Because of the Advocate's incredibly early deadlines for the paper due to Thanksgiving week (Black Friday still rules the newspaper world because of the massive ads), I had to file the story that appeared in today's paper by 2 p.m. yesterday and the story that will appear in tomorrow's paper by 4:30. The upshot is I had no time for a practice update here, so Tuesday's is coming a day late.
Tulane practices from 9:30 to 11:30 yesterday morning, moving the schedule back a bit since there are no classes this week. They worked heavily on fundamentals for the last 30 minutes (the part I saw), with the linebackers and defensive backs tackling donuts and being forced to exhibit proper form. They then had a drill for the defensive backs and Jokers where they had to slap the ball out of a runner's hands.
The only notable new absence was JoJo Dorceus, who transferred from Memphis this year for his final season but is sick. Hopefully he will be ready for the game because if there's any one he won't to miss, it's his last one against his former team. The jokers, by the way, were Darius Hodges, Keith Cooper, Armoni Dixon and Michael Lunz.
The offensive line remains unchanged, with Caleb Thomas having reclaimed his job at right guard after losing it for the Tulsa game. Josh Remeitch was the second-team right guard, and Timothy Shafter, who practiced with the first unit before the Tulsa game and started that day, is no longer in the picture. I'm not sure what that was about when he moved up.
Tyjae Spears, who appeared to be favoring his back in the fourth quarter while standing on the sideline Saturday, practiced at full speed. I did not see Ygenio Booker, who continues to be plagued by the injury bug.
Adnois Friloux has become the starting defensive tackle next to Jeffery Johnson and could be headed for a big year in 2022.
Lance Robinson got a lot of reps as a first-team cornerback instead of Ajani Kerr, which surprised me. I have not been impressed by Robinson this season, but I also missed a lot of this praxtice, so maybe Kerr was being rested.
I missed Casey Glover being awarded a scholarship at the end of practice. I was in the interview room talking to a claims adjustor for my care insurance agency trying to get my busted up car towed to body shop, so I did not hear the whooping and hollering until they put it out on twitter later in the day. It's well deserved for Glover who's had an outstanding year on kickoffs and onside kicks and who was my feature subject a couple weeks ago.
Fritz and Jaetavian Toles spoke after practice. My feature on Toles was the second story I wrote yesterday, is up on the Nola.com website and will appear in tomorrow's paper.
FRITZ
On problems at Memphis:
"A big part of it is they've had really good ball clubs. Every year we've gone up there they've won 10 games (10 in 2017 when they played for the AAC title and 12 in 2019, when they won the AAC) and maybe even more, so it's a good squad overall in offense, defense and kicking game. We are going to have to go up there and play well."
On Memphis offense the type that gives Tulane problems:
"We have to do a better job of covering, collapsing the pocket and staying over the top and not giving them easy ones, making them earn it. That's always most important thing agaisnt a good passing attack."
On Calvin Austin III, who's led the AAC in receiving for two straight years:
"He's really fast in and out of his breaks, accelerating in and out of his breaks. He's got good hands, really good movement. I'm sure he'll be playing on Sundays after next year. He's a good player."
On Memphis's freshman QB:
"Good mobility. He can run when he gets outside the pocket. He can make all the throws. He's going to be a very good quarterback in this league."
On Toles
"He’s a really good special teams player. He’s one of the better fliers, gunners, whatever you want to call them, in the country. He does a great job of getting down the field covering punts. He does a great job covering kicks. He’s returned a little bit for us. He’ll block. He’s just probably one of the better special teams players that we’ve had and in the country this year. Ryan Wright gets a lot of attention, deservedly so, for his punting skills, but without coverage it’s all for naught. Toles does a great job covering."
Why so good at that
"Want-to is a big part of it. You’ve got to take a good release and sprint as fast as you can. He’s blessed with outstanding speed and he’s tough, too. He’ll tackle guys. He’s probably made 10 to 15 big plays over the years just as a flier."
On Dorceus having big game in front of him:
"I think so. Who knows. He's sick right now so he hasn't been here, but this will be a big one for him. I think probably it being his last college game will be even bigger."
On Chris Hampton development as DC after massive defensive struggles for first seven games:
"He kept his confidence, modified things a little bit. The last four games we've played pretty darn good defense. He's come up with good game plans and calls what he has with the game plans. Some guys don't do that. I think he was 98 percent calls last week were what we worked on all week. He's done a very nice job of staying with it."
On learning curve as new DC:
"I think there is. Who knows how much. Luckily my first time I was doing it in junior college at Coffeyville, Kansas. There wasn't a whole lot of attention on me. He's doing a very nice job. He's really smart. The kids believe in him, and he makes it fun and he also keeps them accountable. Sometimes first-time coordinators who are younger guys like him, they want to be everybody's buddy.. He doesn't have to do that. He can go ahead and get after the guys and they respect him."
