited there this past weekend and the workouts start on May 31st. We're just trying to figure out when my summer classes start and stuff like that."

What was your visit like and had you ever been to New Orleans before?

"No, I'd never visited New Orleans, and the visit was great. It was amazing. I loved the city, I loved the school, the food, the coaches, I loved everything. It was so great I couldn't turn it down."

Naghavi has only been at Tulane for a short time as the O-line coach but I've heard great things about him. What do you like about him best?

"I like how detailed he is in his approach. I can tell that he really cares about his guys and his players, so that's great to see. I'm excited to play for him."

Tulane is 24-12-1 and in range to contend for a regional berth about two-thirds of the way through the regular season, but I thought Travis Jewett's quote when I talked to him after Saturday's loss to Houston was a pretty good encapsulation of where the team is at this point.

“Even though we’re at a two for three clip right now, which is pretty good baseball, I just don’t feel like we’re greedy enough taking some of these opportunities, whether it’s a chance to win a game or a play that’s in front of you. If we stay on this pace, we’ll be in good shape, but I’d like us to be a little bit more selfish in terms of capitalizing.”

The capitalizing needs to happen in the next four games in what is close to a make-or-break week. Tulane has to go 3-1 or 4-0 (the latter of which is highly unlikely) to get on the right side of the bubble heading into the final four weeks. If it goes 2-2 with a loss to USM and a series win against ECU, which probably would put the Wave in a tie for first place in the AAC, it will still have a decent shot but zero margin for error the rest of the way, and from what we've seen so far, there almost certainly will be some error. It it goes 2-2 with a win against USM and a series loss to ECU, the picture gets grim. Because the AAC is so weak and Tulane's resume is so light on top-notch wins, a conference regular season title is vital, and the Wave would be two games back of ECU. A 1-3 or 0-4 week almost certainly would force Tulane win the AAC tournament to get a bid, and since the last time the Wave went from off the bubble to in the field by winning a conference tournament was 1992, the odds would not be good.

As it stands now, Tulane has zero wins against top 25 RPI teams. Tonight is the last chance, and Southern Miss almost certainly will stay in the top20 the rest of the way considering how much better it is than the rest of CUSA. The Wave has to get a decent pitching performance from Chandler Welch and whoever follows him early. The pitcher who shut Tulane down in the first meeting graduated to Friday starter right after that performance. Although the Golden Eagles have gone with a wholestaff approach in recent midweek games, they also have a game with UNO on Wednesday and might stick with two or three pitchers tonight. Either way, Tulane has the lineup to do damage on a good night. This cannot be a repeat of last week's game against UNO when Tulane managed five hits against bunch of bottom-of-the-barrel guys.

Starting pitching is the key for the weekend. It was the biggest question mark entering the season, but even with Tyler Hoffman imploding, the rotation was surprisingly good with freshmen Grant Siegel and Michael Massey sandwiching Dylan Carmouche before it all fell apart against Houston. Siegel has good stuff and should bounce back, but Carmouche was in a walking boot Saturday after taking a hard shot off his left ankle Friday and Massey has been hit hard recently. Preseason favorite ECU, which lost ace Carson Whisenhunt for the season because of a failed drug test, was mediocre all year until eviscerating UCF on the road this past weekend, winning the final 24 innings 30-2. If that version shows up this weekend, Tulane is in trouble. But the Pirates do not have their normally strong weekend rotation. Ryder Giles has emerged as their best pitcher, but the former every day position player got hammered by Tulane and was the losing pitcher in the one game the Wave won out of four at ECU a year ago (the decisive blow was a 2-run homer by Ethan Groff). Saturday starter Jake Kuchmaner has been a little better than he was last year but still is erratic. He lasted two innings and gave up six hits and three runs in the game Tulane won last season. ECU tends to wholestaff in on Sundays because no reliable third starter has emerged.

It's a winnable week, but Tulane will have to be at its best after playing pretty poorly in five straight games, managing to win two of them (UNO and the middle game against Houston). Luis Aviles, hobbled by an upper-leg injury and 0 for his last 21, needs to get healthy. Groff, tied for ninth nationally with a .422 average, needs to continue to rake. Bennett Lee needs to find his 2021 form, which he showed signs of last week. Jackson Linn, the second-leading hitter in the AAC, needs to lay off the curveballs that give him problems and connect on the fastballs he feasts on. And the infield defense has to be better. Just about every ground ball is becoming an adventure, particularly on the throws, and that has to stop.

A regular-season title plus a win against USM plus an RPI that would figure to be around 40 probably would be good enough for Tulane to get an at-large bid. A second-place finish in the AAC likely would not be good enough.

There was a nice breeze from the south. They had refs. The quarters were 7:30 in length. Pratt and Anderson were the green captains. The white captains were Duece Watts and Haynseworth..

Glover kicked-off with only the returner, Canady, on the field. He kicked from the north end and it went to the right sideline and Canady fielded it even though it appeared it woud go out of bounds. He then promptly stepped out of bounds on his return. The white offense started on the south end going north at the 25. Horton was the QB. Carroll ranleft for 3. Horton was ruled sacked as a number of defenders were on him for a loss of 3. On 3rd down he hit Duece for 11. He then threw a pass to the left for 27 yards to Carroll. Brought down by Brooks. The ofense had to use a time out as it took to long to get the play in. Celestine up the middle for 2. Celestine then ran for 16 . It was a nice run as he was supposed to go up the middle but with nothing there he bounced it back out to the left. Horton the ran a read option for 5. Followed by an overthrow to Wallace in the end zone. Carroll caught a pass on the left for 7. First and goal at the 8. Carroll ran for no gain. Horton rolled left and had Duece open but chose to run for 2. He was then sacked by Hall. A 28 yard FG was shanked.

