The most important game of the season to date takes place this Saturday at Navy. Tulane, a 3 1/2-point underdog, must beat Navy to maintain realistic hopes of representing the AAC West in the league title game. Sure, Memphis won with three losses last year, but Tulane would be dead in the tiebreakers with a second division loss, so even that option likely would be unavailable.
Nope. Tulane has to beat Navy, and we will learn a lot about this team and whether or not it can flush a bad performance or let it linger.
I do not expect Jeffery Johnson to start Saturday. He just did not appear to be on balance with his bad ankle against Memphis, and you cannot be effective against Navy without being on balance. I see Davon Wright starting with the usual suspects and plenty of rotations inside to keep guys fresh, including Jeffery Johnson. Malik Lawal was in the rotation today along with Alfred Thomas, who likely will play this week after missing several games. Cam Sample is capable of playing inside and outside like he did against Memphis, but depth on the outside is limited. Carlos Hatcher did not practice today and likely will be unavailable, leaving Patrick Johnson, Wright, Sample and Mike HInton as potential outside guys. Freshman Eric Hicks got some reps today, but I'm not sure he's ready against an opponent like Navy.
Navy is throwing better this year, averaging eight passes a game and completing five as compared to four out of 10 last year. Tulane cannot afford to completely sell out to stop the run this time because the Midshipmen, who hurt the Green Wave with big pass plays the past two years with inferior passing attacks to this one, certainly will do it again if given the opportunity.
Navy's defense is significantly better than in the last couple of years, but this will be a game where Tulane's offense needs to play mistake-free. With Justin McMillan excelling as a runner, the Wave can move the chains if it does not shoot itself in the foot, which would allow the defense to stay reasonably fresh.
Corey Dauphine and Darius Bradwell were in uniform today but I did not see either of them get reps in the last half-hour. Stephon Huderson did not practice at all. A guy who did get reps was Tyjae Spears, and if either Bradwell or Dauphine cannot play Saturday, I think Spears should get an opportunity. Insiders believe he has the best potential of all the backs, which is saying a ton, and if he can help Tulane win, there's no sense worrying about redshirting him. That's a luxury, not a necessity. He already is listed as having played in three games (though I'm not sure he played against Houston), so he can play in at least one more and still be redshirted anyway. Anyone with the potential to hit a home run play needs to play because Tulane needs that quick-strike ability.
I will have Fritz's quotes later today when Tulane transcribes them. Amare Jones, Jalen McCleskey and Patrick Johnson spoke. McMillan was not made available.
JONES
Were you shocked by what happened Saturday?
"Yeah, it kind of caught everybody off guard. Going into the game, the way we practiced all week, we were real up tempo and we were real confident, and then after that it kind of just, I'm not going to say it went away but that game did shock us for sure."
You tweeted afterward, "sorry, Green Wave fans." How disappointed were you?
"I was real disappointed because we've been busting our tails off working real hard and coming with a bond. To lose like that on a big stage, it hurts. When you see the guys are busting their butts off and we're not getting rewarded for it, it just hurts."
If you beat Navy, you're still in good shape in the West. If you lose, you're in a lot of trouble. How do you make sure you don't let that loss linger?
"Practice hard. You gotta just let it go and you've got to let it go off your back."
What did the coaches tell you after the game? Was it calm or upset?
"We've got a 24-hour rule which is basically you've got 24 hours to either be excited about your win or pout about your loss, but after that 24 hours is over you've got to let it go and move on to the next week. It was kind of calm. They (the coaches) didn't have really too much to say. They just beat us. There's not really too much to say."
Not having Bradwell and the losing Dauphine, how much did that affect what you wanted to do?
"Those are two big keys to our offense, so taking them out and trying to get everybody else in, they don't have the same experience, so when they get in, they are still learning and adjusting to the game tempo. It's a big difference."
You had been rushing the ball so well this year but got down early. How much did that change the complexion of the game?
"That changed it where we had to kind of change to an air raid and kind of try to beat them deep. I don't really have too much to say about that. They just flat-out beat us. That's it."
MCCLESKEY
What's your take on what happened last week?
"I mean, it's over now. We are on to Navy. We've been watching film on Navy, got our game plan ready for Navy. That's who we play this week and we want to be 1-0 this week against Navy."
You are an old soul in this game. What do you tell the younger guys?
"I mean, it hurts to get beat like that, but there's nothing we can do about it. Nothing you do this week is going to change what happened last week, so we just have to go out there and do what we know we can do against Navy, know the coaches have a good game plan together. We started on film yesterday and that's what we're focusing on right now. We're not worried about Memphis. We're just worried about Navy."
Is there an experience you had at your previous stop to say you played poorly this week but can bounce back the next week and play very well?
"Oh yeah, that's the great thing about college football is it's a season. One week is not necessarily going to define your whole season. You don't want to lose a game like that, but you know we have another week, we have another chance to play, and that's what we're going to go out there and do."
The offense had some success early but then not as much once you fell behind. What happened?
