WILLIE FRITZ
"We had a couple of big runs. Otherwise I thought our run game was kind of average. There were about five or six times where we had a chance for a big play or a conversion and we got a penalty or we just missed a block, dropped the ball and we couldn't keep the sticks moving and we had to punt and get the defense back out there again.
"It was a sensational job by Jonathan Banks on the last series. He made a lot of plays on his own with his legs and with his arm. He gives you a dynamic that when you have that at quarterback, you've got a chance. We have to do a good job this off week of figuring out exactly how to use the guy. He's a unique player, and sometimes he doesn't always draw it between the lines, but that's OK. You've got to figure out how to use the guy.
"But we're excited about the win. I think our program needed a win like this. I don't think Tulane's had a win like this in a couple of decades, for a while. It's a big one. It's a big one."
Army controlled the time of possession. How tough was that to overcome?
"Yeah, you've got to move the sticks against these guys, give our defense a chance to recover and rest on the sideline. I was just hoping we could get up 21-10. If we get up 21-10, they are totally out of their game plan and they have to start changing what they are doing. We couldn't get that. We had the pass interference on Terren Encalade, got good field position on that and then we kind of petered out on that drive."
It was fourth-and-8 deep in your own territory on the game-winning drive and you didn't hesitate to go for it.
"We had to go for it. If we don't get it, then you have to hope you hold them to a field goal and you still have to score a touchdown anyway, so we knew before the series began that we were in four-down territory."
Was there any thought of trying a game-tying field goal before the last fourth-down conversion?
"No, we had fourth-and-short. It looked like it was only about a foot or two to me and shoot, let's go for it. If we can't make a foot, we don't deserve to win. To be honest with you, I didn't feel like playing an overtime."
Last year you lost close games and this year Navy. Does that build into the decision of going for the win in that situation?
"I hope so. One of the things I talked to our guys about in the locker room just a moment ago is I felt a lot of energy on the sideline on the last drive. We got across the 50-yard line, and we need to have that all the time. That's part of changing the culture and being tough and having grit and fighting through adversity. We're learning how to do that as a staff and as a team."
Did you think Banks would be able to come back in after he took that nasty pop on the final drive?
"I wasn't sure whether he'd be able to come back in or not. He's a tough kid, so one of the reasons I took him was he was playing junior college and one time he dove on about a fourth-and-6 one time and got seven. It was really a tough-guy play, and I know he's got that in him. We just have to get him understanding touchdowns, first downs, slide. He did a good job of that a couple of times when we had to get the first, and he sprinted to a crease and got the first."
When he was out for a play, you went to Khalil McClain. Was Johnathan Brantley not healthy?
"Well, we knew we were going to do a run play (actually it looked like a pass that McClain scrambled on). We thought we'd get Khalil in and give him an opportunity."
How about the defense coming up with big stops when Army reached the red zone or close to it?
"That was a huge play by Donnie Lewis with the interception. Any time they throw the ball, you've got to take advantage of it. Now it gets them behind the sticks. By and large our defense did a pretty nice job. They had 69 rushes and 371 yards rushing, but I'm going to guess that a pretty good chunk of those were in the fourth quarter."
What were you telling Banks on the sideline when you had limited possessions?
"You've got to play the next play, you've got to play every play to the best of your ability. He understood that, but we weren't out there long enough to get a whole lot going."
When you talk about changing the culture, how big was this win against a team you were expected to beat and for your chances of getting to a bowl game?
"I think it's big. That's an eight-win team last year that won a bowl game. That's where we want to be this season. Coach Monken has done a fabulous job there. I've known Jeff a long time. He does an excellent job and I knew it was going to be a fight to the end. We're fortunate to win, but we'll take it. We've had a few that we haven't been able to get done, so we'll take this one."
Defensively, were they loading the box on you?
"Yeah, they did a good job of slanting and twists. They didn't early and we creased them the first play of the game for 75 yards on a little counter play. Then they started twisting and looping and it makes it harder to run the inside zone. You've got to be able to move the sticks. We were interjecting some pass plays and not converting on those. Now we're behind the sticks and it's third-and-9 and they know what we're going to do."
For most of the game it looked like Banks was hesitant to run.
"He's been out a couple of weeks, and he'll get better at it. He ran when we needed him to run."
Ade Aruna didn't play until the last three plays. Was he hurt?
"He sprained his ankle against Oklahoma and didn't really practice all week. We got him in there at the end because we needed an edge pass rusher in that particular situation."
Was this a game you might not have won a year ago?
"I don't know. We didn't have Banks last year. We've just had a tough time. We've been competing and been close with some good teams. We just hadn't gotten it done. Getting one, now the guys start getting confidence. Every program I've been in, we've had a couple of games like this where you kind of look back on and see it. I hope this is one of them. It definitely is pointing us in the right direction. It's a whole lot better to go into this off week at 2-2 than it is 1-3."