Green offense came on with Pratt and started at the north 20 going south. He hit Wyatt on a slant for 18 yards. He then threw incomplete to Wyatt on the left side. He then pitched right for 6 yards to who I believe was Clayton. he was wearing #2 with no name and it wasn't Duece. I'll note here the rosters given out were worthless. Clayton the ran right for no gain. That ended the first quarter. Glover punted for 56 yards into the end zone. No one was on the field on the punts but for the snapper, kicker and returner.

The white offense came in with Haggard at QB. It was 1st and 10 from the north end going south.There was a run to the right for 4. . He passed tom Phatt Watts for 7 yards. Celestine ran for 3. Good pass to Celestine went off his hands.It would have been a 15 yard gain and a first down if he caught it. There was no gain. Glover punted to Jackson. It went 43 yards.

Green offense with Pratt came out. they started 1st and 10 from the south 24 going north. He threw a long pass to no one. There was a run left by I believe Levi Williams for a loss of 1. Pratt was whistled down by sack with several defenders around him . Glover punted to Canady 40 yards.

The white offense came out with Horton at QB. Started on the north 40 going south. Celestine ran left for 3. Horton bobbled the snap and ran for 1. He then passed incomplete under pressure. Bobby Noel punted 56 yards to Canady.

Green offewnse came out with Haggard at QB. They started at the south 20 going north. He passed to James for 2. He then fumbled the snap and Hodges recovered it for the defense.

White offense came on with Horton at QB Started at the south 21 going south. Defense had to call a time out as they weren't set. Reggie Brown came on an end around from left to right an d threw to Duece in the end zone. Monroe was beat and interfered to break it up. Flagged for it. 1st and goal from the 7. penalty on the defense followed by a penalty on the offense going back to the 7. Celestine ran off the right side for a TD. Dable made the XP.

Esnard kicked off to Spears at the 2.

Pratt came out with the green offense. They started at the north 25 going south. He threw incomplete to Josh Coltrin. He hit Jackson for 7. Then under immediate pressure he threw incomplete to the left side. Glover then shanked a punt for 27 yards.

Horton came in with the white offense. They started at the south 41 going north. He threw a pretty pass to Duece who had beat Brandon Kim for a 59 yard TD. Esnard then tumbled the XP through.

Esnard kicked off to the 1 and Spears had to field it as it bounced up and appeared it would go back into the field of play.

The grreen offense came out with Haggard at the helm. Incomplete deep middle and almost picked off. He then hit Jackson for 6 on the right side. It was a nice pass. He then threw incomplete under pressure. to Clayton. Glover punted for 48 yards.

The white offense came in and started at the south 22 going north. Horton at QB. Celestine ran for 10. He passed to Duece for no gain on the right. Time out offense with 24 seconds left in the half. He then threw a pass to Celestine that bounced off his chest Carroll ran left for 4. Glover punted to Wyatt. It was 36 yards long.

Green offense came in with Pratt. Kneel down to end the half.

Dable kicked into the end zone.

Pratt led the green team out. They started at the south 25 going north. Clayton ran for 5. He pitched to the right side to Clayton for 6 yards. Hodges sacked him for a loss of 5. He passed to James for 3 yards. He then threw to James downfield in traffic but it was to high for him. Glover punted to Canady who called for a fair catch. The ball was shrt and he tried to come up to catch it and muffed it.

Haggard came out with the white team at the north 2o going south. There was a run for 2. He then rolled left and threw incomplete. Hogan went offsides for the offense. There was a 5 yard run by #27. Glover punted .

Pratt and the green offense came in at the north 20 going south. He ran for 3. Then he ran a read option for 10. Someone came up to talk to me and there was a play that gained 5. He then threw to Trevor Evans who got hit and fumbled.

White offense ball at the 22. Phatt Watts ran for 3. Incompletion to Carroll. He the threw a nice TD pass to Wallace. Noel made the XP.

Dable kicked off. The green offense started at eh 25 on the south end going north. He rolled left and then threw to the far right sideline to Jackson but Brooks broke it up at the last second. That was the end of the third.He hit Wyatt for 11. Claton gained 3. Another pass to Wyatt for 9. Clayton ran for no gain on first down. He then ran for 5 yards. He then threw to Jackson for 17. The offense was penalized. Tyrek Pressly who just recently moved from WR to CB intercepted a pass.

Ibieta came in with the white team. Celestine ran for no gain. Delay of game on the offense. #27 ran for 3. Celestine ran for 3 more. Glover punted.

Haggard came out with the green offense. They started at eh north 13 going south. He passed to Rutkowski who got hit as the ball got there and he dropped it. He hit Kahn for a loss of 1. He hit Levi Williams for 6. He scramvbled right and the defense came up and Coltrin got behind them for 38 yards on the reception. He hit Coltrin for 4 more. He then downed it. He overthrew Rutkowski. On 4th down with 22 seconds left he scrambled for a couple.

Ibieta came in with the white team and handed off to another #13 to end things.

Celestine is a good runner but he's got to work on catching passes. Wyatt looks good. spears only appeared on those returns due to a hamstring issue.

The offensive line play is just awful yet again. I do believe our D-line will be good but all reports had them winning all the time against the O-line. If that doesn't change it's more likely to be 2-10 again rather than a break through 10-2.

We have the summer and the fall to fix things thank goodness. They have their work cut out for them. No one got hurt which is always a good thing.

In keeping with my new tradition, here's a week-old list of recruits who visited last weekend.

TRANSFER PORTAL GUYS

1) Eldrick Robinson II, a 6-0, 210 freshman LB transfer from Georgia Southern.

Skinny: He started the final nine games for Georgia Southern as a true freshman, earning third-team All-Sun Belt honors with 74 tackles, 5.5 for loss and two interceptions.

2) Tylo Phillips, a 6-2, 272-pound junior defensive lineman transfer from Lamar.

Skinny: He played in eight games with 19 tackles and 4 sacks this past year and had three sacks in the shortened spring 2021 season that replaced the canceled fall 2020 season.


HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS

1) Tanner Welch, a 3-star, 6-8, 310-pound OT from Northwest Rankin HIgh in MIssissippi.

Skinny: Has offer from Louisville. Visited Alabama, Miss St, Ole Miss and UL-Lafayette. Was standout at recent Rivals camp in Destrehan. Rated the No. 49 OT in the country.

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2) Torey Lambert, a 3-star, 6-0, 190-pound RB from Brother Martin

Skinny: Has an offer from Memphis among several other G5 schools. Son of former John Ehret coach Corey Lambert. Brother Corey Jr. signed with Colorado State in December.

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3) Reed Robinson, a zero star, 6-3, 205-pound WR from Booker T. Washington in Pensacola, Fl.

Skinny: younger brother of Eldrick Robinson, listed above. Has offers from several G5 schools.

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4) Dylan Carpenter, a zero-star, 6-4, 238-pound defensive end from St. Amant

Skinny: Took official to Miss St. but has no offer there. La Tech and Arkansas State are Tulane's biggest competition if interested.

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5) Carl Williams IV, a zero-star, 5-11, 167-pound CB from Southern Lab.

Skinny: Has an offer from La Tech, Southern and Grambling.

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6) Christian Martin, a zero-star, 6-5, 250-pound OT from Destrehan

Skinny: Visited Miss St. and. has reported offer there along with UL-Lafayette.

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7) Jaquerrius Gray, a zero-star, 5-8, 155-pound RB from Oak Grove High in Hattiesburg.

Skinny: Memphis and Tulane are the only listed offers for the little guy.

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8) Jace Larsen, a zero-star, 6-2, 170-pound wide receiver from Jesuit.

Skinny: No offers yet, but interest from UL-Lafayette and Tulane.

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9) Ashley Williams, a zero-start, 6-6. 220-pound DE from Zachary

Skinny: The offers are a lot better than his rating, including Auburn and FSU, which he visited. Rivals lists his as OLB but Tulane is recruiting him as a DE.

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10) Louis Williams, a zero-star, 6-0, 152-pound WR from Conroe High in Texas.

Skinny: Rivals has no listed offers, but 247 has offers from Tulane and UTSA.

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11) Nick Jacobs, an unrated TE from Jesuit.

Skinny: He is not in the Rivals or 247 database but also plays safety for the Blue Jays.

Tulane practiced at Yulman Stadium this morning instead of going to the Saints indoor facility, but I missed it after hurting a hamstring playing with my dog in the house. I've never had a hamstring injury of any type until today, but I would be out for at least a couple of week if I were playing sports the way it feels right now. I made it to interviews a few minutes late, hobbling from my car at the Claiborne parking lot to the stadium.

I talked to Jarius Monroe, who is as good in interviews as anyone on the team. He began last Saturday's scrimmage as a first-team corner along with Jadon Canady and definitely is in the mix to start at either corner or nickelback.

JARIUS MONROE

On how spring has gone:

"I feel like it's going good. We have a good group of guys taking me in and teaching me the game, teaching me more things that I didn't know before, so I love it."

On Darion Monroe starting every game at Tulane in four years and him trying to keep that tradition alive after starting every game in three seasons at Nicholls:

"It's just the mentality. We work hard. That's what my family is built on. I've always watched my brother. He set the standard for me. He set the standard here at Tulane. That group he was with, and just seeing how Tulane's been doing, This is a great program. This is an amazing program, and when you get here and see all the guys with this talent, you're like, man, we can build something. We can be something special. That pushes me every day. I'm a practice kid. I love to practice. I feel like practice is what makes you better. That's my goal--bring the energy, practice hard."

On being comfortable playing nickel and corner:

"Yes sir. Coach (Chris) Hampton and coach JJ (McCleskey) have done a great job of helping me get in touch with the playbook. I talk to coach JJ every day about what happens if this happens, and he's very good at answering my questions and making sure I ask the right questions. Also coach CY (Josh Christian-Young) has been a great help to me, letting me know where I need to be, when I need to be there, just the little things that will help me up my game to the next level, and that's what I feel like I've been doing lately."

On biggest attribute:

"Passion. Many people don't see that as an attribute, but my passion for the game, the way I love the game, the way I see the game, that makes me play hard, that makes me run faster, that makes me play stronger. No fear. I don't fear anyone, and I feel the same thing from my teammates. Getting that vibe from them, that just feeds me more with more and more passion to put into the game."

On if it has been what he expected:

"It's been more than what I expected. It's been way better than what I expected. I didn't expect all these guys to take me in and become some of my closest friends. I hang with these guys every day now. It's not just on the field and doing my own thing. We study together. We work together. This is a great program, and so every day I try to bring that energy and bring that excitement to the game. You've got to want to practice. You've got to want to be here because you made this decision. I talk to guys all the time because my major is sociology. I want to be a therapist. I'm good at talking to guys, and if you want it, you want it. If you don't, you don't. The guys love football just as much as me, and you can see it."

On why ended up at Nicholls:

"I definitely had other offers. At the time my great grandmother was getting very sick, very ill and I wanted to stay closer to home. Nicholls was a great decision for me--great family, great program. Coach (Tim) Rebowe and those guys over there do a great job at keeping that program at the highest level it can be. When I played there, I played great ball. I learned so much. I was a sponge. I'm still a sponge. That's what I loved most about Nicholls and Tulane. It's that family vibe I talked about."

On his great grandmother:

"She passed away recently. I feel like everything happens for a reason. God always has a plan. Nothing happens blind. Nothing happens without you knowing the next step."

On choosing to transfer to Tulane:

"I loved my coaches over there and I loved my teammates over there. It was a tough decision for me. I actually had to take some time on it, but my ultimate goal is to get to the NFL and knowing how much I trust my talent and the passion I do have for the game, I just wanted to play with more talent and better opponents to push myself to the next level. That's something I've always done my whole life--push myself to the next level. That was the ultimate goal of transferring here, and that's what I feel like I'm going to do."