Even in lowest moments the players praised Hampton:
"That's what you got to have. We pride ourselves on running a disciplined program and it also involves the assistant coaches doing it. I think the kids respect him. They know that he has their best interest at heart and he's going to call it like it is, which is sometimes rare nowadays."
TOLES
Happy
"I’m very happy. I got to see some of my friends again and create more friendships with people new that came in, and even though the record isn’t what we want it to be, our team bond has really been better from other years that I’ve been here. This is the closest that everybody has been. We’re all having fun. We’re all trying to work hard to keep our progress going and keep pushing forward."
Why a good flier
"I wouldn’t give me all the props. I’d give most of it to coach JJ because he’s teaxhing a lot of the concepts, a lot of the releases and telling me what to do. Just like outside release, use the sideline as your advantage. It’s a rule that once you get forced out, they can’t keep blocking you as long as you are trying to get back into play."
Want-to
"It’s all want. A lot of people wouldn’t want to just run down there and think they can make the tackle. When I run, it’s like a race to me and I’m in a track meet."
Downing it a 1
"When I do that, I feel like I’m helping the team out, especially the defense because they help the offense out a lot, so I’m trying my best to get them on the best position on the field as I possibly can.".
Long TD
"They told me to get open and I got open. I trusted Pratt’s arm and Pratt trusted me and threw it to me. I made a play out of it."
Assess WR play
"It’s just hard work taking all the opportunities I got. Even though I got less opportunities, I still could make more. I just took it as a different approach this year."
Huge TD catch since Navy in 2018
"Just the whole moment of it, when the crowd was going like that I could take all that in. I just love that feeling. When I caught it and ran to score, I was in shock. I trusted myself and coach Conway trusted me to put me in on that play."
Best strengths
"Speed, hands and good route running."
Running
"That was fun. I love running the ball. I feel like when I have the ball in my hands, I’m pretty dangerous."
Why offense did not click this year
"Just getting the feel. We didn’t really grab that feeling of taking the wins that we were supposed to take. Sometimes we let the losses get to us as a team, Instead of just playing for each other we were just trying to figure out what was wrong. It should have been forget about it, everybody makes mistakes and let’s play. Last home game everybody was together. Nobody was worried about the mistakes they made. Everybody was picking everybody up."
Memphis struggles
"It’s very important. We want to take our last game for a W, especially after this season we had."
Emotions
"I don’t know. I don’t really see that as my last game. I see it as being here with my teammates. It’s going to be very emotional for me because it’s my last game. I’m gonna give it my all."
Tulane practices from 9:30 to 11:30 yesterday morning, moving the schedule back a bit since there are no classes this week. They worked heavily on fundamentals for the last 30 minutes (the part I saw), with the linebackers and defensive backs tackling donuts and being forced to exhibit proper form. They then had a drill for the defensive backs and Jokers where they had to slap the ball out of a runner's hands.
The only notable new absence was JoJo Dorceus, who transferred from Memphis this year for his final season but is sick. Hopefully he will be ready for the game because if there's any one he won't to miss, it's his last one against his former team. The jokers, by the way, were Darius Hodges, Keith Cooper, Armoni Dixon and Michael Lunz.
The offensive line remains unchanged, with Caleb Thomas having reclaimed his job at right guard after losing it for the Tulsa game. Josh Remeitch was the second-team right guard, and Timothy Shafter, who practiced with the first unit before the Tulsa game and started that day, is no longer in the picture. I'm not sure what that was about when he moved up.
Tyjae Spears, who appeared to be favoring his back in the fourth quarter while standing on the sideline Saturday, practiced at full speed. I did not see Ygenio Booker, who continues to be plagued by the injury bug.
Adnois Friloux has become the starting defensive tackle next to Jeffery Johnson and could be headed for a big year in 2022.
Lance Robinson got a lot of reps as a first-team cornerback instead of Ajani Kerr, which surprised me. I have not been impressed by Robinson this season, but I also missed a lot of this praxtice, so maybe Kerr was being rested.
I missed Casey Glover being awarded a scholarship at the end of practice. I was in the interview room talking to a claims adjustor for my care insurance agency trying to get my busted up car towed to body shop, so I did not hear the whooping and hollering until they put it out on twitter later in the day. It's well deserved for Glover who's had an outstanding year on kickoffs and onside kicks and who was my feature subject a couple weeks ago.
Fritz and Jaetavian Toles spoke after practice. My feature on Toles was the second story I wrote yesterday, is up on the Nola.com website and will appear in tomorrow's paper.
FRITZ
On problems at Memphis:
"A big part of it is they've had really good ball clubs. Every year we've gone up there they've won 10 games (10 in 2017 when they played for the AAC title and 12 in 2019, when they won the AAC) and maybe even more, so it's a good squad overall in offense, defense and kicking game. We are going to have to go up there and play well."
