Tulane's weather advisor guessed wrong Tuesday night, so the Green Wave practiced at the Saints indoor facility Wednesday morning on what turned out to a be nice day at Yulman Stadium. I did not see the practice, conducting interviews at the Wilson Center when the team returned, but Willie Fritz said Cam Sample did not participate today. They hope he can return tomorrow.
Tulane's offensive line has put together its best back-to-back games in years. The credit for that uptick can go in a lot of directions--quarterback Justin McMillan for making the right reads, a new policy of having the offensive line, running backs and tight ends meet together to improve accountability rather than meet separately and the improved play at tackle with a healthy Noah Fisher and surprisingly effective redshirt freshman Joey Claybrook. While McMillan is a definite factor, I discount the meeting-as-a-group stuff even though a few players swear by it. To me, the biggest difference is Fisher and Claybrook.
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I talked to both of them this week along with Dominique Briggs and OL/running game coach Alex Atkins.
FISHER
You're healthy now and have played very well the last two weeks. How much better do you feel than earlier in the season?
"I feel much better than I did at the beginning of the year. Taking the week off (he did not play against Cincinnati), I really needed it, and now I can contribute to the team."
What happened to your ankle in the preseason?
"I've always had ankle problems, and it just kept getting worse and worse, so I needed to just stop and get healthy so I can play my role on the team."
How tough was it to lose your starting job after the first four games?
"It wasn't tough at all. I'm a team guy. I love helping my teammates any way I can. I have a lot of experience, so it was just a different role at that time. Now it's my turn to go out there and play. It wasn't really tough. It was actually good seeing the younger guy (Tyler Johnson) go out there and really play well."
The last two games you guys have rushed for more than 300 yards. How much are you rolling with the run game right now?
"I feel like our run game is going really well. These last couple of weeks we've come out and really as a group up front have been focusing on it, and it's been paying off."
What can you say about Corey Dauphine?
"Man, it's great blocking for him. We know that if we give him any kind of daylight and a crease, that he's going to make something of it even if there's somebody in the way. We've all seen him run through people. He's a great player and it's great blocking for him."
Darius Bradwell is having a huge year, too.
"He's the same way. Having multiple running backs that can do that keeps the running game strong. We're not losing any production when we rotate. Its great."
On the second touchdown run Corey Dauphine had against USF, you got to the linebacker to make a big block. Can you talk about that?
"Oh yeah, I was just on the back side of the zone and we did a great job pressing the run. I got to the linebacker and just pinned him. Everybody on that play made great blocks, and mine just happened to be the one that was next to the ball."
How confident is this team right now?
"We are extremely confident, but we know that each week we have to continue to put in the work. Like I said, we went 2-5, so we know nothing is guaranteed. We just have to keep building and we know we can reach our goal."
You came here for one season as a grad transfer. How comfortable do you feel now?
"I feel really comfortable now. Compared to the beginning of the season, I'm starting another system and have gotten more comfortable than I was. It was just a little different, the way we run our plays than what I'd been used to, so it took me a while to watch film and train my eyes to see how we wanted to play. About week 3 in the season was when I really started to get a feel for it because practice is a lot different than the game. The games are a lot faster."
JOEY CLAYBROOK
You came in for the third series of the Tulsa game at right tackle and it coincided with the running game really picking up. How would you assess the way you've played the last two games?
"I've played all right. There's definitely things I need to work on every single day. Our tackles really pride ourselves on making each other better and trying to help each other the best we can while we're in there. Keyshawn (McLeod, whom he displaced) helps me so much coming over and telling me what we need to fix, and I help him. It helps us a lot."
What is your best strength?
"I'd say my best strength is my pulls. I really take pride in pulling as best I can."
How much a part of this offense is the linemen getting out and pulling?
"It's a big part. With the guards and tackles, coach makes a big emphasis if we can get around, we can always have a play. We really make sure we get around and just give the backs something to work with."
You had not played much up until the Tulsa game. Did you feel like you were close or was it a surprise when they inserted you?
"It was somewhat of a surprise, but coach really makes an emphasis on all of us being ready, and I've made sure I was ready each and every week, and it really helped me out once I got in there."
How much fun is it when the team rushes for more than 300 yards as an offensive lineman?
"It's so much fun. I love it. I hope we do it every game."
Darius Bradwell mentioned the running backs, tights and linemen are meeting more together rather than just in position groups. What impact has that had?
"That's really helped us a lot I feel like because it brings everybody together to hold each other accountable with each and every position group and helps us really know what each one of us are doing. It really helps us in the run game with knowing what the tight end's job is and where the back's running and how they're reading us and where we need to take our blocks and all that. It makes our job a lot easier. Those backs are really doing a good job reading our blocks."
You need two more wins to get to a bowl game and are still in the running for the AAC West title. How do you make sure to come out with same intensity on Saturday as you did the past two weeks?
