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Film study: UAB

Guerry Smith

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Jun 20, 2001
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I've been meaning to do one of these for weeks, but between being too busy (before USF) and losing my notes (after USF), it just had not happened until today. There were more inspiring games to do it than against a demoralized UAB team that quit and had a kamikaze coach who did not care how many points Tulane scored, but what the heck. I rewatched the game on ESPN+, which is not nearly as easy as when I tape an over-the-air telecast and can rewind over and over to get the details I want. You did not want to be around me when I tried to back up 30 seconds and ended up going back five minutes, then went forward too far trying to get to the right spot.

I broke it down by possession.

UAB series 1

Jalen Geiger diagnosed a very poorly executed throw-back to not particularly athletic QB Jalen Kitna and set the tone for the day by tackling him for a 9-yard loss on the opening play. Caleb Ransaw, who has been guarding opponents' best players and coming up short at times, then had perfect coverage on a deep ball before Sam Howard's solid tackle made sure the Blazers came nowhere close to a first down on a dump-off.

Tulane series 1

I wrote a feature on Yulkeith Brown's breakout game as a receiver for The Advocate yesterday, but the funny thing is UAB stoned him on his normal strength-a pair of jet sweets. On the first one, he got tackled for a 1-yard loss when he could not get to the corner. Later in the game, he got stopped for no gain. He's always been better than Tulane's other receivers on that play, but he got nothing done on a day when Tulane scored 71. Strange, but irrelevant.

UAB series 2

Patrick Jenkins, who got off to a slow start this year, has rounded into form even if he is not as dominant as expected. He made a nice tackle for no gain to force a third-and-6, then combined with Matthew Fobbs-White to produce a sack on the next play. Fobbs-White ran a twist inside Jenkins, who occupied most of the attention of the offensive lien, and came in untouched.

Tulane series 2

Josh Remetich and Shadre Hurst pull constantly on running plays in this system, and Remetich did it on Makhi Hughes' 11 -yard run. I liked the pass to Hughes that gained 15 on the previous play. When you have a stud running back, and he has good hands, use him in that role. Mario Williams then made a good decision not to force a throw into coverage on a reverse that was supposed to be a pass, taking a 1-yard loss instead of a potential turnover and benefiting from a personal foul. Ty Thompson, who scored the opening TD behind a pulling block from Hurst, is a natural as a wildcat QB. I was surprised when they introduced that package because I never saw it in preseason camp, but Sumrall said recently they did not install it until right before the opener.

UAB series 3

UAB was fortunate to score because downfield fumbles usually are recovered by the defense, although this one, which UAB got after a 21-yard gain, apparently was not called a fumble. Tulane forced a field goal largely because of the Blazers' ineptitude, with a terrible pass on first down from the 20 and a receiver getting his feel tangled on third down.

Tulane series 3

No series. Just a brilliant 100-yard return by Rayshawn Pleasant for a TD. I mentioned in one of the preseason practice reports that Shaadie Clayton-Johnson clearly was Tulane's best kickoff returner. Good thing I'm not the special teams coach. Pleasant is incredibly fast with outstanding instincts, and he scored untouched on a return that would have gone for 20 yards at most by a normal returner.

UAB series 4


This is when UAB's badness and Tulane's playmaking ability really came to the fore. Sam Howard laid a huge hit on a running back who already had lost control of a pass on a middle screen, and the ball ricocheted to Eli Champaigne for a lucky interception that still involved quick reflexes on his part and never would have been possible without the big collision. Good for Champaigne, who has been around for ever, signing in 2020 but never enrolling while a serious knee injury healed and then signing again in 2021.

Tulane series 4

Arnold Barnes made a nice block on Hughes' 1-yard TD run. Tulane has five legitimate running backs. I'm not sure why Trey Cornist, who was the least impressive of the group during camp, earned early opportunities in games earlier this season, but even he has looked good. If he is No. 5, that is a strong room. I love me some Jamauri McClure, but Barnes was terrific on a second-half drive.

UAB series 5

Tulane's biggest concern when it faces good teams will be the periodic breakdowns on defense, particularly on running plays, as occurred on a 61-yard run. Bailey Despanie, whom I almost wrote a feature on after the Oklahoma game before deciding the material was a little thin, has not played nearly as well since his ejection for targeting in that game. He got juked badly when he came up to limit the gain to 10-or-so yards. Johnathan Edwards, for the second time this year, prevented a touchdown with tremendous catch-up speed, and this time it paid off, unlike at ULL. Those plays go unnoticed in a 71-20 laugher, but they will matter down the road. Javion White broke up a third-down pass at the back of the end zone, providing foreshadow.

Tulane series 5

The kickoff out of bounds, though not intentional, was a direct result of Pleasant's TD return. Shaadie Clayton-Johnson broke two tackles on his first carry, the Hughes took it 51 yards to the house after breaking a tackle near the line of scrimmage. He'll never be mistaken for a speedster, but his improvement in that department made the difference between being tackled near the 5 and scoring.

UAB series 6

Fobbs-White nearly got his second sack, and this time Patrick Jenkins benefited by cleaning up. They are an effective combo when they line up on the same side of the line.

Tulane series 6

A rare possession that did not end in a touchdown, with Brown getting stuffed on the jet sweep again and Thompson getting too excited and throwing well over the head of an open Alex Bauman on third-and-goal. He got a chance for redemption later.

UAB series 7

Javion White, who is going to be a terrific player, made a stop for a 1-yard loss with Ransaw having left due to an injury, showing his multi-dimensional skills. In a litany of issues for the Blazers, one of them was Kitna's inability to keep his helmet on. He had to leave for a play for the second time, this time on third down, when it came off. What the heck was going on. Not that he was playing well enough for it to make a difference.

Tulane series 7

Arnold Barnes converted a fourth-and-1 with a power run after lining up as a fullback in the old I formation. I really like the different things Joe Craddock does with his offense, and the way he uses two backs in short-yardage situations at times is one of them. The rest of the drive was too easy.

UAB series 8

It was Kam Hamilton's turn to get a drive-ending sack. Tulane's best defensive line in my view this year is with Hamilton and Fobbs-White on the outside and Jenkins and Parker Peterson inside. If you had told me that would be the case a month ago, I would have thought you were crazy.

I will put the second half up in a while.
 
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