On Memphis offense the type that gives Tulane problems:
"We have to do a better job of covering, collapsing the pocket and staying over the top and not giving them easy ones, making them earn it. That's always most important thing agaisnt a good passing attack."
On Calvin Austin III, who's led the AAC in receiving for two straight years:
"He's really fast in and out of his breaks, accelerating in and out of his breaks. He's got good hands, really good movement. I'm sure he'll be playing on Sundays after next year. He's a good player."
On Memphis's freshman QB:
"Good mobility. He can run when he gets outside the pocket. He can make all the throws. He's going to be a very good quarterback in this league."
On Toles
"He’s a really good special teams player. He’s one of the better fliers, gunners, whatever you want to call them, in the country. He does a great job of getting down the field covering punts. He does a great job covering kicks. He’s returned a little bit for us. He’ll block. He’s just probably one of the better special teams players that we’ve had and in the country this year. Ryan Wright gets a lot of attention, deservedly so, for his punting skills, but without coverage it’s all for naught. Toles does a great job covering."
Why so good at that
"Want-to is a big part of it. You’ve got to take a good release and sprint as fast as you can. He’s blessed with outstanding speed and he’s tough, too. He’ll tackle guys. He’s probably made 10 to 15 big plays over the years just as a flier."
On Dorceus having big game in front of him:
"I think so. Who knows. He's sick right now so he hasn't been here, but this will be a big one for him. I think probably it being his last college game will be even bigger."
On Chris Hampton development as DC after massive defensive struggles for first seven games:
"He kept his confidence, modified things a little bit. The last four games we've played pretty darn good defense. He's come up with good game plans and calls what he has with the game plans. Some guys don't do that. I think he was 98 percent calls last week were what we worked on all week. He's done a very nice job of staying with it."
On learning curve as new DC:
"I think there is. Who knows how much. Luckily my first time I was doing it in junior college at Coffeyville, Kansas. There wasn't a whole lot of attention on me. He's doing a very nice job. He's really smart. The kids believe in him, and he makes it fun and he also keeps them accountable. Sometimes first-time coordinators who are younger guys like him, they want to be everybody's buddy.. He doesn't have to do that. He can go ahead and get after the guys and they respect him."
Even in lowest moments the players praised Hampton:
"That's what you got to have. We pride ourselves on running a disciplined program and it also involves the assistant coaches doing it. I think the kids respect him. They know that he has their best interest at heart and he's going to call it like it is, which is sometimes rare nowadays."
TOLES
Happy
"I’m very happy. I got to see some of my friends again and create more friendships with people new that came in, and even though the record isn’t what we want it to be, our team bond has really been better from other years that I’ve been here. This is the closest that everybody has been. We’re all having fun. We’re all trying to work hard to keep our progress going and keep pushing forward."
Why a good flier
"I wouldn’t give me all the props. I’d give most of it to coach JJ because he’s teaxhing a lot of the concepts, a lot of the releases and telling me what to do. Just like outside release, use the sideline as your advantage. It’s a rule that once you get forced out, they can’t keep blocking you as long as you are trying to get back into play."
Want-to
"It’s all want. A lot of people wouldn’t want to just run down there and think they can make the tackle. When I run, it’s like a race to me and I’m in a track meet."
Downing it a 1
"When I do that, I feel like I’m helping the team out, especially the defense because they help the offense out a lot, so I’m trying my best to get them on the best position on the field as I possibly can.".
Long TD
"They told me to get open and I got open. I trusted Pratt’s arm and Pratt trusted me and threw it to me. I made a play out of it."
Assess WR play
"It’s just hard work taking all the opportunities I got. Even though I got less opportunities, I still could make more. I just took it as a different approach this year."
Huge TD catch since Navy in 2018
"Just the whole moment of it, when the crowd was going like that I could take all that in. I just love that feeling. When I caught it and ran to score, I was in shock. I trusted myself and coach Conway trusted me to put me in on that play."
Best strengths
"Speed, hands and good route running."
Running
"That was fun. I love running the ball. I feel like when I have the ball in my hands, I’m pretty dangerous."
Why offense did not click this year
"Just getting the feel. We didn’t really grab that feeling of taking the wins that we were supposed to take. Sometimes we let the losses get to us as a team, Instead of just playing for each other we were just trying to figure out what was wrong. It should have been forget about it, everybody makes mistakes and let’s play. Last home game everybody was together. Nobody was worried about the mistakes they made. Everybody was picking everybody up."
Memphis struggles
"It’s very important. We want to take our last game for a W, especially after this season we had."
Emotions
"I don’t know. I don’t really see that as my last game. I see it as being here with my teammates. It’s going to be very emotional for me because it’s my last game. I’m gonna give it my all."