Tulane had its last heavy-duty practice in preparation for Saturday's AAC opener against South Florida. Josh Remetich was held out again today, with Caleb Thomas in his place at right guard, but Phat Watts returned at wide receiver. I sometimes forget he is still on the team because he has not played yet this season and was dismissed after the Southern Miss game early last season by Willie Fritz, but he made some plays in preseason camp and will be available Saturday. The pecking order at receiver in my view is 1) Mario Williams, despite his matching pair of drops the past two weeks, 2) Dontae Fleming, who was targeted only once, strangely, in his return to Lafayett, 3) Yulkeith Brown and 4) Bryce Bohanon. After that, there really is no No. 5 in terms of production. Shadre Hurst has as many catches (1) as the rest of the wideout corps combined (freshman Zycarl Lewis has one), so there is room for Watts to become a factor. He had 17 catches in 2020 and 18 catches in 2021 before an early-season knee injury in 2022 set him back, often making difficult catches look routine while dropping easy opportunities. Shaun Nicholas has barely played, and today his most noticeable moment was getting knocked down accidentally by an offensive teammate on one play.
Shaadie Clayton-Jonnson also returned to practice and has been cleared for the South Florida game after sitting out a week due to a concussion. He will be available Saturday, which is not the same as saying he definitely will play. Sumrall is cautious with head injuries. It does not look to me like Shazz Preston is anywhere close to returning even though he discarded his crutches a couple weeks ago.
This was mainly a scout-team day. The defense, which has major question marks after its performance against ULL, continued to dominate an offense scout team that does not have many playmakers. Sam Howard pushed running back Tate Jernigan to the ground out of bounds on one play but then went over to help him up apologetically. I'm not quite sure why the defense has been as suspect as it has been, but this would be a good week to step it up a notch. The personnel is not changing, but the guys on the field cannot afford to have the breakdowns that have plagued the Wave throughout September. Their biggest asset has been the three pick-sixes, the most for any team in the FBS, but that's not sustainable. Tulane ranks 67th among FBS teams in total defense--exactly in the middle--and allows more yards per carry (4.98) than all but 23 teams. I talked to Greg Gasparato after practice today.
GASPARATO
On having nation's best three pick-sixes:
"Any time you have a chance to score on defense, you've got a much better chance to win the game, and the same on special teams. The thing that we talk to our guys about is when you get the ball, I know this, the offense hasn't worked a lot of tackling drills this week, so you have a chance to make a play. Don't be dumb. The main goal is to keep possession of the ball, but if you have a chance to go score, score. The guys that have been able to do that and catch the ball have all been playmakers that have been able to do something afterward. Those guys have done a phenomenal job finishing the plays, but when you're where you are supposed to be, good things happen to you. You don't have to do anything special.
On Jalen Geiger wanting to make it four for four on INT returns for TDs:
"He absolutely did, but he looked at me and John and we were both doing this. He didn't want to, you could tell, but he took that knee. We were thrilled."
On athletic ability and instincts on defense:
"Hundred percent. When you're where you're supposed to be, good things happen, and it's not always a turnover. Sometimes its an interception. Sometimes when the ball's out because you're chasing the ball so hard and you have a lot of people there, you can get a scoop and score or get the ball back. Same thing when the gap you're supposed to be in when the ball comes to you, you'll get more tackles. It's about doing your job and making the plays you're supposed to make. Every one of those players are capable of making them. That's why they're here in the first place, and they were able to do it."
On defensive problems:
"It's not. The thing you identify, which maybe is good or bad, it's not one player, it's not one position, it's not one call. It's one mistake here and there. I know our guys are tired of hearing it. I'm tired of saying it. It's one or two plays a game you wish you could have back that you miss a fit, you go the wrong way, you don't understand the situation in the game. There's been times I haven't put us in the best situation call wise. We've all got to learn from it and grow, but at this point these guys need to start getting a little pissed off, and they are. We need to go as a defense and execute at the highest level like we know we can."
On how that issue can be fixed:
"The biggest issue is No. 1, you slow the game down and it's all about the details, so for me, if I need to minimize the call sheet a little more so we can get more reps at certain things and get a little bit better at those, then that's what we'll do. That's what it comes down to. Are we calling the same things in practice that we're calling in a game and making sure the call sheet isn't so long that you only get a few pops of this and a few pops of that, almost to the point where you can't get it wrong, so you are going to have to be simple, but you are going to be right with everything you do."
