I researched Tulane's penalties this morning and came up with this breakdown. One flag against Cincinnati I cannot account for because I believe the stats crew made a mistake. Tulane was listed with 12 penalties for 90 yards, but it really was 11 penalties for 90 yards. Everything else checked out.
Going with the official stats, Tulane ranks tied for ninth in the AAC in penalty yards per game and tied for 106th nationally.
Interestingly, Willie Fritz's teams have been penalized for more yards than their opponents in 15 of his last 20 years as a coach, and his 2004 Central Missouri team averaged a whopping 94.3 penalty yards per game). But his teams have gotten cleaner as he has gotten older. Central Missouri was penalized less than its opponents in three of his final four years there, and none of his teams from 2013 through 2017 at three different schools averaged more than 55.1 penalty yards. The other four were below 50 yards. This year has been an aberration in that respect.
The breakdown of Tulane's 46 penalties for the season:
-- 13 false starts (3 on Briggs, 2 on Leglue and McLeod, 1 each on Tyler Johnson, Tyrick James, Bradwell, Huderson, Teamer and Bryant. The last two were on punts.
--8 personal fouls (3 on Moody, 2 on Kennedy, 1 each on Langham, Jeffrey Johnson and Graham)
-- 5 face masks on hands to the face (2 on Keyes, 1 each on Fisher. Hall and Graham)
--5 offensive holding (Encalade, Dublin, McLeod, Tyler Johnson, Briggs)
--1 clipping (Ardoin
--2 illegal blocks (Tyrick James and one that was incorrectly given to Teamer)
--5 interference (3 on Keyes, 1 each on Lewis and Hall)
--2 offside (Sample and Hall)
--2 holds on special teams (Langham, Monroe)
--1 12 men on the field
--1 ineligible man downfield (Briggs)
--1 delay of game on special teams
Fritz hates the presnap and post play penalties the most, and Tulane has gotten at least 15 of them (13 false starts, 1 delay of game that was intentional and 1 12 men on the field) plus some late hits after the whistle blew. Every offensive lineman but Dublin has gotten at least one false start, and a center really can't get a false start unless he moves his body without snapping the ball.
Other than Keyes, the secondary has done a good job avoiding making early contact.
Moody and Graham are too aggressive at times. Moody has three personal foul calls, and Graham's was really late when he hit a Cincinnati runner out of bounds. They can learn from Zach Harris, who leads the team in tackles but has no personal fouls.
Going with the official stats, Tulane ranks tied for ninth in the AAC in penalty yards per game and tied for 106th nationally.
Interestingly, Willie Fritz's teams have been penalized for more yards than their opponents in 15 of his last 20 years as a coach, and his 2004 Central Missouri team averaged a whopping 94.3 penalty yards per game). But his teams have gotten cleaner as he has gotten older. Central Missouri was penalized less than its opponents in three of his final four years there, and none of his teams from 2013 through 2017 at three different schools averaged more than 55.1 penalty yards. The other four were below 50 yards. This year has been an aberration in that respect.
The breakdown of Tulane's 46 penalties for the season:
-- 13 false starts (3 on Briggs, 2 on Leglue and McLeod, 1 each on Tyler Johnson, Tyrick James, Bradwell, Huderson, Teamer and Bryant. The last two were on punts.
--8 personal fouls (3 on Moody, 2 on Kennedy, 1 each on Langham, Jeffrey Johnson and Graham)
-- 5 face masks on hands to the face (2 on Keyes, 1 each on Fisher. Hall and Graham)
--5 offensive holding (Encalade, Dublin, McLeod, Tyler Johnson, Briggs)
--1 clipping (Ardoin
--2 illegal blocks (Tyrick James and one that was incorrectly given to Teamer)
--5 interference (3 on Keyes, 1 each on Lewis and Hall)
--2 offside (Sample and Hall)
--2 holds on special teams (Langham, Monroe)
--1 12 men on the field
--1 ineligible man downfield (Briggs)
--1 delay of game on special teams
Fritz hates the presnap and post play penalties the most, and Tulane has gotten at least 15 of them (13 false starts, 1 delay of game that was intentional and 1 12 men on the field) plus some late hits after the whistle blew. Every offensive lineman but Dublin has gotten at least one false start, and a center really can't get a false start unless he moves his body without snapping the ball.
Other than Keyes, the secondary has done a good job avoiding making early contact.
Moody and Graham are too aggressive at times. Moody has three personal foul calls, and Graham's was really late when he hit a Cincinnati runner out of bounds. They can learn from Zach Harris, who leads the team in tackles but has no personal fouls.
