Here are some observations after a spring game that featured more points than usual, partly because of offensive mistakes that were turned into two defensive touchdowns and a short field. I'm glad winwave saw the one-one-one combat drills at the the end of the first quarter because from my position in the press box, I could not see a dang thing. The players surrounding them blocked my view.
1) Tulane's defense really does have excellent depth
We know about the defensive line, where Carlos Hatcher figures to be a pass-rushing terror despite not starting and the entire second unit appears to be starter caliber, but Tulane also has three good nickelbacks and four cornerbacks. Tirise Barge and Will Harper were playmakers at nickel on Saturday. After playing extensively for the first time a year ago, they are set to excel next fall. And the third guy, Larry Bryant, is pretty good, too. Chris Joyce, the fourth cornerback entering the spring, was outstanding in coverage. The corners are largely unproven, but I like Thakarius Keyes, and Willie Langham had a good spring, too. Throw in Jaylon Monroe, who played a lot last year, and they should be able to find a good starting unit at a position that normally does not substitute much.
2) Cam Carroll had a rough day
Maybe he was too tense after being told he would be showcased. but he looked sluggish and never had a chance to show his speed. It's one thing to run hard in a no-contact drill, when Carroll looked the part of a big-time runner in the spring. It's another thing entirely to do it live, and Carroll did not show much while gaining 14 yards on eight carries with no significant gains. His best play might have been his first, when he broke two tackles but still lost a yard. He did not make anyone miss after that, and when he caught a pass in the open field, linebacker Quentin Brown nailed him for a short gain one-on-one. It's hard to envision Carroll working his way into the running back picture with Darius Bradwell, Corey Dauphine, Amare Jones and Stephon Huderson in front of him. Huderson, whom fans ripped all year long for his lack of production compared to the other guys, showed a lot more on his touchdown reception and a 14-yard run up the middle than Carroll did on any of his touches.
3) The running backs will be huge factors as receivers
That was the focus of my game story for The Advocate, but I got little help from anyone I asked about it afterward. It was comical the way they avoided saying what I hoped they would say, all for different reasons. It was not about hiding anything from opponents, but Fritz, when asked the question about the running backs as receivers by someone else, talked about Will Hall using the field vertically and horizontally, a quote I'd already used in my advance. Hall used the coaching cliche 101 about championship teams being able to run the ball--true but not what I was asking--and then the same horizontal/vertical quote as Fritz before saying he wanted to get all five skill positions involved. Keon Howard, strangely, talked about Cam Carroll. Justin McMillan talked too much about Ygenio Booker. They were all unusable, so I culled together something from what McMillan said, cutting out the part about Booker, who is good but still has work to do to get on the field in that crowded backfield. Sorry for the digression into inside journalism stuff, but it amused me. I believe the biggest difference in Hall's offense from Ruse's offense as it relates to the field next fall will be the use of the running backs as regular receivers. Those are high-percentage passes to guys--Amare Jones in particular--who can make big plays out of nothing plays.
4) Field goals are a concern
I'm not going to make too much out of four kicks before a scrimmage, but Merek Glover is an adventure on anything around 40 yards on longer. His career long after two years is 40 yards, and the lack of belief in long kicks affects the play-calling when Tulane is around the 30-yard line. He had the distance on a 50-yarder on his first try before the scrimmage but sent it wide right, and he hooked a 40-yarder badly. Sterling Stockwell actually kicked much higher than Glover, hitting a 39-yarder and banging a 49-yarder into the right upright, but obviously the coaches trust Glover more after watching them in practice the past two years. I did not see a single field goal try in the 12 practices I attended before the spring game, but if Glover does not improve, it could make the difference between winning the AAC West and coming up short.
5) McMillan is the key to the season
Will Hall talked about McMillan's talent after the spring game but said he needed to realize how his actions affected everyone else, in my mind the most interesting quote of the day. If McMillan builds on his performance in the second half of 2018, when he was inconsistent but made big plays when it mattered, Tulane will contend for the AAC title and win at least eight games despite what appears to be a harder schedule, though it's always shaky to make statements about schedule strength the way teams' performances vary from year to year. If McMillan thinks he already has all the answers, the Wave will be up and down, which is not good enough. He has the arm talent and the poise to be an outstanding quarterback, as his strike to Darnell Mooney proved Saturday, but he is not there yet. He threw awful interceptions agains Navy and UL-Lafayette that changed the tenor of both games, turning a blowout into a nail-biter the first time and a blowout into a closer game (for a little while) the second time. If he cuts out those plays and focuses on every down, the Wave will be fine, but it's not a given.