On having depth (five of the six guys in the front six to start the second possession against ULL were subs):
"It's a huge deal. We told our guys their guys played in the same heat we did, so sometimes you've got to suck it up and you gotta play, and when we get a chance to sub based off the situation, we're going to get fresh guys in, but you have to want it more than they do."
On other coaches not having the confidence to sub as much as he does:
"It's not ideal with a few mistakes here and there, but as the season continues to go, guys continue to get rips and get things fixed and get better, if you've proven in practice and in the games that you can get it done, then we're going to play you. Everybody makes mistakes. I've been guilty my career of saying you two starters are going to play the whole game, and it has come back to bite me every single year that I have done that, so we're going to continue force-feeding these guys reps and they're going to continue to get better, and every week we've got to get a little bit better. The emphasis this week is finish. If we finish a couple more plays, we feel really good about it. We did a great job on the outside playing those guys man-to-man. If we just now play the ball when we need to play the ball, half those penalties are gone and it's a different game."
On those five interference calls:
"It's like anything. Sometimes you agree, sometimes you don't. Because of the game plan against these guys, the amount of man coverage that we played, every once in a while that's going to happen. You know that as a coach. You don't really accept it, but you just understand if I'm going to play man this many snaps in the game, we may get called for PI or two. We gotta live with it, but the pros outweigh the cons from our standpoint. We just have to continue to clean up our eyes. Great feet, great hands, now we just have to know when to look back and when to finish, and we'll be in a much better spot this week."
On defending USF and QB Byrum Brown:
"Number one is to stop the run. This team is flashy and thy get wide splits and they throw the ball a little bit, but they want to run the ball and they average more than 200 rushing yards a game. I think they went for 369 against Southern Miss. They went for more than 200 (206) against Alabama. That's what they do, and then Miami did a good job of holding them to 65 yards (62) or whatever it was. Teams like this want to run the ball and then take advantage of one-on-ones, the third downs, red zone, get really good there, so the challenge for us this week is get your cleats set, do your job, stop the run and then we're gong to have to gang tackle. There are going to be plays in space because of how wide they are. The quarterback's going to pull the ball sometimes and you're going to be in a one-on-one. We have to have bodies and a lot of guys chasing the ball, but we're going to have to get him on the ground, and it may not just be one person. He has a really good arm, he understands the scheme and they do a really good job in the quarterback run game and their base run game, create some issues where you may have to get another guy in the box. Whatever your job is, you've got to know it, you've got to do it and keep your angles consistent so you can use your help, so they are going to challenge us this week."
Shaadie Clayton-Jonnson also returned to practice and has been cleared for the South Florida game after sitting out a week due to a concussion. He will be available Saturday, which is not the same as saying he definitely will play. Sumrall is cautious with head injuries. It does not look to me like Shazz Preston is anywhere close to returning even though he discarded his crutches a couple weeks ago.
This was mainly a scout-team day. The defense, which has major question marks after its performance against ULL, continued to dominate an offense scout team that does not have many playmakers. Sam Howard pushed running back Tate Jernigan to the ground out of bounds on one play but then went over to help him up apologetically. I'm not quite sure why the defense has been as suspect as it has been, but this would be a good week to step it up a notch. The personnel is not changing, but the guys on the field cannot afford to have the breakdowns that have plagued the Wave throughout September. Their biggest asset has been the three pick-sixes, the most for any team in the FBS, but that's not sustainable. Tulane ranks 67th among FBS teams in total defense--exactly in the middle--and allows more yards per carry (4.98) than all but 23 teams. I talked to Greg Gasparato after practice today.
GASPARATO
On having nation's best three pick-sixes:
"Any time you have a chance to score on defense, you've got a much better chance to win the game, and the same on special teams. The thing that we talk to our guys about is when you get the ball, I know this, the offense hasn't worked a lot of tackling drills this week, so you have a chance to make a play. Don't be dumb. The main goal is to keep possession of the ball, but if you have a chance to go score, score. The guys that have been able to do that and catch the ball have all been playmakers that have been able to do something afterward. Those guys have done a phenomenal job finishing the plays, but when you're where you are supposed to be, good things happen to you. You don't have to do anything special.
