It looks like Jonathan Banks might start for Tulane on Saturday against Army, but don't take that to the bank because coach Willie Fritz understandably has been non-committal on the topic this week. The fact of the matter is there's no way to know for sure whether Banks can take hits since quarterbacks are off limits to contact in all practices, but Fritz said they would rely on what the team's medical staff said and make a decision on game day.
If Banks doesn't start, Johnathan Brantley will get the nod. He has recovered from the hits he took against Oklahoma and split the reps with Banks today, with freshman Khalil McClain seeing his reps taper off. My guess is they go with Banks, find out if he can handle the contact and have Brantley ready in case Banks can't hack it.
"He (Banks) is looking better," Fritz said. "There are a couple of things we have to check and see after practice today on him. It's difficult (to know whether he can take hits). We'll get with the doctors who handle those sort of things."
Banks, the better passer, and Brantley, who was terrific on the option early against Oklahoma, have different skill sets and will have different game plans ready for them. Fritz confirmed as much after practice today. It will be a tough decision because ideally, it would be good for Banks to get this week and the bye week off before returning against Tulsa on Oct. 7, but Tulane has to win Saturday. It will depend on how close to 100 percent he is and who the coaches think gives them the best chance to beat Army. Brantley has improved as a passer, but Banks beat him out because he is better in that department and they feel like he gives them the run-pass balance they want for the offense in their second year.
Banks definitely is not 100 percent. Offensive coordinator Doug Ruse said he would have gotten 70 to 80 percent of the reps in a normal week rather than less than 50 percent for this week in a three-way rotation.
"He's done good, but he's been limited," Ruse said. "But unlike last week, he's been able to get in and get some reps, and we've still got 48 hours before we play, so hopefully he'll get to feeling a lot better in the next day or so. He'll be a game-time decision, but it has been nice to get him out there and let him get some reps. I know he was very anxious."
Ruse praised Brantley's performance against Oklahoma. He and the offense were terrific for three series until his bad pick-six that turned the game. He took some hard hits the rest of the way, but Ruse said he was fine.
"He did take some hits, but he's got a feel for, particularly in the run game, to get low and finish runs the right way," Ruse said. "He's good to go. That touchdown run, We've talked to all the skill position players, this is what you've got to do in the open field. He played a good game and that was an excellent run on his part."
McClain was not nearly as successful in his five series at the end of the game, but Ruse said it was an important learning experience. The fact that he got plenty of reps this week means something--the coaches aren't in the habit of wasting practice time.
"We were able to get him his first action (at Oklahoma) and he made some mistakes," Ruse said. "Whether that was at Oklahoma or here against Grambling or whoever, that was a first-game for you. I told him on Monday morning, all right, you're no longer a true freshman. You play like a veteran from here on out. He was nervous, but that's out of his system now. He's a heck of an athlete and we've got to use him in some capacity every week. He's doing a nice job progressing real well."
Kendall Ardoin practiced today, and I may have missed him out there yesterday. I don't know how because I was watching for him closely, but he has been cleared to play and will give Tulane a second tight end against Army. He blocked well in the first two games before leaving in the second half against Navy with an illness.
Look for John Leglue to stay at right tackle for the rest of the year. The coaches moved him back to the position he started a year ago last week, and the offensive line performed better with him there and Keyshawn McLeod at left tackle.
"He's played there more, so that's the reason we moved him over there," Fritz said of Leglue. "We tried him at left and the other guys were a little bit more used to left than right, so we went ahead and shifted that and it went better for all the guys."
Taris Shenall has not practiced this week after being the victim of the hit by Oklahoma receiver CeeDee Lamb that resulted in Lamb being ejected Saturday. Fritz said Shenall had not been ruled out yet, but Shenall did not play much in the game at Navy anyway because other players are more suited to defend the option.
