I'm swamped this week, so this will be short, but I am having a writer do an Engaging The Enemy piece for Temple that should run on the front page some time tomorrow.
Tulane practiced at Yulman Stadium this morning and although it was chilly, the wind was low, the sun was out and it was anything but frigid. Here's Willie Fritz:
"It is beautiful. Beautiful. It's good. I told them this morning we are going to have a cold practice some day, but this wasn't it. It was a nice day."
Tirise Barge committed to Georgia State before coming here. What did you guys like about him?
"Well, he was coming from a great program (Colquitt County High in Georgia), one of the top programs in Georgia. And he was just very active. He has really good explosion and a short burst of quickness. He's got that as good as anybody on the team."
He is a tweener but have you found the right role for him at nickel?
"Well, he does a good job in the kicking game. He plays with a lot of effort and a lot of physicality for a guy that's not real big. There are some things that he does, he does really, really well."
What holds him back?
"He was kind of a little more a linebacker in high school. We just want to get him in the best matchups. If he was a bigger guy he'd be a sensational linebacker because he's fearless."
What did you think of the play where he tackled the quarterback and the running back against Tulsa?
"Oh, it was a big-time play. It was a heck of a play, one of the best plays we've had this year."
Is Corey Dauphine 100 percent as well as Bradwell and Jones?
"Yeah, he's fine. Everybody is. We're full."
TIRISE BARGE
That play against Tulsa, you got to the mesh point and then tackled both guys. How much fun was that?
"I knew that one of them had the ball and I wanted to make the play. I was thankful for the opportunity to be able to play. Being able to zone in on my keys and things like that this game, and this past game helped me for this game also. I feel like they implemented me more in the game plan. I'm grateful for the opportunity to be able to play honestly."
Was that your best game at Tulane?
"Yes. It was just a whole lot of good, positive energy from my teammates, encouragement. Sometimes I have trouble locking in my keys like I said, but this game really set me up to be more implemented. I have a niche."
Coach Fritz said if you were a little bigger you would be a heck of a linebacker. Is your size something you've had to overcome your whole career?
"I mean, I like to look at myself as a symbol for the small guys, the guys who may not be seen up front as making plays, but we can make plays. You just have to believe in yourself at the end of the day. If you don't have the confidence in yourself, then what others say can deter you way easier."
How many people told you you were too small to do what you were doing?
"High school more than college honestly with recruiting and stuff. I played nickel and safety. but the style I played was basically linebacker. They loved my speed and physicality, but my size (was a cause for pause). That basically was my downfall. That and my coverage was off a little bit, but size mostly, yeah."
What do you like most about playing nickel here?
"Me being able to let loose. Like if you look at my high school film, this is basically what I did in high school, so I'm in my element. It's perfect."
You committed to Georgia State before you came here. How did your recruiting go?
"Yes. I was actually committed to Troy in the beginning and then I took a visit to Georgia State and committed, and then I took a visit here and (was) stolen from them. First of all, just the scene of New Orleans, being able to live in New Orleans, I loved it. That and coming in to see the field, it was beautiful."
What can you do to get better at this point?
"I can definitely study more film. I'm still working on getting bigger, and my coverage. That's three strong components."
What do you weigh?
You won't even guess is. 178."
How much pride do you take in being more physical than your size indicates?
"Does it have a level because I'm pretty sure I'm breaking the scale. I pride myself on physicality. That guy across from me will not beat me to the ball or to block me from getting to the ball."
You've had an up and down year statistically (three games with zero tackles). Do you think you're ready to make a consistent jump?
"Yes. Most definitely. It's the confidence in myself. When you're not playing and you feel like you could be doing more for the team, you bite down on yourself a little too hard and your confidence fluctuates rather than you being content with the game plan and trusting the coaches in what they have planned for us."
You came from a big-time high school program How much did that help?
"It honestly set me up perfect for where I am now because I've been used to hard coaching. I can take coaching."
How would you describe your personality?
"Man, I'm off the wall. I can be up at times, I can be down at times. I don't want to say emotional, but I can be very happy or I can be very angry."
It's always hard to adjust to not playing much when you arrive in college. Did that affect you?
"Yes, that was probably the hardest thing, coming to college and not playing as much as I thought I would be and should be, but that's a part of growth. Looking back at it, I would definitely play my role differently in the time that I did get into altercations with my coaches for the way I was feeling. Now I know why they did what they did."
What do you like about special teams?
"I like special teams. A lot of people don't and I don't understand why because you still have a chance to make a play. You are still on the field. I take a lot of pride in it, the accountability that I hold. I hold myself at a high account."
You didn't redshirt. Does it seem strange that you only have one year left?