"I just feel like we could only pull one card. We had to come from behind, and they knew that just running the ball like that wasn't going be what brought us back. They knew we were going to have to pass the ball, and when you get into where you have to do one thing to try to come back, it gets hard. We understand that, but we still have to execute. We still went out there and fought even though we made some mistakes. We just have to move on from that and learn from the film. That's all you can do."
PATRICK JOHNSON
You couldn't get the same pressure against Brady White as you did last year. What was the difference?
"We came in with a game plan and our focus was to get the pressure on the quarterback and make him make plays. He played great. They had a good scheme. It was a good team. They just outplayed us and outcoached us, but hopefully we can get them back next year, though."
They had to work hard early for their points, but then it got easier. Were people a little shell shocked?
"We put ourselves in a lot of good positions to make plays. For us, we had a few busts, but when you're in a position to make a play, you've just got to finish. I feel like they just made plays. Everything was kind of going for them, their way. They are a good team. They won fair and square. We just have to bounce back and focus on this week coming up."
How do you make sure you don't let that loss linger?
"Oh yeah, you can't dwell on the past. Like Amare said, we have 24 hours to either be excited about our win or pout about it. Everybody did their own thing. I'm looking forward to Navy just like everybody else on this team. We're focused on a 5-1 Navy team, good team, very physical."
How frustrating is it to not be able to get off the field?
"It was really frustrating. It's happened before. We had them in third-and-long twice and a fourth down on that first drive and they still ended up getting points out of it. It is frustrating. Our one job is to get off that field and put our offense back on so they can make plays. We just have to keep going on our business and just keep getting better."
Did you expect Gainwell to have that kind of an impact?
"Oh yeah, most definitely. That's the guy we keyed on probably the most. We knew he was a good player. We knew all about him. Like I said, we were in good position to make plays. but he was a good athlete. He did his job. We're all Division I athletes and players make plays, and that's what he did a good job of."
When you play a team like Army or Navy, how important are those third-down situations?
"With Navy, it doesn't start with third down. It starts with first down. You've got to get them behind the chains. That's the game plan. We've got to have the long fourth downs because that's when they bring out the punt team. If it's fourth-and-3 or shorter, they more likely are going to go for it, so you basically have to have your mindset to play all four downs."
You've had success against Army and Navy. What about that style do you enjoy facing?
"We're a physical team. I'm going to say our D-line is the best position on the field. That's just because I'm part of it, but I feel like our whole defense is great. We play physical football here and I feel like we just match up well versus Navy and them and go in with some great calls and the coaches do a great job of getting us ready."
How much did playing Army already help you in preparation for Navy?
"It's very similar. They are both physical teams. You just have to be good with your eyes and reads. It starts with practice. We have to have a perfect practice every day or at least try, and then it kind of translates over to the field."
Nope. Tulane has to beat Navy, and we will learn a lot about this team and whether or not it can flush a bad performance or let it linger.
I do not expect Jeffery Johnson to start Saturday. He just did not appear to be on balance with his bad ankle against Memphis, and you cannot be effective against Navy without being on balance. I see Davon Wright starting with the usual suspects and plenty of rotations inside to keep guys fresh, including Jeffery Johnson. Malik Lawal was in the rotation today along with Alfred Thomas, who likely will play this week after missing several games. Cam Sample is capable of playing inside and outside like he did against Memphis, but depth on the outside is limited. Carlos Hatcher did not practice today and likely will be unavailable, leaving Patrick Johnson, Wright, Sample and Mike HInton as potential outside guys. Freshman Eric Hicks got some reps today, but I'm not sure he's ready against an opponent like Navy.
Navy is throwing better this year, averaging eight passes a game and completing five as compared to four out of 10 last year. Tulane cannot afford to completely sell out to stop the run this time because the Midshipmen, who hurt the Green Wave with big pass plays the past two years with inferior passing attacks to this one, certainly will do it again if given the opportunity.
Navy's defense is significantly better than in the last couple of years, but this will be a game where Tulane's offense needs to play mistake-free. With Justin McMillan excelling as a runner, the Wave can move the chains if it does not shoot itself in the foot, which would allow the defense to stay reasonably fresh.
Corey Dauphine and Darius Bradwell were in uniform today but I did not see either of them get reps in the last half-hour. Stephon Huderson did not practice at all. A guy who did get reps was Tyjae Spears, and if either Bradwell or Dauphine cannot play Saturday, I think Spears should get an opportunity. Insiders believe he has the best potential of all the backs, which is saying a ton, and if he can help Tulane win, there's no sense worrying about redshirting him. That's a luxury, not a necessity. He already is listed as having played in three games (though I'm not sure he played against Houston), so he can play in at least one more and still be redshirted anyway. Anyone with the potential to hit a home run play needs to play because Tulane needs that quick-strike ability.
I will have Fritz's quotes later today when Tulane transcribes them. Amare Jones, Jalen McCleskey and Patrick Johnson spoke. McMillan was not made available.
JONES
Were you shocked by what happened Saturday?
"Yeah, it kind of caught everybody off guard. Going into the game, the way we practiced all week, we were real up tempo and we were real confident, and then after that it kind of just, I'm not going to say it went away but that game did shock us for sure."