"We had a couple of big runs. Otherwise I thought our run game was kind of average. There were about five or six times where we had a chance for a big play or a conversion and we got a penalty or we just missed a block, dropped the ball and we couldn't keep the sticks moving and we had to punt and get the defense back out there again.
"It was a sensational job by Jonathan Banks on the last series. He made a lot of plays on his own with his legs and with his arm. He gives you a dynamic that when you have that at quarterback, you've got a chance. We have to do a good job this off week of figuring out exactly how to use the guy. He's a unique player, and sometimes he doesn't always draw it between the lines, but that's OK. You've got to figure out how to use the guy.
"But we're excited about the win. I think our program needed a win like this. I don't think Tulane's had a win like this in a couple of decades, for a while. It's a big one. It's a big one."
Army controlled the time of possession. How tough was that to overcome?
"Yeah, you've got to move the sticks against these guys, give our defense a chance to recover and rest on the sideline. I was just hoping we could get up 21-10. If we get up 21-10, they are totally out of their game plan and they have to start changing what they are doing. We couldn't get that. We had the pass interference on Terren Encalade, got good field position on that and then we kind of petered out on that drive."
It was fourth-and-8 deep in your own territory on the game-winning drive and you didn't hesitate to go for it.
"We had to go for it. If we don't get it, then you have to hope you hold them to a field goal and you still have to score a touchdown anyway, so we knew before the series began that we were in four-down territory."
Was there any thought of trying a game-tying field goal before the last fourth-down conversion?
"No, we had fourth-and-short. It looked like it was only about a foot or two to me and shoot, let's go for it. If we can't make a foot, we don't deserve to win. To be honest with you, I didn't feel like playing an overtime."
Last year you lost close games and this year Navy. Does that build into the decision of going for the win in that situation?
"I hope so. One of the things I talked to our guys about in the locker room just a moment ago is I felt a lot of energy on the sideline on the last drive. We got across the 50-yard line, and we need to have that all the time. That's part of changing the culture and being tough and having grit and fighting through adversity. We're learning how to do that as a staff and as a team."
Did you think Banks would be able to come back in after he took that nasty pop on the final drive?
"I wasn't sure whether he'd be able to come back in or not. He's a tough kid, so one of the reasons I took him was he was playing junior college and one time he dove on about a fourth-and-6 one time and got seven. It was really a tough-guy play, and I know he's got that in him. We just have to get him understanding touchdowns, first downs, slide. He did a good job of that a couple of times when we had to get the first, and he sprinted to a crease and got the first."
When he was out for a play, you went to Khalil McClain. Was Johnathan Brantley not healthy?
"Well, we knew we were going to do a run play (actually it looked like a pass that McClain scrambled on). We thought we'd get Khalil in and give him an opportunity."
How about the defense coming up with big stops when Army reached the red zone or close to it?
"That was a huge play by Donnie Lewis with the interception. Any time they throw the ball, you've got to take advantage of it. Now it gets them behind the sticks. By and large our defense did a pretty nice job. They had 69 rushes and 371 yards rushing, but I'm going to guess that a pretty good chunk of those were in the fourth quarter."
What were you telling Banks on the sideline when you had limited possessions?
"You've got to play the next play, you've got to play every play to the best of your ability. He understood that, but we weren't out there long enough to get a whole lot going."
When you talk about changing the culture, how big was this win against a team you were expected to beat and for your chances of getting to a bowl game?
"I think it's big. That's an eight-win team last year that won a bowl game. That's where we want to be this season. Coach Monken has done a fabulous job there. I've known Jeff a long time. He does an excellent job and I knew it was going to be a fight to the end. We're fortunate to win, but we'll take it. We've had a few that we haven't been able to get done, so we'll take this one."
Defensively, were they loading the box on you?
"Yeah, they did a good job of slanting and twists. They didn't early and we creased them the first play of the game for 75 yards on a little counter play. Then they started twisting and looping and it makes it harder to run the inside zone. You've got to be able to move the sticks. We were interjecting some pass plays and not converting on those. Now we're behind the sticks and it's third-and-9 and they know what we're going to do."
For most of the game it looked like Banks was hesitant to run.
"He's been out a couple of weeks, and he'll get better at it. He ran when we needed him to run."
Ade Aruna didn't play until the last three plays. Was he hurt?
"He sprained his ankle against Oklahoma and didn't really practice all week. We got him in there at the end because we needed an edge pass rusher in that particular situation."
Was this a game you might not have won a year ago?
"I don't know. We didn't have Banks last year. We've just had a tough time. We've been competing and been close with some good teams. We just hadn't gotten it done. Getting one, now the guys start getting confidence. Every program I've been in, we've had a couple of games like this where you kind of look back on and see it. I hope this is one of them. It definitely is pointing us in the right direction. It's a whole lot better to go into this off week at 2-2 than it is 1-3."