6) The defensive line is the truth
It's not just that these guys are very talented. They also have the right attitude and work ethic. Tulane will win games on defensive line dominance alone next year, which gives the Wave more margin for error in other departments. That's a big deal.
1) Tulane's defense really does have excellent depth
We know about the defensive line, where Carlos Hatcher figures to be a pass-rushing terror despite not starting and the entire second unit appears to be starter caliber, but Tulane also has three good nickelbacks and four cornerbacks. Tirise Barge and Will Harper were playmakers at nickel on Saturday. After playing extensively for the first time a year ago, they are set to excel next fall. And the third guy, Larry Bryant, is pretty good, too. Chris Joyce, the fourth cornerback entering the spring, was outstanding in coverage. The corners are largely unproven, but I like Thakarius Keyes, and Willie Langham had a good spring, too. Throw in Jaylon Monroe, who played a lot last year, and they should be able to find a good starting unit at a position that normally does not substitute much.
2) Cam Carroll had a rough day
Maybe he was too tense after being told he would be showcased. but he looked sluggish and never had a chance to show his speed. It's one thing to run hard in a no-contact drill, when Carroll looked the part of a big-time runner in the spring. It's another thing entirely to do it live, and Carroll did not show much while gaining 14 yards on eight carries with no significant gains. His best play might have been his first, when he broke two tackles but still lost a yard. He did not make anyone miss after that, and when he caught a pass in the open field, linebacker Quentin Brown nailed him for a short gain one-on-one. It's hard to envision Carroll working his way into the running back picture with Darius Bradwell, Corey Dauphine, Amare Jones and Stephon Huderson in front of him. Huderson, whom fans ripped all year long for his lack of production compared to the other guys, showed a lot more on his touchdown reception and a 14-yard run up the middle than Carroll did on any of his touches.
3) The running backs will be huge factors as receivers
That was the focus of my game story for The Advocate, but I got little help from anyone I asked about it afterward. It was comical the way they avoided saying what I hoped they would say, all for different reasons. It was not about hiding anything from opponents, but Fritz, when asked the question about the running backs as receivers by someone else, talked about Will Hall using the field vertically and horizontally, a quote I'd already used in my advance. Hall used the coaching cliche 101 about championship teams being able to run the ball--true but not what I was asking--and then the same horizontal/vertical quote as Fritz before saying he wanted to get all five skill positions involved. Keon Howard, strangely, talked about Cam Carroll. Justin McMillan talked too much about Ygenio Booker. They were all unusable, so I culled together something from what McMillan said, cutting out the part about Booker, who is good but still has work to do to get on the field in that crowded backfield. Sorry for the digression into inside journalism stuff, but it amused me. I believe the biggest difference in Hall's offense from Ruse's offense as it relates to the field next fall will be the use of the running backs as regular receivers. Those are high-percentage passes to guys--Amare Jones in particular--who can make big plays out of nothing plays.
4) Field goals are a concern
I'm not going to make too much out of four kicks before a scrimmage, but Merek Glover is an adventure on anything around 40 yards on longer. His career long after two years is 40 yards, and the lack of belief in long kicks affects the play-calling when Tulane is around the 30-yard line. He had the distance on a 50-yarder on his first try before the scrimmage but sent it wide right, and he hooked a 40-yarder badly. Sterling Stockwell actually kicked much higher than Glover, hitting a 39-yarder and banging a 49-yarder into the right upright, but obviously the coaches trust Glover more after watching them in practice the past two years. I did not see a single field goal try in the 12 practices I attended before the spring game, but if Glover does not improve, it could make the difference between winning the AAC West and coming up short.
5) McMillan is the key to the season
Will Hall talked about McMillan's talent after the spring game but said he needed to realize how his actions affected everyone else, in my mind the most interesting quote of the day. If McMillan builds on his performance in the second half of 2018, when he was inconsistent but made big plays when it mattered, Tulane will contend for the AAC title and win at least eight games despite what appears to be a harder schedule, though it's always shaky to make statements about schedule strength the way teams' performances vary from year to year. If McMillan thinks he already has all the answers, the Wave will be up and down, which is not good enough. He has the arm talent and the poise to be an outstanding quarterback, as his strike to Darnell Mooney proved Saturday, but he is not there yet. He threw awful interceptions agains Navy and UL-Lafayette that changed the tenor of both games, turning a blowout into a nail-biter the first time and a blowout into a closer game (for a little while) the second time. If he cuts out those plays and focuses on every down, the Wave will be fine, but it's not a given.
6) The defensive line is the truth
It's not just that these guys are very talented. They also have the right attitude and work ethic. Tulane will win games on defensive line dominance alone next year, which gives the Wave more margin for error in other departments. That's a big deal.