Willie Fritz confirmed after practice today that redshirt freshman Coby Neenan would remain Tulane's placekicker for the pivotal game at Navy Saturday.
The Green Wave, which lost to the Midshipmen 21-14 last year in part because of a crucial missed field goal by the since-departed Andrew DiRocco, had more kicking woes when Neenan missed back-to-back extra points in the second half against Grambling.
"It just was not attention to detail," Fritz said. "It was his mechanics. HIs plant foot was a little too close and he was hanging back there a little bit too long, so we made some minor modifications. He's very talented. We've just got to get him to execute and do it in the games."
With little margin for error, Neenan has to get that issue fixed Saturday. Navy is beatable as Tulane seeks only its second 2-0 start since the perfect season of 1998 (2002 was the other) and third since the Larry Smith era began in 1976. Chew on that for a second and you can see why it is so important for the Wave to win and start changing the losing culture that has pervaded the program for a very long time.
The coaches were on the players hard in this morning's workout at Yulman Stadium, which was supposed to be moved to the Saints indoor facility due to bad weather reports on Tuesday night but was moved back to campus when the rain chance went from 60 percent to zero percent. The yelling and criticizing was an indication the coaches don't want the players to get complacent after the Grambling win, which sounds ridiculous but was an absolute fact in the past every time Tulane won a game. It's a matter of when, not if, Fritz and his staff change that attitude, but it would be nice to see it happen Saturday.
Luke Jackson is coming of a heck of a first career start. In Tulane's 50th game since he arrived, he made the most of his start at weakside linebacker with four tackles and a 13-yard sack that took Grambling out of scoring position near the end of the first half. He made an immediate impact, running in untouched to harass QB DeVante Kincade into a desperate dump-off for no gain on the first play.
"He's real smart and he gives us a little size," Fritz said. "He's a calming influence. He doesn't ever get too high and he doesn't get too low. He doesn't say much, but the wheels are turning in his head all the time."
Jackson arrived at Tulane as a defensive end, shifted to linebacker after he lost 30 pounds and got down to 200 after chemotherapy treatment for testicular cancer at the end of 2013, moved back to defensive end the following year and did not make an impact until the second half of 2016, when Fritz' staff began using him at linebacker again. He had 17 of his 20 tackles a year ago in the last six games, and he moved up to starting weakside 'backer this preseason when Zach Harris missed nearly three weeks due to a knee problem. Harris returned last week, but Jackson started against Grambling and acquitted himself well.
"He's made the adjustment great," Fritz said. "In the last fall we had a couple of games with some guys banged up, so we stuck him in there in practice and he did a good job. He did a real good job during the spring. He can play a lot of spots. He can put his hand on the ground. He can play defensive end. He can play an outside 'backer and he can play an inside 'backer."
Basically, Tulane has three inside linebackers it trusts now in Jackson, Harris and starting middle 'backer Rae Juan Marbley.
Asked about the offensive line, Fritz singled out freshman Corey Dublin for a solid performance against Grambling while questioning everyone else up front.
"For a first start as a true freshman, Corey Dublin played well," Fritz said. "The rest of them really had some good stuff they did and maybe some stuff they need to improve on. They weren't as smooth the whole game. it was a complex scheme they were running and it took us a little while to figure it out, and then some guys came in at the end of the game and did a nice job for us."
Fritz confirmed that Dominique Briggs would move back inside to right guard to accommodate the return of Keyhsawn McLeod, but he still is not set on each guy playing only one spot.
"He'll have to play both," Fritz said. "One of the things we're trying to do is create depth by having guys be able to play multiple positions."
Asked what quarterback Jonathan Banks needed to do against Navy, Fritz had a simple answer.
"The same thing he did last week," Fritz said. "He's got to do a great job of managing the game and playing sharp and crisp. A lot of things are flying out there, and we're going to start playing all better opponents, too."
The Green Wave, which lost to the Midshipmen 21-14 last year in part because of a crucial missed field goal by the since-departed Andrew DiRocco, had more kicking woes when Neenan missed back-to-back extra points in the second half against Grambling.
"It just was not attention to detail," Fritz said. "It was his mechanics. HIs plant foot was a little too close and he was hanging back there a little bit too long, so we made some minor modifications. He's very talented. We've just got to get him to execute and do it in the games."
With little margin for error, Neenan has to get that issue fixed Saturday. Navy is beatable as Tulane seeks only its second 2-0 start since the perfect season of 1998 (2002 was the other) and third since the Larry Smith era began in 1976. Chew on that for a second and you can see why it is so important for the Wave to win and start changing the losing culture that has pervaded the program for a very long time.
The coaches were on the players hard in this morning's workout at Yulman Stadium, which was supposed to be moved to the Saints indoor facility due to bad weather reports on Tuesday night but was moved back to campus when the rain chance went from 60 percent to zero percent. The yelling and criticizing was an indication the coaches don't want the players to get complacent after the Grambling win, which sounds ridiculous but was an absolute fact in the past every time Tulane won a game. It's a matter of when, not if, Fritz and his staff change that attitude, but it would be nice to see it happen Saturday.
Luke Jackson is coming of a heck of a first career start. In Tulane's 50th game since he arrived, he made the most of his start at weakside linebacker with four tackles and a 13-yard sack that took Grambling out of scoring position near the end of the first half. He made an immediate impact, running in untouched to harass QB DeVante Kincade into a desperate dump-off for no gain on the first play.
"He's real smart and he gives us a little size," Fritz said. "He's a calming influence. He doesn't ever get too high and he doesn't get too low. He doesn't say much, but the wheels are turning in his head all the time."
Jackson arrived at Tulane as a defensive end, shifted to linebacker after he lost 30 pounds and got down to 200 after chemotherapy treatment for testicular cancer at the end of 2013, moved back to defensive end the following year and did not make an impact until the second half of 2016, when Fritz' staff began using him at linebacker again. He had 17 of his 20 tackles a year ago in the last six games, and he moved up to starting weakside 'backer this preseason when Zach Harris missed nearly three weeks due to a knee problem. Harris returned last week, but Jackson started against Grambling and acquitted himself well.
"He's made the adjustment great," Fritz said. "In the last fall we had a couple of games with some guys banged up, so we stuck him in there in practice and he did a good job. He did a real good job during the spring. He can play a lot of spots. He can put his hand on the ground. He can play defensive end. He can play an outside 'backer and he can play an inside 'backer."
Basically, Tulane has three inside linebackers it trusts now in Jackson, Harris and starting middle 'backer Rae Juan Marbley.
Asked about the offensive line, Fritz singled out freshman Corey Dublin for a solid performance against Grambling while questioning everyone else up front.
"For a first start as a true freshman, Corey Dublin played well," Fritz said. "The rest of them really had some good stuff they did and maybe some stuff they need to improve on. They weren't as smooth the whole game. it was a complex scheme they were running and it took us a little while to figure it out, and then some guys came in at the end of the game and did a nice job for us."
Fritz confirmed that Dominique Briggs would move back inside to right guard to accommodate the return of Keyhsawn McLeod, but he still is not set on each guy playing only one spot.
"He'll have to play both," Fritz said. "One of the things we're trying to do is create depth by having guys be able to play multiple positions."
Asked what quarterback Jonathan Banks needed to do against Navy, Fritz had a simple answer.
"The same thing he did last week," Fritz said. "He's got to do a great job of managing the game and playing sharp and crisp. A lot of things are flying out there, and we're going to start playing all better opponents, too."