"We really need to just focus in on us and really make sure we can critique ourselves as best as possible and stay focused and not get complacent. We are really taking pride in fixing every mistake that we've made and getting better each and every day."
What do you like about coach Atkins?
"He's really helped me with my technique. Coming out of high school I didn't have much technique at all and he's helped me so much with that. I like the energy that he has every day. He's really honest to get better every single day and he really helps us with each mistake."
Did you feel like you needed to redshirt last year?
"For sure. It's totally different from high school. It's definitely a mindset out there, but if you don't have the strength and the weight to play in the trenches like that, it's a completely different game."
DOMINIQUE BRIGGS
What has clicked for the offensive line the last couple of weeks?
"I just feel like we honestly got in our groove. These last couple of weeks we've been putting in a lot of work. Like Darius said earlier in the week, we've been meeting together as a unit and not just one specific O-line position but the whole entire offense and I really feel like it's helped us keep each other accountable. That's been big for us, just really bringing the continuity together on the team."
How is it helping specifically?
"Honestly the running backs are just seeing exactly where the holes are. Not to say they weren't before, but with us being together they actually see which way we are positioned and which way the creases will go. I feel like that's big honestly. That's really been the big improvement."
Joey Claybrook has played well the last two weeks after basically not playing at all before then. How impressed have you been?
"Joey's a baby. We weren't expecting Joey to do all that, but I know he's worked hard. During the offseason me and Joey put in the extra work together after practice. He's really taken the initiiative to step up in that role. He's practicing his technique and really playing hard every day."
How much has he improved since last year?
"From last year it's night and day basically. Joey's bigger, stronger, faster, more technically sound. He's a way better player than he was last year."
How about Justin McMillan?
"Justin's a great quarterback. He's a great guy. We love him as an offensive line. I feel like he's making all the right reads and doing all the right things for us to be successful, so I feel like he's doing his best job."
Is there anything more fun for an offensive lineman than having a team run for more than 300 yards in back-to-back weeks?
"Man, it's the best thing ever. I can't imagine anything better. Every game as a offensive line you set out to rush for more than 300 yards. That's just the standard, the pinnacle, the highest level of football when you can actually just physically dominate a person and put the ball on the ground and rush for 340 yards."
How much of a difference can you sense in Noah Fisher now that he's healthy?
"Noah's been in the training room a lot. He's been hurt all this year, but he's actually getting better and he's getting healthy and you can see it on the field. Having a consistent tackle who's able to do things, just as a whole unit us having the depth that we have and the players that we have, I feel like this is one of the reasons why we're at the level we're at today."
Tulane's offensive line has put together its best back-to-back games in years. The credit for that uptick can go in a lot of directions--quarterback Justin McMillan for making the right reads, a new policy of having the offensive line, running backs and tight ends meet together to improve accountability rather than meet separately and the improved play at tackle with a healthy Noah Fisher and surprisingly effective redshirt freshman Joey Claybrook. While McMillan is a definite factor, I discount the meeting-as-a-group stuff even though a few players swear by it. To me, the biggest difference is Fisher and Claybrook.
'
I talked to both of them this week along with Dominique Briggs and OL/running game coach Alex Atkins.
FISHER
You're healthy now and have played very well the last two weeks. How much better do you feel than earlier in the season?
"I feel much better than I did at the beginning of the year. Taking the week off (he did not play against Cincinnati), I really needed it, and now I can contribute to the team."
What happened to your ankle in the preseason?
"I've always had ankle problems, and it just kept getting worse and worse, so I needed to just stop and get healthy so I can play my role on the team."
How tough was it to lose your starting job after the first four games?
"It wasn't tough at all. I'm a team guy. I love helping my teammates any way I can. I have a lot of experience, so it was just a different role at that time. Now it's my turn to go out there and play. It wasn't really tough. It was actually good seeing the younger guy (Tyler Johnson) go out there and really play well."
The last two games you guys have rushed for more than 300 yards. How much are you rolling with the run game right now?
"I feel like our run game is going really well. These last couple of weeks we've come out and really as a group up front have been focusing on it, and it's been paying off."
What can you say about Corey Dauphine?
"Man, it's great blocking for him. We know that if we give him any kind of daylight and a crease, that he's going to make something of it even if there's somebody in the way. We've all seen him run through people. He's a great player and it's great blocking for him."
Darius Bradwell is having a huge year, too.
"He's the same way. Having multiple running backs that can do that keeps the running game strong. We're not losing any production when we rotate. Its great."
On the second touchdown run Corey Dauphine had against USF, you got to the linebacker to make a big block. Can you talk about that?
"Oh yeah, I was just on the back side of the zone and we did a great job pressing the run. I got to the linebacker and just pinned him. Everybody on that play made great blocks, and mine just happened to be the one that was next to the ball."
How confident is this team right now?