Tulane will have some defensive tweaks against Army because it always does, but defensive coordinator Jack Curtis said yesterday the basic plan would be the same because it worked very well against Navy. That means Jarrod Franklin and Rod Teamer at safety, Donnie Lewis and Parry Nickerson at cornerback, Zach Harris and Rae Juan Marbley at linebacker, Luke Jackson and Quinlan Carroll at the hybrid end-linebacker spots, Eldrick Washington and either Ade Aruna or Patrick Johnson at DE/DT and Sean Wilson at nose guard. Aruna's strength is not against option teams, so it will be interesting to see how much he plays Saturday.
The second-team defense is P.J. Hall and Chase Kuerschen at safety, Tre Jackson and Thakarius Keyes at cornerback, Lawrence Graham and Marvin Moody at linebacker, Michael Scott and Peter Woullard at the hybrid end-linebacker spot, De'Andre Williams and Cameron Sample at DE/DT and Braynon Edwards at nose guard.
K.J. Vault is not practicing due to injury.
D.J. Owens turned in the play of the day, making a leaping catch along the sideline, grabbing the ball with one hand before bringing it in to the second one. I can't swear he landed inbounds because it was on the far side of the field, but it was a heck of an effort regardless. On the very next snap, Andrew Hicks dropped an easy pass over the middle. That's been the story for Tulane's secondary receivers. Other than Terren Encalade, Darnell Mooney and, to a lesser extent, tight end Charles Jones, no one has been productive.
"It's not bad that we've got guys competing and a lot of guys at that position," Ruse said. "I agree Darnell and Terren have been as steady as you can be with their play and their preparation. They love football, but we have two or three other guys who deserve time and have been rolling in equally."
Ruse was happy to see the offensive line play like it did early against Oklahoma. As Fritz said earlier in the week, the entire offense is based first on being successful with the inside zone plays, and Tulane was much better against Oklahoma in that department than Navy.
"We were on the same page, where we weren't the game before," Ruse said. "In the first half that's the way we played, but we couldn't get going in the second half and get that spark to get us going. We were awfully close on that first drive in the third quarter (the one where Mooney had a long pass go off his fingertips). Had we made a couple of those plays, who knows? But that's what we've talked about. We have to play four quarters like we played the first two."
If Banks doesn't start, Johnathan Brantley will get the nod. He has recovered from the hits he took against Oklahoma and split the reps with Banks today, with freshman Khalil McClain seeing his reps taper off. My guess is they go with Banks, find out if he can handle the contact and have Brantley ready in case Banks can't hack it.
"He (Banks) is looking better," Fritz said. "There are a couple of things we have to check and see after practice today on him. It's difficult (to know whether he can take hits). We'll get with the doctors who handle those sort of things."
Banks, the better passer, and Brantley, who was terrific on the option early against Oklahoma, have different skill sets and will have different game plans ready for them. Fritz confirmed as much after practice today. It will be a tough decision because ideally, it would be good for Banks to get this week and the bye week off before returning against Tulsa on Oct. 7, but Tulane has to win Saturday. It will depend on how close to 100 percent he is and who the coaches think gives them the best chance to beat Army. Brantley has improved as a passer, but Banks beat him out because he is better in that department and they feel like he gives them the run-pass balance they want for the offense in their second year.
Banks definitely is not 100 percent. Offensive coordinator Doug Ruse said he would have gotten 70 to 80 percent of the reps in a normal week rather than less than 50 percent for this week in a three-way rotation.
"He's done good, but he's been limited," Ruse said. "But unlike last week, he's been able to get in and get some reps, and we've still got 48 hours before we play, so hopefully he'll get to feeling a lot better in the next day or so. He'll be a game-time decision, but it has been nice to get him out there and let him get some reps. I know he was very anxious."
Ruse praised Brantley's performance against Oklahoma. He and the offense were terrific for three series until his bad pick-six that turned the game. He took some hard hits the rest of the way, but Ruse said he was fine.