Micah Owings attended Tulane's series with USF last weekend, appearing on the radio broadcast with Corey Gloor on Friday night, going on the field to be with the team after all three games and hanging out with Todd Graffagnini from the top of the shed at the house across the street behind the left field fence for a while on Sunday. I talked to Owings, who played only one season with the Wave in 2005 but still easily qualifies as one of the five best players in program history, after Sunday's game. Here's what he had to say:

On being back for the weekend:

"I consider Tulane and New Orleans a second home. It's been a long time coming to be able to come back and obviously with COVID, it was kind of tough for me, to see (pitching coach Daniel Lathem, who was the closer on the 2005 CWS team and (Billy) Mohl (USF's coach, who was a pitcher on that 2005 team) and then connecting with (Travis) Jewett, who's doing a heck of a job here. It was a good weekend and good series."

On last time he was here:

"That would have been (Rick) Jones's Hall of Fame induction (in 2017)."

On watching Sunday from across the street:

"We were out three when we made the comeback and put 6 up and it was 8-7. We were probably out there two to three innings, and then Graf had to get downtown for the (Pelicans) game tonight. I was like, we're hot here, we've got the rally going. I think he even said something about the rally shed. That was a cool view. It's an expensive ticket if they start selling them. This is a great place."

On his memories of 2005:

"Where to start, really. Jones and King (assistant coach Mark Kingston (now the South Carolina coach) and (Chad) Sutter, I loved those guys on our staff. I had just that one year here, and I still stay in touch with a lot of guys and obviously the staff and I have two former teammates here who have gone on and done some great things and others that are head coach and assistant coach positions. The G.M. of the Dodgers now (Brandon Gomes, another pitcher on the 2005 team). The character of that group and just the whole group and what Jones did with us, it was a special group."

On his own career:

"One phrase, just blessed. The journey that I had started early in my childhood. My parents say that when I was old enough to pick up a ball, I picked up a ball and started playing catch and always said I wanted to play. I had the opportunities and I'd like to think I made the most of them. There were some bumps along the way, but you've got to grind through those. I'm blessed to spend 14 years in pro ball, but I'm a pro-college fan. I'm a fan of the game overall."

On what he does now:

"I work with my dad in the energy efficiency environment sector, which is kind of nerdy, but it's fun to represent some products, and then I coach and part own a summer wood bat league in Gainesville (Ga.), my hometown (about an hour north of Atlanta). I got a couple of players from South Florida, so I recruit and bring those in for the summer. And then I'm finishing my degree and exploring going into the college ranks and even private high school coaching and something like that. It was even fun being on the radio with Corey. I actually interviewed with ESPN and was going to start doing some stuff with the AAC Network pre-COVID in 2020. I was scheduled for some games and then it got wiped up. I haven't revisited it yet, but it's something I'm open-minded to because I enjoyed it. I enjoy just seeing the game, talking the game. For me at this point it's just giving back. I don't care if they are young kids or college or professional, just trying to pour back what a lot of great people have poured into me."

JEWETT on Owings being around:

"It was awesome. There have been a few of those older alumni that have been so kind to me. He's right up there with those guys. I stay in contact with him. He follows the team. He supports the team, and for him to take the time to come out and hang around the batting cage, be a presence and a former Tulane baseball player one, but a Silver Slugger and a Big Leaguer, too, that's pretty cool. Any time we can get guys that even I didn't coach that are willing and wanting to come back and put their eyes on the arena and support us, those are priceless moments."

In what probably will be the last viewable practice before the spring game, Tulane worked out for two hours on Tuesday morning in intermittent rain at Yulman Stadium. The Green Wave, which has shifted three practices to the Saints indoor facility this spring because of expected rain only to have zero drops fall, kept this one outdoors as a dress rehearsal for Saturday. when the team will practice rain or shine unless there is lightning in the area. Thursday's workout is expected to be moved to the Saints facility.

Freshman quarterback Carson Haggard has slowed down as the offensive and defensive coaches have thrown more at him, but he still has that quick release and accurate arm. He threw the pass of the day in a red-zone drill near the end of practice, hitting Tyrick James for a 17-yard touchdown on a seam route that was well covered. He did not have big window, but he fired the ball to him for the score. I would like to see what Haggard can do Saturday in live action after he got only a couple of late chances last Saturday, and I expect he will get that opportunity. He could have made it two touchdowns in a row today, but after a shotgun snap glanced off Jha'Quan Jackson while he was in motion and ended up in Haggard's hands anyway, he rushed his throw and underthrew an open Will Wallace in the end zone.

Michael Pratt had a pretty pass earlier in the 11-on-11 work, throwing a laser to Shae Wyatt down the sideline for about 20 yards. Wyatt pushed off a defender slightly to achieve separation, but it was sublte enough that it probably would not have been called in a game. Iverson Celestine, whom the coaches are high on despite some struggles in the scrimmage, bounced outside and went the distance (the 11-on-11 was not live), showing his acceleration. It is a very deep running back room, with Tyjae Spears and Ashaad Clayton at the top and Cam Carroll and Celestine vying for significant roles as well. Ygenio Booker is out with another minor injury, but if he ever can stay healthy, he would be in the mix, too.

Wallace, who missed a tough opportunity for a spectacular catch from Pratt on Saturday, made a nice grab of a pass from Kai Horton downfield today. I talked to the grandfather of tight end signee Blake Gunter on the sideline today, and he said Wallace was instrumental in getting a fellow Mississippian to come to Tulane, saying how much he enjoyed playing for the Wave.

