Tulane Football Preseason Notes
Aug 11, 1999 | Football
Aug. 11, 1999
Tulane Football Dates to Remember
- Aug. 11: Freshmen report
- Aug. 13: Freshmen begin practice
- Aug. 15: Varsity reports
- Aug. 16: First full-squad practice
- Aug. 21: Final day in Covington Boat cruise, 6 p.m. (for more information, contact the football office at (504) 865-5355)
- Aug. 28: Fan Day, 11:30 am-1 pm (for more information, contact the ticket office at (504) 861-WAVE)
- Sept. 2: Press conference previewing USM game
- Sept. 6: SEASON OPENER at Southern Miss (2 p.m.)
Dawson Begins Record Watch
WR JaJuan Dawson enters his senior season ranked in the top five on Tulane?s career lists for pass receptions (4th, 138), receiving yardage (5th, 1997) and touchdown receptions (5th, 16).
Dawson needs 99 receptions, 1,729 yards and 10 touchdowns to become Tulane?s career leader in each respective category.
Ironically, despite catching a combined 120 passes the last two seasons, Dawson is the only member of Tulane?s all-time top 15 receivers to have never led the team in receptions.
13-Game Win Streak Leads Nation
Tulane enters 1999 tied with defending national champion Tennessee for the nation?s longest current streak at 13 games. The Green Wave won its final game of 1997 before going 12-0 in 1998. It is Tulane?s longest winning streak since winning 18 straight between the 1930-31 seasons.
Seeking Another Winning Season
After consecutive seasons of 7-4 and 12-0, Tulane enters 1999 seeking its third-straight winning campaign. The Green Wave hasn?t had three-straight winning seasons since 1979-81.
Wave Holding Onto the Ball
Tulane went nearly six games (23 quarters, including the Liberty Bowl) at the end of 1998 without a turnover.
The Green Wave finished fifth nationally in turnover margin last year (+15, +1.36 per game). The Wave also tied for third nationally with just 11 giveways.
Scelfo, Cutcliffe Undefeated
Tulane?s Chris Scelfo and Ole Miss? David Cutcliffe enter 1999 as the nation?s only two head coaches with perfect records.
Both Scelfo and Cutcliffe took over their programs prior to bowl victories last December, and thus begin 1999 with career marks of 1-0. Something has to give when the Green Wave travels to Oxford on Oct. 9th in the 68th renewal of its series with the Rebels.
No Respect For Wave
A year after finishing seventh in both the final AP and USA Today/ESPN Coaches poll, its highest ranking since 1939, Tulane received just two votes in the 1999 preseason coaches poll.
Record Road Streak at Eight Games
Including Tulane?s 41-27 Liberty Bowl win over BYU in Memphis and stretching back to the 1997 season, the Green Wave has now won a school-record eight-straight games away from home.
The current streak includes wins at USL, Houston, Cincinnati, SMU, Rutgers, Memphis and Army.
TU-USM to Battle for the Bell
Tulane and Southern Miss will ?Battle for the Bell? when they meet in the season opener on Sept. 6. The bell, donated by the USM Alumni Association, will go to the winner of what is arguably the premiere rivalry in Conference USA.
Tulane won last year?s meeting at home, 21-7, although USM leads the all-time series, 14-6.