"It actually does. It's crazy. It happened so fast."
Tulane practiced at Yulman Stadium this morning and although it was chilly, the wind was low, the sun was out and it was anything but frigid. Here's Willie Fritz:
"It is beautiful. Beautiful. It's good. I told them this morning we are going to have a cold practice some day, but this wasn't it. It was a nice day."
Tirise Barge committed to Georgia State before coming here. What did you guys like about him?
"Well, he was coming from a great program (Colquitt County High in Georgia), one of the top programs in Georgia. And he was just very active. He has really good explosion and a short burst of quickness. He's got that as good as anybody on the team."
He is a tweener but have you found the right role for him at nickel?
"Well, he does a good job in the kicking game. He plays with a lot of effort and a lot of physicality for a guy that's not real big. There are some things that he does, he does really, really well."
What holds him back?
"He was kind of a little more a linebacker in high school. We just want to get him in the best matchups. If he was a bigger guy he'd be a sensational linebacker because he's fearless."
What did you think of the play where he tackled the quarterback and the running back against Tulsa?
"Oh, it was a big-time play. It was a heck of a play, one of the best plays we've had this year."
Is Corey Dauphine 100 percent as well as Bradwell and Jones?
"Yeah, he's fine. Everybody is. We're full."
TIRISE BARGE
That play against Tulsa, you got to the mesh point and then tackled both guys. How much fun was that?
"I knew that one of them had the ball and I wanted to make the play. I was thankful for the opportunity to be able to play. Being able to zone in on my keys and things like that this game, and this past game helped me for this game also. I feel like they implemented me more in the game plan. I'm grateful for the opportunity to be able to play honestly."
Was that your best game at Tulane?
"Yes. It was just a whole lot of good, positive energy from my teammates, encouragement. Sometimes I have trouble locking in my keys like I said, but this game really set me up to be more implemented. I have a niche."
Coach Fritz said if you were a little bigger you would be a heck of a linebacker. Is your size something you've had to overcome your whole career?
"I mean, I like to look at myself as a symbol for the small guys, the guys who may not be seen up front as making plays, but we can make plays. You just have to believe in yourself at the end of the day. If you don't have the confidence in yourself, then what others say can deter you way easier."
How many people told you you were too small to do what you were doing?
"High school more than college honestly with recruiting and stuff. I played nickel and safety. but the style I played was basically linebacker. They loved my speed and physicality, but my size (was a cause for pause). That basically was my downfall. That and my coverage was off a little bit, but size mostly, yeah."
What do you like most about playing nickel here?
"Me being able to let loose. Like if you look at my high school film, this is basically what I did in high school, so I'm in my element. It's perfect."
You committed to Georgia State before you came here. How did your recruiting go?
"Yes. I was actually committed to Troy in the beginning and then I took a visit to Georgia State and committed, and then I took a visit here and (was) stolen from them. First of all, just the scene of New Orleans, being able to live in New Orleans, I loved it. That and coming in to see the field, it was beautiful."
What can you do to get better at this point?
"I can definitely study more film. I'm still working on getting bigger, and my coverage. That's three strong components."
What do you weigh?
You won't even guess is. 178."
How much pride do you take in being more physical than your size indicates?
"Does it have a level because I'm pretty sure I'm breaking the scale. I pride myself on physicality. That guy across from me will not beat me to the ball or to block me from getting to the ball."
You've had an up and down year statistically (three games with zero tackles). Do you think you're ready to make a consistent jump?
"Yes. Most definitely. It's the confidence in myself. When you're not playing and you feel like you could be doing more for the team, you bite down on yourself a little too hard and your confidence fluctuates rather than you being content with the game plan and trusting the coaches in what they have planned for us."
You came from a big-time high school program How much did that help?
"It honestly set me up perfect for where I am now because I've been used to hard coaching. I can take coaching."
How would you describe your personality?
"Man, I'm off the wall. I can be up at times, I can be down at times. I don't want to say emotional, but I can be very happy or I can be very angry."
It's always hard to adjust to not playing much when you arrive in college. Did that affect you?
"Yes, that was probably the hardest thing, coming to college and not playing as much as I thought I would be and should be, but that's a part of growth. Looking back at it, I would definitely play my role differently in the time that I did get into altercations with my coaches for the way I was feeling. Now I know why they did what they did."
What do you like about special teams?
"I like special teams. A lot of people don't and I don't understand why because you still have a chance to make a play. You are still on the field. I take a lot of pride in it, the accountability that I hold. I hold myself at a high account."
You didn't redshirt. Does it seem strange that you only have one year left?
"It actually does. It's crazy. It happened so fast."