The last play of the day was a 12-yard touchdown pass from Horton to James in the red zone drill. Earlier, Haggard threw underneath to walk-on receiver Lucas Desjardins, who ran down the sideline before getting popped by Kevaris Hall. Offensive tackle Joseph Solomon challenged Hall and wanted to get into a fight for what he considered an unnecessary hit, but the coaches broke it up before anything happened other than a little jawing.

I requested Dea Dea McDougle for an interview for what was going to be a short feature in the Advocate, but the request was denied. Apparently the coaches have not been happy with McDougle this spring, and although he had a big scrimmage Saturday, they want to see more consistency from him, as you can surmise when you see what Fritz said about him in his post-practice Q&A. As you know from my reports, I had not noticed McDougle much until Saturday. He caught only five passes in two years at Maryland, so something was holding him back there. Interestingly, a request for Lawrence Keys by a local TV station was granted even though Keys is wearing a walking boot on his left foot and has been out since last week with a sprained ankle.

The usual suspects were not practicing--Devean Deal, Justin Ibieta, Shi'Keem Laister, Carlos Hatcher, Booker and Keys chief among them. Lance Robinson was lining up on a unit with Tyrek Presley near the end of the practice, and I don't know what that's about. Fritz said Robinson was competing for a starting spot after practice and had been injured earlier in camp, but I'm pretty sure he worked with the 1s all the time when I was at practice up until Saturday, when he definitely did not. I have less of a handle on the secondary than any other position because the guys back there are capable of playing multiple positions. I'm not sure whether Jadon Canady will end up at nickelback or cornerback and whether Macon Clark will end up at nickelback or safety or what spot Larry Brooks will play. When spring drills started, I would have said Canady was a lock at nickel and Clark was a lock at free safety and Robinson was a very likely starter at cornerback. Now Jarius Monroe and Hall have entered the picture at cornerback along with Canady, who will start somewhere for sure, and DJ Douglas and Lummie Young are factors at safety. Young was on the first team Saturday. When you are coming off a 2-10 season, it is a good idea not to be set in your ways, and it really looks like they are trying to find the best spots for each player and have not determined a pecking order yet.

Sorry for getting this up two days after the fact, but life has been hectic recently.

Tulane held a full scrimmage under gorgeous weather on Saturday morning, beginning with field goals at 9:34, moving to kickoffs and kickoff returns and then getting right to the action. There were seven referees, and several players did not participate, including Tyjae Spears (strained hamstring, Lawrence Keys (angle issue), Noah Taliancich and Shi'Keem Laister (leg injury).

Kriston Esnard, Tulane's lone scholarship placekicker, continued to struggle in the live drill with blockers and rushers. He sent his first attempt, from 33 yards, wide right with Ethan Hudak snapping and Casey Glover holding. He hit his next one from 38 yards from the right hash, but missed his next two from 42 yards (middle of field, wide left) and 46 yards (right hash, wide left. He has a strong leg, but he hooks his attempts far too often.

Graham Dable, a left-footed kicker who likely would get the job if the season started next week (Tulane is bringing in a walk-on from Washington State who kicked off last year and may find another candidate), hit a 28-yarder from the middle and a 34-yarder fro the right hash before missing a 40-yarder from wide left from the middle of the field. He did not get to try a fourth attempt because the snap skipped to the holder (I assume it was still Hudak and Glover) and he could not get the ball up in time. Dable appeared to try to kick rushing Kiland Harrison in frustration, but maybe he was just going through his normal motion and did not realize Harrison was there.

Esnard then kicked off twice with a full coverage unit and return team and live contact but no tackling, with Jha'Quan Jackson the returner. Both kicks went to the 2-yard line.

The scrimmage started with the first-team offense against the first-team defense at the offense's 35-yard line. There were a couple of ineffective running plays to Ashaad Clayton and Cam Carroll that I did not get the yardage on because I was working on the depth char.t Michael Pratt threw a low swing pass into the ground under pressure on third down, ending the series. Kai Horton came in next with the second unit against the No. 2 defense and nearly connected with Jackson deep but overthrew him slightly. On the next play, he hit Dea Dea McDougle for 52 yards down the sideline to the defense's 13-yard line. From there, Horton threw behind an open McDougle for what probably would have been a touchdown and could not connect with McDougle on a crossing route with Lance Robinson providing tight coverage on third down. I missed the second-down play. the drive ended with Dable hitting a 26-yard field goal with just the snapper and holder on the field with him.

Pratt's next drive started at the 35 as well, and he promptly hit Phat Watts for a 38 yards on a post pattern, with Watts beating pretty tight coverage by Kavaris Hall and Lummie Young. Pratt then threw the ball away under heavy duress from Angelo Anderson, who was active all day, Carroll gained 5 yards before Clayton, who looked terrific, made a nice bounce for a 16-yard gain to the 6. The drive stalled from there, with a Pratt bootleg not fooling Jadon Canady, who stayed home, a pass that Hall deflected before it reached Phat Watts, a false start and a low throw to Tyrick James at the goal line. Esnard then missed a 30-yard field goal wide right.

Horton's next drive lasted two plays. He completed a pass for 5 yards to Reggie Brown before a reverse went awry and the ball ended up on the ground, with Keith Cooper recovering it.

They paused the scrimmage so Glover could attempt two punts, one in each direction. HIs first one went 48 yards and was high. His next one went only 33 yards. He has a good leg and is usually consistent, so that was an outlier.

The scrimmage resumed with the ball at the defense's 42. Pratt had to throw the ball away under heavy pressure again, had to catch a bad snap with one hand before scrambling for 2 yards and was "sacked" on pressure from Adonis Friloux and Angelo Anderson. Sacks were at the discretion of the referees since quarterbacks were off limits to contact.

Horton had his turn from the defense's 42 and led a touchdown drivel. He hit McDougle over the middle for 5 yards, handed off to Clayton, who bounced outside for 18 yards, threw behind Brown and off his hand when a good throw would have gone for a sizable gain, handed off to Clayton inside for 11 yards to the 8, scrambled for a 1-yard loss and hit McDougle in the back of the end zone on a fade. McDougle had his best day of the practices I've watched and was clearly the most targeted receiver. Dable made the extra point, again with no one on the field but the snapper and holder.