"He did take some hits, but he's got a feel for, particularly in the run game, to get low and finish runs the right way," Ruse said. "He's good to go. That touchdown run, We've talked to all the skill position players, this is what you've got to do in the open field. He played a good game and that was an excellent run on his part."
McClain was not nearly as successful in his five series at the end of the game, but Ruse said it was an important learning experience. The fact that he got plenty of reps this week means something--the coaches aren't in the habit of wasting practice time.
"We were able to get him his first action (at Oklahoma) and he made some mistakes," Ruse said. "Whether that was at Oklahoma or here against Grambling or whoever, that was a first-game for you. I told him on Monday morning, all right, you're no longer a true freshman. You play like a veteran from here on out. He was nervous, but that's out of his system now. He's a heck of an athlete and we've got to use him in some capacity every week. He's doing a nice job progressing real well."
Kendall Ardoin practiced today, and I may have missed him out there yesterday. I don't know how because I was watching for him closely, but he has been cleared to play and will give Tulane a second tight end against Army. He blocked well in the first two games before leaving in the second half against Navy with an illness.
Look for John Leglue to stay at right tackle for the rest of the year. The coaches moved him back to the position he started a year ago last week, and the offensive line performed better with him there and Keyshawn McLeod at left tackle.
"He's played there more, so that's the reason we moved him over there," Fritz said of Leglue. "We tried him at left and the other guys were a little bit more used to left than right, so we went ahead and shifted that and it went better for all the guys."
Taris Shenall has not practiced this week after being the victim of the hit by Oklahoma receiver CeeDee Lamb that resulted in Lamb being ejected Saturday. Fritz said Shenall had not been ruled out yet, but Shenall did not play much in the game at Navy anyway because other players are more suited to defend the option.
Tulane will have some defensive tweaks against Army because it always does, but defensive coordinator Jack Curtis said yesterday the basic plan would be the same because it worked very well against Navy. That means Jarrod Franklin and Rod Teamer at safety, Donnie Lewis and Parry Nickerson at cornerback, Zach Harris and Rae Juan Marbley at linebacker, Luke Jackson and Quinlan Carroll at the hybrid end-linebacker spots, Eldrick Washington and either Ade Aruna or Patrick Johnson at DE/DT and Sean Wilson at nose guard. Aruna's strength is not against option teams, so it will be interesting to see how much he plays Saturday.
The second-team defense is P.J. Hall and Chase Kuerschen at safety, Tre Jackson and Thakarius Keyes at cornerback, Lawrence Graham and Marvin Moody at linebacker, Michael Scott and Peter Woullard at the hybrid end-linebacker spot, De'Andre Williams and Cameron Sample at DE/DT and Braynon Edwards at nose guard.
K.J. Vault is not practicing due to injury.
D.J. Owens turned in the play of the day, making a leaping catch along the sideline, grabbing the ball with one hand before bringing it in to the second one. I can't swear he landed inbounds because it was on the far side of the field, but it was a heck of an effort regardless. On the very next snap, Andrew Hicks dropped an easy pass over the middle. That's been the story for Tulane's secondary receivers. Other than Terren Encalade, Darnell Mooney and, to a lesser extent, tight end Charles Jones, no one has been productive.
"It's not bad that we've got guys competing and a lot of guys at that position," Ruse said. "I agree Darnell and Terren have been as steady as you can be with their play and their preparation. They love football, but we have two or three other guys who deserve time and have been rolling in equally."
Ruse was happy to see the offensive line play like it did early against Oklahoma. As Fritz said earlier in the week, the entire offense is based first on being successful with the inside zone plays, and Tulane was much better against Oklahoma in that department than Navy.
"We were on the same page, where we weren't the game before," Ruse said. "In the first half that's the way we played, but we couldn't get going in the second half and get that spark to get us going. We were awfully close on that first drive in the third quarter (the one where Mooney had a long pass go off his fingertips). Had we made a couple of those plays, who knows? But that's what we've talked about. We have to play four quarters like we played the first two."