South Florida probably is not very good. The Bulls probably are not going to win another game in the regular season with trips to Cincinnati and Temple and a home game against UCF remaining.
But Tulane's defense is salty and legit and I've felt like that for a while.
Darius Bradwell and Corey Dauphine are a heck of a 1-2 punch at running back.
Those two things seem clear, and Tulane is definitely capable of running the table in the regular season without any improvement elsewhere. Nothing is certain of course, but this team has found its winning formula, and the potential is even higher if Justin McMillan throws more accurately than he has in his last two starts.
First, the defense.
In past years. the loss of a guy as talented as Cam Sample on the opening series would have been devastating. Today, Tulane shook it off like nothing had happened because this team is deep up front.
Patrick Johnson is a first-team All-AAC caliber performer. Robert Kennedy is a playmaker, and I think he will be fine after getting hurt in the second half. Jeffery Johnson is going to be a superstar and is good right now. DeAndre Williams is solid. Carlos Hatcher is playing well. Davon Wright is serviceable. I can't remember a Tulane defensive front with this type of depth.
The three-man linebacker crew (only two are on the field at a time) of Zach Harris, Marvin Moody and Lawrence Graham is good. I have not watched the game again yet, but Moody appeared to have his best game. Harris had a quick reaction on the deflected interception that all too often would have gone off the hands of past linebackers.
Cornerback Jaylon Monroe was outstanding for the second consecutive game. Donnie Lewis is playing at an All-AAC level. Rod Teamer is smart and a good hitter
The nickelbacks are making plays, too, with both Will Harper and Tirise Barge contributing today. Barge got his helmet right on the ball for that wild cause fumble that P.J. Hall returned.
The defense is not perfect by any means, but it is getting better and better, as coaches love to say, and is good enough to contain Houston QB D'Eriq King and give Tulane a chance to win in Houston Thursday after next.
Second, the running backs.
I don't know why Corey Dauphine played sparingly for a few weeks, but it won't happen again. His long run in the first half was outstanding because another back might have been stopped for a loss, but he read it perfectly, saw the hole and sprinted through it. He's special, and I know I'm not writing anything you don't already know about him.
Darius Bradwell is a horse. Tulane put out the stat that he had more runs of 20 or more yards than all but two other players this year before the game, and he added to his total today. HIs long touchdown was easy, but he keeps pounding at opponents and wearing them down.
With those two ingredients--the defense and the running backs--Tulane should get to a bowl game, but I believe it can win the West with good play at two other positions.
One is the offensive line, which has improved dramatically with a healthy Noah Fisher and Joey Claybrook at tackle. Given the history of the last seven years, I cannot confidently predict the line will play well the rest of the way, but I believe it is possible with the five guys out there right now.
Two is McMillan, who already has improved the offense with his decision-making and lack of mistakes. He coughed it up once today, but it was not a result of holding the ball loosely or simply being careless. The next step for him is to stop being jittery on his throws. Some of his passes in the first half were downright awful. He has excellent pocket sense and almost always avoids the first pass rusher, but he needs to put the ball on the money more often, like he did on his deep ball to Darnell Mooney.
If McMillan develops a good rapport with Mooney and Terren Encalade and delivers the ball to them, I really believe my prediction of seven wins before the season can come true.
ECU is not an automatic win on Saturday because it has a good pass rush, is OK against the run and can hurt team in the air, matching up better with Tulane than Tulsa did. But the Pirates do not know how to win, unlike SMU., so Tulane should get the job done there.
Navy is an automatic win. The Midshipmen have fallen apart offensively and will not be able to run on Tulane.
A 7-5 season probably will come down to beating Houston. Two weeks, who would have thought that possible? How could anyone have thought that possible?
But Tulane's defense is salty and legit and I've felt like that for a while.
Darius Bradwell and Corey Dauphine are a heck of a 1-2 punch at running back.
Those two things seem clear, and Tulane is definitely capable of running the table in the regular season without any improvement elsewhere. Nothing is certain of course, but this team has found its winning formula, and the potential is even higher if Justin McMillan throws more accurately than he has in his last two starts.
First, the defense.
In past years. the loss of a guy as talented as Cam Sample on the opening series would have been devastating. Today, Tulane shook it off like nothing had happened because this team is deep up front.
Patrick Johnson is a first-team All-AAC caliber performer. Robert Kennedy is a playmaker, and I think he will be fine after getting hurt in the second half. Jeffery Johnson is going to be a superstar and is good right now. DeAndre Williams is solid. Carlos Hatcher is playing well. Davon Wright is serviceable. I can't remember a Tulane defensive front with this type of depth.
The three-man linebacker crew (only two are on the field at a time) of Zach Harris, Marvin Moody and Lawrence Graham is good. I have not watched the game again yet, but Moody appeared to have his best game. Harris had a quick reaction on the deflected interception that all too often would have gone off the hands of past linebackers.
Cornerback Jaylon Monroe was outstanding for the second consecutive game. Donnie Lewis is playing at an All-AAC level. Rod Teamer is smart and a good hitter
The nickelbacks are making plays, too, with both Will Harper and Tirise Barge contributing today. Barge got his helmet right on the ball for that wild cause fumble that P.J. Hall returned.
The defense is not perfect by any means, but it is getting better and better, as coaches love to say, and is good enough to contain Houston QB D'Eriq King and give Tulane a chance to win in Houston Thursday after next.
Second, the running backs.
I don't know why Corey Dauphine played sparingly for a few weeks, but it won't happen again. His long run in the first half was outstanding because another back might have been stopped for a loss, but he read it perfectly, saw the hole and sprinted through it. He's special, and I know I'm not writing anything you don't already know about him.
Darius Bradwell is a horse. Tulane put out the stat that he had more runs of 20 or more yards than all but two other players this year before the game, and he added to his total today. HIs long touchdown was easy, but he keeps pounding at opponents and wearing them down.
With those two ingredients--the defense and the running backs--Tulane should get to a bowl game, but I believe it can win the West with good play at two other positions.
One is the offensive line, which has improved dramatically with a healthy Noah Fisher and Joey Claybrook at tackle. Given the history of the last seven years, I cannot confidently predict the line will play well the rest of the way, but I believe it is possible with the five guys out there right now.
Two is McMillan, who already has improved the offense with his decision-making and lack of mistakes. He coughed it up once today, but it was not a result of holding the ball loosely or simply being careless. The next step for him is to stop being jittery on his throws. Some of his passes in the first half were downright awful. He has excellent pocket sense and almost always avoids the first pass rusher, but he needs to put the ball on the money more often, like he did on his deep ball to Darnell Mooney.
If McMillan develops a good rapport with Mooney and Terren Encalade and delivers the ball to them, I really believe my prediction of seven wins before the season can come true.
ECU is not an automatic win on Saturday because it has a good pass rush, is OK against the run and can hurt team in the air, matching up better with Tulane than Tulsa did. But the Pirates do not know how to win, unlike SMU., so Tulane should get the job done there.
Navy is an automatic win. The Midshipmen have fallen apart offensively and will not be able to run on Tulane.
A 7-5 season probably will come down to beating Houston. Two weeks, who would have thought that possible? How could anyone have thought that possible?