Pratt went back in but with the second-team offensive line and first-teamer Rashad Green at right tackle, again starting from the defense's 42. Clayton gained 6 yards on second effort, Pratt was sacked by Angelo Anderson for a 4-yard loss, Pratt threw a pass that was almost intercepted by Corey Platt Jr. and Pratt was sacked again when they went for it on fourth down.

Horton went in and scrambled for no gain, handed off to someone for 3 yards (I missed it) and handed off to Iverson Celestine, who was tackled by Alfred Anderson for 1 yard in a rare sighting of him after an injury-plagued career. It was a rough day for Celestine, who had a nice hole on a fourth-and-6 draw but tried to bounce it wide for a bigger gain before he got the first down and was tackled inches short by a walk-on linebacker. He received a lecture from Willie Fritz as he headed to the sideline.

The scrimmage stopped for two more kickoffs. This time, it was Glover with Canady the returner. The first one went to the 7-yard line and the next one went 2 yards into the end zone.

Pratt returned for a possession that started at the offense's 1-yard line and handed off to Carroll for 2 yards. Duece Watts caught a pass for 8 yards and a first down. Clayton took off for 38 yards over the left side to move the ball near midfield, but the offense went no farther, with Pratt throwing high for Phat Watts, fumbling a snap and losing 2 yards and throwing a dart to tight end Will Wallace about 20 yards down the field. Wallace could not make the leaping catch and was angry with himself as he headed to the sideline.

Horton's series from the 1-yard line produced two first downs. He kept for 4 yards, completed a pass in the flat to walk-on wideout Lucas Desjardins for 5 yards handed off to Celestine, who barely picked up the yard he needed, and handed off to Celestine again for an 8-yard gain that ended with a big hit from a player I could not identify. A Horton keeper went nowhere before Celestine gained 10 yards, a scramble went nowhere, Josh Coltrin ran for 7 yards and Luke Besh dropped a nice pass on a crossing route.

Glover then punted twice again, this time from midfield while trying to pin the opponent back. His first went 39 yards. The second one went 32 yards on the bounce.

Horton returned for a second straight series, this time from the defense's 25. After Celestine lost 2 yards, Horton completed a pass to McDougle for 5 yards, the defense jumped offside and walk-on Lucas Barisas ran for 4 yards. Horton overthrew Bryce Bohanon on a corner route and a running back with a number not on the roster (No. 16) gained a total of 7 yards on two plays, setting up a fourth-and-3, where Esnard converted a 24-yard field goal.

Pratt had his turn from the 25 and could not produce a first down. although Coltrin was clearly held and there was no call on a first-down pass. Coltrin was stuffed for a 2-yard loss on second down, and Jarius Monroe cut in front of Shae Wyatt to break up a third-down pass and showed a little swagger. Dable then sneaked a 44-yard field goal inside the right upright.,

Esnard then kicked off twice and Ygenio Booker made a nice return on the first one, reading his blocks. Bohanon returned the second one.

The coaches set up a very specific situation for the next set of downs, with the offense getting the ball at the defense's 21 and having 13 seconds left with one timeout. With the first-teamers on the field across the board, Pratt was sacked by Jesus Machado on a play when he thought he had gotten rid of the ball in time to Duece Watts for a pretty touchdown. I agree with the refs, though. Pratt would not have gotten the ball off in a live drill. Pratt got heavy pressure again on the next play but threw up a prayer that was answered by Wyatt when Hall waited for the ball to come to him for what he thought would be an easy interception. Wyatt jumped up to catch it at the 10 and Hall fell down, watching him cruise into the end zone for the score.

Freshman Carson Haggard received his first action in the exact same scenario against the No. 2 defense and was not as fortunate. After getting sacked by walk-on Dwane Tillis, he threw up a prayer to the goal line and walk-on cornerback Brandon Kim snagged an easy interception.

Backup punter Bobby Noel had two chances and did not do well, punting 31 yards on his first attempt and sending a low, ugly one on his second attempt.

The day ended with a pair of 2-minute drives that started around the offense's 40. (I had left my perch in the bottom row of the upper deck to go down to the field). A false-start penalty began Pratt's drive, followed by a 9-yard completion to Phat Watts on the sideline and an interception by Corey Platt Jr. on a poor throw by Pratt. Platt Jr. caught it in the open field and probably could have scored, but heeding the situation, he slid to the ground so the offense could run out the clock if it had been a real game.

Haggard's 2-minute drill ended the day. He completed a pass to McDougle on the inside for 12 yards, completed another one to McDougle for 9 yards before the drive stalled. Esnard then hit what appeared to be a 50-yard field goal, and Fritz blew his whistle to end the scrimmage.

Talked to Jewett yesterday and ended up not using anything he said in my Advocate story because Luis Aviles was so good.

JEWETT

On players' only meeting:

"One I can't confirm that it actually happened. I was told that it might have happened. I didn't see it with my own eyes. I certainly don't ask about it. It's not my place. If they wanted me there, they would have invited me I think. Hopefully if that was the case, they came together and tried to get some stuff right."

On Groff and Aviles on fire:

"It's unbelievable. I don't even know how to explain it. I can only wish and hope that it continues to go. They are getting on base at alarming rates and being productive to all parts of the field. Groff is smashing balls this way and homering that way. Luis is going here and leaving the yard that way. Like I asked him, how many times did you strike out at Memphis? Twice. Those two guys are a nice table-setting deal. And then shoot, we hit Jackson (Linn) in the 3-hole for quite a bit, too, and he was only hitting .500 there for a while. Bennett (Lee)'s batting average hasn't been like it was last year, but I don't ever watch him when I don't think he's going to get a hit, and they are not bad at-bats. He's made a couple of swing adjustments since we left Memphis that I think have been good. He likes it and hopefully it will start to find some more outfield grass for him. Now all of a sudden we're almost getting to that halfway point. Simon (Baumgardt)'s hitting 1.000 against left-handed pitching, so you add him to the middle of that lineup and there's some length."

