Green Wave Football Opens At Southern Miss

Aug. 31, 1999

Tulane at Southern Miss

Sept. 6 ? Hattiesburg, MS
M.M. Roberts Stadium
2:00 p.m. (CDT) ? Fox Sports Net

Last Week
This is the first game for both teams.

Coaches
Chris Scelfo (NLU, 1981) is 1-0 entering his first full season at Tulane. He led the Green Wave to a 41-27 Liberty Bowl win over BYU in his TU debut.

Southern Miss? Jeff Bower (USM, 1975) is 50-40-1 in his ninth year with the Eagles. He is 6-2 against Tulane.

Series
Southern Miss leads the all-time series against Tulane, 14-6. The two schools have met every year since 1979.

The Golden Eagles have won 10 of the last 12 meetings against Tulane, although the Wave claimed a 21-7 win last year.

USM leads 7-3 in games played in Hattiesburg.

TV
Fox Sports Net will televise the game. Paul Kennedy (play-by-play) and Trevor Matich (color) will handle the on-air duties.

Radio
The Tulane Radio Network provides radio coverage to 20-plus stations. Ken Berthelot (play-by-play), Steve Barrios (color) provide gameday analysis.

The Skinny
The Chris Scelfo Era begins in earnest for Tulane with a road game against perennial Conference USA power Southern Miss.

After consecutive seasons of 7-4 and 12-0, Tulane is shooting for three-straight winning seasons for the first time in 18 years.

Tulane in Season Openers
Tulane is 59-44-2 in season openers since beginning football in 1893, and has won five of its last seven season openers.

The Green Wave takes a three-year season-opening win streak into its game with Southern Miss. All three season-opening wins the last three seasons have come against Cincinnati.

In road season openers, Tulane has posted an 11-17 record.

Tulane-Southern Miss Connections
Tulane football strength and conditioning coach Mike Iosia was Southern Miss? deep snapper in 1991-92 and represented the Golden Eagles in the 1993 Senior Bowl. He also spent the 1993 season as a student assistant at USM.

USM assistant coaches Randy Butler, Steve Davis and Vic Eumont each spent time at Tulane. Butler spent four seasons with the Wave as offensive line (1988-89) and defensive ends coach (1990-91).

Davis was Tulane?s linebacker coach the past two season (1997-98).

Eumont has had three stints with the Green Wave, serving as a student assistant (1968) before performing two stints as Tulane?s defensive coordinator (1974-83 and 1994-97).

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.

Opening Foe Went Bowling, Again
For the second-consecutive year Tulane opens against a team that participated in a bowl game the previous season. In fact, both 1998 first-game foe Cincinnati and this season?s opponent, Southern Miss, closed out the previous year in the Humanitarian Bowl.

Tulane in the Magnolia State
Tulane owns a 11-33 record in 44 previous games in the Magnolia State. Tulane has played in five different Mississippi cities: Hattiesburg (3-7), Jackson (2-7), Meridian (1-0), Oxford (2-10) and Starkville (3-9).

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.

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.

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.

Dawson Begins Record Watch
WR JaJuan Dawson, a member of the Biletnikoff Award preseason watch list, enters his senior campaign 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.

Phillips Named to Butkus List
Junior LB Jerry Phillips, Tulane?s 1998 leading tackler, is on the Butkus Award preseason watch list.

He is one of 65 players named to the list, which is presented by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando and goes annually to the nation?s top linebacker.

Phillips, a New Orleans native, had a team-high 104 tackles as a sophomore, including a total of nine stops behind the line of scrimmage (six TFLs, three sacks).

Wave Picked 4th in C-USA Poll
Tulane was picked fourth in this year?s Conference USA race in a preseason vote of league coaches. The Green Wave was listed behind Southern Miss, Louisville and East Carolina.

Prior to winning last year?s conference title, Tulane was picked to finish tied for second in the preseason.

C-USA COACHES' PRESEASON POLL
    1.  Southern Miss
    2.  Louisville
    3.  East Carolina
    4.  TULANE
    5.  Houston
    6.  Memphis
    7.  Army
    8.  Cincinnati
    9.  UAB

Tulane Games on the Internet
The radio call from all of Tulane?s football games can be heard live on the internet. Fans can listen at www.broadcast.com.

Fans without internet access can tune in via telephone by calling Teamline at (800) 846-4700 and using the Tulane code (0647). A credit card number is required.