"We are extremely confident, but we know that each week we have to continue to put in the work. Like I said, we went 2-5, so we know nothing is guaranteed. We just have to keep building and we know we can reach our goal."
You came here for one season as a grad transfer. How comfortable do you feel now?
"I feel really comfortable now. Compared to the beginning of the season, I'm starting another system and have gotten more comfortable than I was. It was just a little different, the way we run our plays than what I'd been used to, so it took me a while to watch film and train my eyes to see how we wanted to play. About week 3 in the season was when I really started to get a feel for it because practice is a lot different than the game. The games are a lot faster."
JOEY CLAYBROOK
You came in for the third series of the Tulsa game at right tackle and it coincided with the running game really picking up. How would you assess the way you've played the last two games?
"I've played all right. There's definitely things I need to work on every single day. Our tackles really pride ourselves on making each other better and trying to help each other the best we can while we're in there. Keyshawn (McLeod, whom he displaced) helps me so much coming over and telling me what we need to fix, and I help him. It helps us a lot."
What is your best strength?
"I'd say my best strength is my pulls. I really take pride in pulling as best I can."
How much a part of this offense is the linemen getting out and pulling?
"It's a big part. With the guards and tackles, coach makes a big emphasis if we can get around, we can always have a play. We really make sure we get around and just give the backs something to work with."
You had not played much up until the Tulsa game. Did you feel like you were close or was it a surprise when they inserted you?
"It was somewhat of a surprise, but coach really makes an emphasis on all of us being ready, and I've made sure I was ready each and every week, and it really helped me out once I got in there."
How much fun is it when the team rushes for more than 300 yards as an offensive lineman?
"It's so much fun. I love it. I hope we do it every game."
Darius Bradwell mentioned the running backs, tights and linemen are meeting more together rather than just in position groups. What impact has that had?
"That's really helped us a lot I feel like because it brings everybody together to hold each other accountable with each and every position group and helps us really know what each one of us are doing. It really helps us in the run game with knowing what the tight end's job is and where the back's running and how they're reading us and where we need to take our blocks and all that. It makes our job a lot easier. Those backs are really doing a good job reading our blocks."
You need two more wins to get to a bowl game and are still in the running for the AAC West title. How do you make sure to come out with same intensity on Saturday as you did the past two weeks?
"We really need to just focus in on us and really make sure we can critique ourselves as best as possible and stay focused and not get complacent. We are really taking pride in fixing every mistake that we've made and getting better each and every day."
What do you like about coach Atkins?
"He's really helped me with my technique. Coming out of high school I didn't have much technique at all and he's helped me so much with that. I like the energy that he has every day. He's really honest to get better every single day and he really helps us with each mistake."
Did you feel like you needed to redshirt last year?
"For sure. It's totally different from high school. It's definitely a mindset out there, but if you don't have the strength and the weight to play in the trenches like that, it's a completely different game."
DOMINIQUE BRIGGS
What has clicked for the offensive line the last couple of weeks?
"I just feel like we honestly got in our groove. These last couple of weeks we've been putting in a lot of work. Like Darius said earlier in the week, we've been meeting together as a unit and not just one specific O-line position but the whole entire offense and I really feel like it's helped us keep each other accountable. That's been big for us, just really bringing the continuity together on the team."
How is it helping specifically?
"Honestly the running backs are just seeing exactly where the holes are. Not to say they weren't before, but with us being together they actually see which way we are positioned and which way the creases will go. I feel like that's big honestly. That's really been the big improvement."
Joey Claybrook has played well the last two weeks after basically not playing at all before then. How impressed have you been?
"Joey's a baby. We weren't expecting Joey to do all that, but I know he's worked hard. During the offseason me and Joey put in the extra work together after practice. He's really taken the initiiative to step up in that role. He's practicing his technique and really playing hard every day."
How much has he improved since last year?
"From last year it's night and day basically. Joey's bigger, stronger, faster, more technically sound. He's a way better player than he was last year."
How about Justin McMillan?
"Justin's a great quarterback. He's a great guy. We love him as an offensive line. I feel like he's making all the right reads and doing all the right things for us to be successful, so I feel like he's doing his best job."
Is there anything more fun for an offensive lineman than having a team run for more than 300 yards in back-to-back weeks?
"Man, it's the best thing ever. I can't imagine anything better. Every game as a offensive line you set out to rush for more than 300 yards. That's just the standard, the pinnacle, the highest level of football when you can actually just physically dominate a person and put the ball on the ground and rush for 340 yards."
How much of a difference can you sense in Noah Fisher now that he's healthy?
"Noah's been in the training room a lot. He's been hurt all this year, but he's actually getting better and he's getting healthy and you can see it on the field. Having a consistent tackle who's able to do things, just as a whole unit us having the depth that we have and the players that we have, I feel like this is one of the reasons why we're at the level we're at today."