On Groff's dramatic improvement from last year:

"The one thing that resonates in my mind is this last summer heading into this year, or maybe it was late summer, early fall, he kind of made a declaration to me that I just kind of want to be who I am and do the things that I think are successful, and then he was talking to me about some stuff and basically a lot of the stuff that we've talked about since I've been here, but I think he had some come to Jesus and had some people helping him think that way and say, you know what, I just want to please myself and do some things that I think I can do well personally, which thusly would help the team, and that's what he's done. His mechanics, his willingness to take pitches and walk. He bunted for a hit the other night. He's just doing a lot of different things, and when he's not doing it well there, he's doing it on the bases, he's throwing people out, he had another throw-out last night."

On Groff's knee:

"I think pretty good. I still haven't green-lighted him as much as I'd like on the bases quite yet because that's probably me being more like a dad than a coach because I just want to make sure, and if i don't need to then I probably won't, but once I get that feeling for him that we're in full go, then you're probably going to start seeing the bags get activated a little bit, too."

On USF star pitcher Jack Jasiak not being available due to a shoulder injury (Saturday starter with 1.32 ERA, who two-hit Tulane with 12 strikeouts in AAC tourney):

"It says that he's not going to start, so I don't know what that means, but yeah, any time one of your better pitchers is not pitching (it benefits the opponent), but they plenty of capable (arms), including (Orion) Kerkering on Friday (2.20 ERA, 56 Ks in 41 innings), so it will be a good test for us. We'll need to continue to pitch the ball well. When we do that, we can get through some ups and downs of what offense is against good pitching. We have been pitching the ball well, which is keeping us close in the games, and even for some of the up and down with our offense, we are being opportunistic in some big moments."

On sweeping Memphis despite trailing in late innings Saturday and Sunday:

"I think that's huge. I do. Because basically what we did was we won three games in different fashions. We had the explosion ourselves on Friday and then kind of got behind and things weren't going our way and pitchers were kind of navigating us and things like that, but the (Brady) Hebert) and (Trevor) Minder at-bats after three strikeouts apiece was the catalyst for one of those victories. Just staying momentary and knowing that we can and we're capable. When you're in range, you are a swing away. That's baseball, and this game has more parity than any of them. Even if you're better statistically than somebody and your record's better, it's tough to win. Just the ability to find the way to score more than the other team."

On RPI shooting up:

"The kids have done a great job of (staying in the present). We're starting our eighth week, and we've won six of the seven full weeks we've played. We had one week where we just gathered a few losses and coupled them all together, but other than that, it's been win your week, win your week, win your week. When I was at Vanderbilt, Corbes (Tim Corbin) did a great study where he took the weeks and broke them down for us before the season started and wrote 3-1, you're going to have your 2-2s and you need to stay away from your 0-4s. If you win your weeks, you win your weeks and at the end of the season you're staring at 40-16. We're right on that pace. Now we have one of the start of eight weeks now where it didn't go our way, but that's baseball. I'm proud of the kids because if we just stand around and feel sorry for ourselves after you're losing five in a row, that can turn into six or seven and losing weeks and all of a sudden you're fighting uphill and you have to count on other people to lose and you have to do something, and right now we're not in that position. We've had one conference series and we won all three on the road."

AVILES

On how he changed his swing and started hitting incredibly well:

"I got into my legs a little bit more and I wanted to feel some separation. I wasn't feeling that much separation for about two weeks. I don't know what that happened, but once I recognized that was happening, I made the adjustment and it clicked."

On if this is his best stretch ever:

"If not the best, then a close second. In junior college I had a few stretches like this, but definitely within the past two years it's easily been my hottest stretch."

On players' only meeting:

"The biggest takeaway from that was keeping each other accountable. There were way too many excuses being made on the field, off the field and in the weight room. We just decided to cut the bullcrap, stay as vanilla as possible and as you can see, the results have definitely shown that."

On team-wide confidence:

"We feel really good about ourselves. We never really lost confidence. It was just we would lose faith, which honestly might be a little bit more important than confidence in some aspects. We've know how good we are since the fall, and we've just got to continue playing how we're playing."

On Groff and him at top of order:

"it's definitely tough. I remember at Missisippi State Rowdey Jordan and Tanner Allen were probably last year the best 1-2 in the country, and from a defensive standpoint it's really tough going out there and knowing that you have to lock in on one guy and the next guy might be even better. It depends on the day and who's hot, but we've been doing pretty good."

On Groff's production being contagious:

"It's really fun to watch him play. It's a cliche at this point, but hitting is contagious and when you see a guy like Ethan who's been around here for four years now and finally he's molded into the player that we all knew he could be. It's honestly nothing short of impressive. It's awesome."

On position team is in:

"I feel like we're in a really good position. We're a confident bunch right now. We've regained our faith in each other, in the coaching staff and everyone, and I feel like we'e just got to stick with each other and play for each other and we're going to have the best chance out there."

On confidence Grant Siegel gives entire team:

'It's really fun to watch him pitch, and as a defense it keeps you engaged. You know there's not going to be a lot of walks. There's going to be a lot of balls put in play, and just keeping the outfield and infield engaged throughout the entire game is going to be really huge for us going forward. We've struggled as of late defensively, but we know what we're capable of."

