1) Those 10 of 34 passing numbers against Auburn were not a shock
Although I though Tulane would score more points against Auburn, the downfield passing game looked pretty much like it did throughout preseason drills. Going against a good defense throughout August, Justin McMillan and his receivers struggled to connect on those throws. There were weeks when I could count on one hand the number of long passes completed during 11-on-11 work. It's a combination of receivers not getting separation, McMillan not being consistently accurate on long throws and the receivers not making tough catches.
Depth at receiver remains a big concern. Darnell Mooney is good, and he made one terrific leaping grab Saturday to cancel out the ball he could not hold on to when he hit the ground in the end zone in the fourth quarter. Jalen McCleskey is fast but needs to be more productive. The other receivers struggle to get open against top-shelf DBs.
There is a reason McMlllan was only a 50-percent passer last year. He is capable of making every throw, but when he looks downfield, he is capable of missing all of those throws, too. His development as a passer will be critical to Tulane's AAC championship hopes. He already is an excellent runner and decision-maker. He needs to put the ball on the money more often.
2) This defensive line is every bit as good as advertised.
I know Auburn fans and media will be writing stories about how the Tigers' offensive line is not up to snuff and is a cause for huge concern down the road. They can't wrap their brains around how good Tulane's front is. I know this because I heard the skepticism when I did a couple of Alabama radio shows last week and told the hosts that Tulane would win the battle up front defensively.
The starting unit of Patrick Johnson, Jeffery Johnson, DeAndre Williams and Cameron Sample will be better than any offensive line Tulane faces this year. Jeffery Johnson, fully healthy now, was a beast against Auburn. There is a definite drop-off to the backups. but they are serviceable and aren't going to get blown off the ball. Even if the secondary continues to let people get behind it, AAC quarterbacks may not have enough time to find them.
3) Tulane's special teams will win at least one game this year.
Merek Glover showed off his improved leg against Auburn. He also took over for Sterling Stockwell on kickoffs. I'm not sure why, but two of his kicks produced touchbacks and the other was returned only 16 yards.
Amare Jones is going to take a punt or a kickoff to the house against Missouri State. Kick coverage and returns is usually the biggest mismatch when Tulane plays a team like Auburn, but Jones ripped off a 36-yard punt return. He is a big-time player.
Ryan Wright has one poor punt, but he also had three downed at the 9, the 3 and he 5. He didn't even have the pooch punt role last year--Zach Block did--but he was outstanding at it against Auburn.
4) The offensive issues were primarily about facing better defenders, not the play-calling.
Tulane struggled to run on Auburn, forcing it out of its comfort zone, and Auburn's secondary is better than Tulane's receivers. That was a tough combo platter for new OC Will Hall to handle. He opted for a lot of shots because it was going to be awfully tough for Tulane to sustain long drives, and I agree with that approach. For the Wave to win, it needed to connect on them, like the double pass that bounced off Tyrick James' hands (he has dropped a higher percentage of passes in practice than anyone else. I'm not talking about a ton because the Wave has been pretty good at holding on to the ball in practice, but it was enough to get my attention).
The one call I really did not like, and it may have been a McMillan decision rather than the design of the play, was the fade pass to Jorrien Vallien on third-and-3 from the Auburn 14 near the end of the first half. That was an incredibly low-percentage play, forcing the Wave to settle for a second field goal.
Two games is an awfully small sample size, but I still like Tulane's chances to win the West. The Wave needs to come out focused against Missouri State so the starters can rest in the second half and be fresh for the huge conference opener against Houston the following Thursday. Obviously, the Wave does not want to risk injury to any significant player.
Although I though Tulane would score more points against Auburn, the downfield passing game looked pretty much like it did throughout preseason drills. Going against a good defense throughout August, Justin McMillan and his receivers struggled to connect on those throws. There were weeks when I could count on one hand the number of long passes completed during 11-on-11 work. It's a combination of receivers not getting separation, McMillan not being consistently accurate on long throws and the receivers not making tough catches.
Depth at receiver remains a big concern. Darnell Mooney is good, and he made one terrific leaping grab Saturday to cancel out the ball he could not hold on to when he hit the ground in the end zone in the fourth quarter. Jalen McCleskey is fast but needs to be more productive. The other receivers struggle to get open against top-shelf DBs.
There is a reason McMlllan was only a 50-percent passer last year. He is capable of making every throw, but when he looks downfield, he is capable of missing all of those throws, too. His development as a passer will be critical to Tulane's AAC championship hopes. He already is an excellent runner and decision-maker. He needs to put the ball on the money more often.
2) This defensive line is every bit as good as advertised.
I know Auburn fans and media will be writing stories about how the Tigers' offensive line is not up to snuff and is a cause for huge concern down the road. They can't wrap their brains around how good Tulane's front is. I know this because I heard the skepticism when I did a couple of Alabama radio shows last week and told the hosts that Tulane would win the battle up front defensively.
The starting unit of Patrick Johnson, Jeffery Johnson, DeAndre Williams and Cameron Sample will be better than any offensive line Tulane faces this year. Jeffery Johnson, fully healthy now, was a beast against Auburn. There is a definite drop-off to the backups. but they are serviceable and aren't going to get blown off the ball. Even if the secondary continues to let people get behind it, AAC quarterbacks may not have enough time to find them.
3) Tulane's special teams will win at least one game this year.
Merek Glover showed off his improved leg against Auburn. He also took over for Sterling Stockwell on kickoffs. I'm not sure why, but two of his kicks produced touchbacks and the other was returned only 16 yards.
Amare Jones is going to take a punt or a kickoff to the house against Missouri State. Kick coverage and returns is usually the biggest mismatch when Tulane plays a team like Auburn, but Jones ripped off a 36-yard punt return. He is a big-time player.
Ryan Wright has one poor punt, but he also had three downed at the 9, the 3 and he 5. He didn't even have the pooch punt role last year--Zach Block did--but he was outstanding at it against Auburn.
4) The offensive issues were primarily about facing better defenders, not the play-calling.
Tulane struggled to run on Auburn, forcing it out of its comfort zone, and Auburn's secondary is better than Tulane's receivers. That was a tough combo platter for new OC Will Hall to handle. He opted for a lot of shots because it was going to be awfully tough for Tulane to sustain long drives, and I agree with that approach. For the Wave to win, it needed to connect on them, like the double pass that bounced off Tyrick James' hands (he has dropped a higher percentage of passes in practice than anyone else. I'm not talking about a ton because the Wave has been pretty good at holding on to the ball in practice, but it was enough to get my attention).
The one call I really did not like, and it may have been a McMillan decision rather than the design of the play, was the fade pass to Jorrien Vallien on third-and-3 from the Auburn 14 near the end of the first half. That was an incredibly low-percentage play, forcing the Wave to settle for a second field goal.
Two games is an awfully small sample size, but I still like Tulane's chances to win the West. The Wave needs to come out focused against Missouri State so the starters can rest in the second half and be fresh for the huge conference opener against Houston the following Thursday. Obviously, the Wave does not want to risk injury to any significant player.