Tulane Radio Network Affiliates

City/Town Station Frequency

Alexandria KDBS-AM 1410 Baton Rouge WIBR-AM 1300 WXOK-AM 1460 Covington WYLA-FM 94.7 WYLK-FM 104.7 Destin, FL WBRZ-AM 1120 Ft. Walton Beach, FL WSFH-AM 1340 Lafayette KVOL-AM 1330 Lake Charles KAOK-AM 1400 LaPlace WADU-FM 94.9 LaRose KLRZ-FM 100.3 McComb, MS WHNY-AM 1250 Mobile, AL WNTM-AM 710 Monroe KMBS-AM 1310 Moreauville KLIL-FM 92.1 Morgan City KMRC-AM 1430 New Iberia KNIR-AM 1360 New Orleans WWL-AM 870 WSMB-AM 1350 Panama City WPCF-FM 100.1 Shreveport KRMD-AM 1340 Slidell WSLA-AM 1560 Thibodeaux KTIB-AM 640

The Chris Scelfo Show
The Chris Scelfo Show will air weekly throughout Louisiana and other regional outlets. The show features game highlights with commentary by coach Chris Scelfo and ?Voice of the Wave? Ken Berthelot.

Chris Scelfo Show Affiliates

City/Town        Station     Airtime
Alexandria       KLAX        Sun., 11 a.m.
Baton Rouge      WBTR        Sun., 5 p.m.
Florida          Sunshine    Mon., 6:30 a.m.
Lafayette        KLAF        Sun., 9 p.m.
Lake Charles     KPLC        Sun., 11:30 a.m.
Monroe           KTVE        Sun., 11 p.m.
New Orleans      WWL         Sun.,11:05 p.m.
                 Cox 10      Mon, 8 p.m. Wed., 7 p.m., Fri., 7 p.m.
Shreveport       KSHV        Sun., 11 a.m.
Regional         CSSE        Tue, 6 p.m.

Tulane Football Notes

The Green Wave is 13-1 since 1997 when scoring first, 6-3 when the opponent scores first.

Tulane is 17-1 since 1997 when leading at halftime, 1-3 when trailing at the intermission, and 1-0 when tied at the half.

Tulane is 10-0 in the last two seasons when holding an advantage in time of possession.

The Wave is 15-0 since 1997 when rushing for 150-or-more yards.

Tulane is 15-2 over the last two years when having more takeaways than their opponents.

Tulane is 19-0 since 1997 when leading after three quarters.

Tulane is 18-0 since 1997 when scoring more than 24 points, but 1-4 when scoring 24-or-fewer ponits.

Tulane is 11-0 since 1997 when converting on at least 50% of its third down conversions.

Tulane has averaged 39.8 points-per-game in its last 23 games (915 total) and 37.5 ppg in its last 12 C-USA games (450). In the Wave's 23 games prior to 1997, it reached 39 points just once.

Tulane's offense has scored 40-or-more points 13 times in its last 20 games, including seven straight.

TU is 4-0 since 1997 following an open date, including bowl games.

The Green Wave is 9-2 away from home in the last two seasons.

The Wave is 17-1 since 1997 when picking up 20-or-more first downs in a game.

Of the eight times in its history Tulane has gained over 550 yards of total offense, six of them have come in the last two years.

Of the 23 times in its history Tulane has gained 200 yards both rushing and passing, 10 of them have come in the last 23 games.

Tulane has had at least a 100-yard receiver or a 100-yard rusher in 19 of its last 23 games.

Tulane is 3-1 since 1997 following a loss. The Green Wave has lost two-straight just once in the last two years.

The Green Wave is tied with Tennessee for the longest current winning streak at 13 games.

Returning Stat Leaders

Rushing Yards TULANE Converse 871 Reshard 98 Robinson 21

SOUTHERN MISS Nix 1180 Woods 426 Francis 120

Passing Yards TULANE Ramsey 27

SOUTHERN MISS Purser 43 Kelly 39

Receptions TULANE Dawson 68 Cook 27 Converse 14

SOUTHERN MISS Gideon 66 Pinkston 52 Francis 16

Points Scored TULANE Dawson 72 Converse 48 two with 18

SOUTHERN MISS Gideon 82 Nix 60 two with 42

Interceptions TULANE Carter 2 three with 1

SOUTHERN MISS Barnes 3 Parrish 2

Tackles TULANE J.Phillips 104 Knight 68 Clemons 60

SOUTHERN MISS Slaughter 147 Trahan 111 Thomas 71

Tulane University Athletics

Tulane at Southern Miss

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