On Jalen Geiger wanting to make it four for four on INT returns for TDs:
"He absolutely did, but he looked at me and John and we were both doing this. He didn't want to, you could tell, but he took that knee. We were thrilled."
On athletic ability and instincts on defense:
"Hundred percent. When you're where you're supposed to be, good things happen, and it's not always a turnover. Sometimes its an interception. Sometimes when the ball's out because you're chasing the ball so hard and you have a lot of people there, you can get a scoop and score or get the ball back. Same thing when the gap you're supposed to be in when the ball comes to you, you'll get more tackles. It's about doing your job and making the plays you're supposed to make. Every one of those players are capable of making them. That's why they're here in the first place, and they were able to do it."
On defensive problems:
"It's not. The thing you identify, which maybe is good or bad, it's not one player, it's not one position, it's not one call. It's one mistake here and there. I know our guys are tired of hearing it. I'm tired of saying it. It's one or two plays a game you wish you could have back that you miss a fit, you go the wrong way, you don't understand the situation in the game. There's been times I haven't put us in the best situation call wise. We've all got to learn from it and grow, but at this point these guys need to start getting a little pissed off, and they are. We need to go as a defense and execute at the highest level like we know we can."
On how that issue can be fixed:
"The biggest issue is No. 1, you slow the game down and it's all about the details, so for me, if I need to minimize the call sheet a little more so we can get more reps at certain things and get a little bit better at those, then that's what we'll do. That's what it comes down to. Are we calling the same things in practice that we're calling in a game and making sure the call sheet isn't so long that you only get a few pops of this and a few pops of that, almost to the point where you can't get it wrong, so you are going to have to be simple, but you are going to be right with everything you do."
On having depth (five of the six guys in the front six to start the second possession against ULL were subs):
"It's a huge deal. We told our guys their guys played in the same heat we did, so sometimes you've got to suck it up and you gotta play, and when we get a chance to sub based off the situation, we're going to get fresh guys in, but you have to want it more than they do."
On other coaches not having the confidence to sub as much as he does:
"It's not ideal with a few mistakes here and there, but as the season continues to go, guys continue to get rips and get things fixed and get better, if you've proven in practice and in the games that you can get it done, then we're going to play you. Everybody makes mistakes. I've been guilty my career of saying you two starters are going to play the whole game, and it has come back to bite me every single year that I have done that, so we're going to continue force-feeding these guys reps and they're going to continue to get better, and every week we've got to get a little bit better. The emphasis this week is finish. If we finish a couple more plays, we feel really good about it. We did a great job on the outside playing those guys man-to-man. If we just now play the ball when we need to play the ball, half those penalties are gone and it's a different game."
On those five interference calls:
"It's like anything. Sometimes you agree, sometimes you don't. Because of the game plan against these guys, the amount of man coverage that we played, every once in a while that's going to happen. You know that as a coach. You don't really accept it, but you just understand if I'm going to play man this many snaps in the game, we may get called for PI or two. We gotta live with it, but the pros outweigh the cons from our standpoint. We just have to continue to clean up our eyes. Great feet, great hands, now we just have to know when to look back and when to finish, and we'll be in a much better spot this week."
On defending USF and QB Byrum Brown:
"Number one is to stop the run. This team is flashy and thy get wide splits and they throw the ball a little bit, but they want to run the ball and they average more than 200 rushing yards a game. I think they went for 369 against Southern Miss. They went for more than 200 (206) against Alabama. That's what they do, and then Miami did a good job of holding them to 65 yards (62) or whatever it was. Teams like this want to run the ball and then take advantage of one-on-ones, the third downs, red zone, get really good there, so the challenge for us this week is get your cleats set, do your job, stop the run and then we're gong to have to gang tackle. There are going to be plays in space because of how wide they are. The quarterback's going to pull the ball sometimes and you're going to be in a one-on-one. We have to have bodies and a lot of guys chasing the ball, but we're going to have to get him on the ground, and it may not just be one person. He has a really good arm, he understands the scheme and they do a really good job in the quarterback run game and their base run game, create some issues where you may have to get another guy in the box. Whatever your job is, you've got to know it, you've got to do it and keep your angles consistent so you can use your help, so they are going to challenge us this week."