You tweeted afterward, "sorry, Green Wave fans." How disappointed were you?
"I was real disappointed because we've been busting our tails off working real hard and coming with a bond. To lose like that on a big stage, it hurts. When you see the guys are busting their butts off and we're not getting rewarded for it, it just hurts."
If you beat Navy, you're still in good shape in the West. If you lose, you're in a lot of trouble. How do you make sure you don't let that loss linger?
"Practice hard. You gotta just let it go and you've got to let it go off your back."
What did the coaches tell you after the game? Was it calm or upset?
"We've got a 24-hour rule which is basically you've got 24 hours to either be excited about your win or pout about your loss, but after that 24 hours is over you've got to let it go and move on to the next week. It was kind of calm. They (the coaches) didn't have really too much to say. They just beat us. There's not really too much to say."
Not having Bradwell and the losing Dauphine, how much did that affect what you wanted to do?
"Those are two big keys to our offense, so taking them out and trying to get everybody else in, they don't have the same experience, so when they get in, they are still learning and adjusting to the game tempo. It's a big difference."
You had been rushing the ball so well this year but got down early. How much did that change the complexion of the game?
"That changed it where we had to kind of change to an air raid and kind of try to beat them deep. I don't really have too much to say about that. They just flat-out beat us. That's it."
MCCLESKEY
What's your take on what happened last week?
"I mean, it's over now. We are on to Navy. We've been watching film on Navy, got our game plan ready for Navy. That's who we play this week and we want to be 1-0 this week against Navy."
You are an old soul in this game. What do you tell the younger guys?
"I mean, it hurts to get beat like that, but there's nothing we can do about it. Nothing you do this week is going to change what happened last week, so we just have to go out there and do what we know we can do against Navy, know the coaches have a good game plan together. We started on film yesterday and that's what we're focusing on right now. We're not worried about Memphis. We're just worried about Navy."
Is there an experience you had at your previous stop to say you played poorly this week but can bounce back the next week and play very well?
"Oh yeah, that's the great thing about college football is it's a season. One week is not necessarily going to define your whole season. You don't want to lose a game like that, but you know we have another week, we have another chance to play, and that's what we're going to go out there and do."
The offense had some success early but then not as much once you fell behind. What happened?
"I just feel like we could only pull one card. We had to come from behind, and they knew that just running the ball like that wasn't going be what brought us back. They knew we were going to have to pass the ball, and when you get into where you have to do one thing to try to come back, it gets hard. We understand that, but we still have to execute. We still went out there and fought even though we made some mistakes. We just have to move on from that and learn from the film. That's all you can do."
PATRICK JOHNSON
You couldn't get the same pressure against Brady White as you did last year. What was the difference?
"We came in with a game plan and our focus was to get the pressure on the quarterback and make him make plays. He played great. They had a good scheme. It was a good team. They just outplayed us and outcoached us, but hopefully we can get them back next year, though."
They had to work hard early for their points, but then it got easier. Were people a little shell shocked?
"We put ourselves in a lot of good positions to make plays. For us, we had a few busts, but when you're in a position to make a play, you've just got to finish. I feel like they just made plays. Everything was kind of going for them, their way. They are a good team. They won fair and square. We just have to bounce back and focus on this week coming up."
How do you make sure you don't let that loss linger?
"Oh yeah, you can't dwell on the past. Like Amare said, we have 24 hours to either be excited about our win or pout about it. Everybody did their own thing. I'm looking forward to Navy just like everybody else on this team. We're focused on a 5-1 Navy team, good team, very physical."
How frustrating is it to not be able to get off the field?
"It was really frustrating. It's happened before. We had them in third-and-long twice and a fourth down on that first drive and they still ended up getting points out of it. It is frustrating. Our one job is to get off that field and put our offense back on so they can make plays. We just have to keep going on our business and just keep getting better."
Did you expect Gainwell to have that kind of an impact?
"Oh yeah, most definitely. That's the guy we keyed on probably the most. We knew he was a good player. We knew all about him. Like I said, we were in good position to make plays. but he was a good athlete. He did his job. We're all Division I athletes and players make plays, and that's what he did a good job of."
When you play a team like Army or Navy, how important are those third-down situations?
"With Navy, it doesn't start with third down. It starts with first down. You've got to get them behind the chains. That's the game plan. We've got to have the long fourth downs because that's when they bring out the punt team. If it's fourth-and-3 or shorter, they more likely are going to go for it, so you basically have to have your mindset to play all four downs."
You've had success against Army and Navy. What about that style do you enjoy facing?
"We're a physical team. I'm going to say our D-line is the best position on the field. That's just because I'm part of it, but I feel like our whole defense is great. We play physical football here and I feel like we just match up well versus Navy and them and go in with some great calls and the coaches do a great job of getting us ready."
How much did playing Army already help you in preparation for Navy?
"It's very similar. They are both physical teams. You just have to be good with your eyes and reads. It starts with practice. We have to have a perfect practice every day or at least try, and then it kind of translates over to the field."