Tulane had more contact in its practice today than yesterday, and Willie Fritz liked what he saw, telling the team it was the best workout of the spring when it was over. Some of the contact was superfluous, though, like when Kevaris Hall lost his temper with guard Josh Remetich and began punching him on the pads and on the helmet repeatedly, though not with a ton of force because he might have injured his hand if he had. Remetich took it without probably feeling a thing, and Fritz yelled at them to cut it out because it was wasting everyone's time. It was a reflection of the high intensity. I did not chart the plays as I did yesterday, but Michael Pratt had a good day, hitting Duece Watts on a crossing route, throwing a nice deep ball that Jha' Quan Jackson could not quite bring it but probably should have and leading a two-minute drive that ended in a touchdown when Jackson got open on a quick in route. The offense celebrated as it ran off the field after that score.

Fritz constantly preaches about not going to the ground, and Exhibit A occurred during the 11-on-11 work when a defender got blocked into the ground unnecessarily and into the knee of backup cornerback defensive back Shi'Keem Laister. Laister got up in obvious pain and hobbled off the field but appeared to be OK.

Justin Ibieta continued to sit out the team reps while recovering from a torn labrum, leaving Pratt, Kai Horton and freshman Carson Haggard to divvy up the reps. Horton made a nice pass to Tyrick James on a seam route and had another pass go off the hands of Ashaad Clayton on a catchable, but difficult ball. That was the only thing Clayton did not do well on the day, and he had a beautiful run in the 11-on-11 work when he cut decisively and headed up field with authority. With Tyjae Spears sitting out team reps to rest a sore hamstring, Clayton is the most impressive of the healthy running backs, although that position is hard to judge without live tackling.

Jadon Canady rarely goes a practice without making a notable play, and today was no exception. He read a deep route over the middle well, accelerated when the ball was in the air and almost made a leaping interception, with the ball going off his outstretched fingertips. He's a baller. Dorian Williams made a nice play against Pratt, anticipating a route and forcing a low throw that he would have intercepted if it had been on target. Before getting hurt, Laister knocked down a pass from Pratt.

You won't see me bashing Chip Long now that he's gone, but the practices are definitely more upbeat than they were last year. His hard coaching style works when a team is winning but grates on players when a team is losing, and that's obviously what happened last year. Change is usually good coming of a disappointing season, and the players appear more enthusiastic without the hyper-criticism they received under Long. Whether that translates into better play remains to be seen.

Walk-on Graham Dable, who appears to be the leader for the vacant placekicking job, hit a 27-yarder from an angle at the end of one drill. They also worked extensively on kickoffs and returns, with Casey Glover sending a couple of high ones to the goal line. One kick turned into a squibber that went out of bounds (I did not catch who kicked it), drawing the ire of Fritz, who asked for a real kick the next time and yelled about the waste of time.

Canady got some reps at cornerback, as did Laister.

The first-team defense had Keith Cooper, Erick Hicks, Patrick Jenkins and Darius Hodges from left to right on the line, Williams and Jesus Machado at linebacker (I did not see Nick Anderson), Lance Robinson at one cornerback and Nick Brooks at one safety. Hall got some reps with the first unit at cornerback as well. I did not catch the number of the other safety, but it was Macon Clark if he practiced.

The second-team defense was Angelo Anderson, Adonis Friloux, Elijah Champaigne and Armoni Dixon from left to right on the line, with Bailey Despanie and DJ Douglas at safety and Rishi Rattan at nickelback.

Coming off a rough personal practice Wednesday, with two dropped passes, Lawrence Keyes sat out the portion I saw of today's workout with an ankle injury.

The team will practice from about 9 to 11 on Saturday, with a scrimmage mixed in, and I will be there.

FRITZ

"We had a good practice. The big thing about getting down there and going 11 on 11 is trying to keep guys on their feet and trying to prevent unnecessary injuries. We had one today where a guy shoved another guy and he went right into his teammate."

On new offensive coordinator Jim Svoboda:

"He's doing a great job. I've known Jim a long time. He's called plays forever. I like the fact that he's been a head coach, so he knows the whole way to play complimentary football and situational football and we have a really good staff. Our wide receivers coach played for Jim in college and was a head coach and coordinator at the Division II level. Jim's called it at the Division I level, the 1-AA level and the Division II level. I'm very excited about what he's doing."

On protecting the quarterback:

"Sometimes you've got to hide your weaknesses. Some times last year we just didn't have good matchups up front, and when that's the occasion you better be careful if you're dropping back and passing a whole bunch or that (the quarterback getting hit) is going to happen, but we're doing a good job getting the ball out of our hands quickly. One thing we were doing early, although we didn't do it today, was in 7 on 7 having a horn go off after three seconds after the ball's been snapped just so that guy has an internal clock. That's something Jim brought to the program."

On excited to rebound from last year:

"Yeah, it was a difficult year. We had a lot of things that happened to us and we just didn't overcome the adversity. Now you wipe the slate clean and start all over again and have a lot of guys back and good competition at most positions. There's a few guys who won their jobs straight out and are going to play at that spot, but we've got a lot of competition for starting roles, both offense, defense and kicking game."

On getting momentum back:

"One thing we need to do is come out of spring ball healthy. There's that fine line between competition and practicing physical. That's very important. We just need to get guys in the right spot, start the right guys and understand what our strengths and weaknesses are. When we come out of spring ball, if we're running a fly sweep and the guy getting the ball runs a 4.9, that's probably not a very good call. You've got to have a fast dude getting the ball and running across. Some backs run some plays better than others and some are better pass protectors than others are. If you've got a guy in and you're calling a drop-back pass and he's got to block the Mike linebacker in the mouth and he's incapable of doing that, it's a bad play call, so that's one of the things we're trying to do is really understand what our guys can and can't do, and it's especially important on offense because I've got four new coaches over there. You gotta play the right Jimmys and Joes. That's more important the Xs and Os."

On Ashaad Clayton:

"He really does look good. He had a nice inside zone cut. On the inside zone, you need to be slow to the hole and fast through it, and he really did a nice job being patient and exploding through the hole. He's got good size, movement and straight line speed, too. He seems to have good football intelligence also."