Green Wave Hosts Louisville In Conference USA Matchup
Oct 29, 2001 | Football
Oct. 29, 2001
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LOUISVILLE at TULANE
November 3, 2001
2:30 p.m. CST
New Orleans, La.
Louisiana Superdome
FACTS ON THE WAVE
2001 Record: 2-7
2001 C-USA Record: 1-4
Head Coach: Chris Scelfo
Alma Mater/Year: NE Louisiana '85
Record at Tulane/Years: 12-20/3rd
Overall Record/Years: Same
Football SID: Donna Turner
SID Phone: 504-865-5506
SID Fax: 504-865-5512
SID e-mail: dturner1@tulane.edu
Website: www.TulaneGreenWave.com
FACTS ON THE CARDINALS
2001 Record: 7-1
2001 C-USA Record: 3-0
Head Coach: John L. Smith
Alma Mater/Year: Weber State '71
Record at UL/Years: 29-14/4th
Overall Record/Years: 98-53/13th
Football SID: Kenny Klein
SID Phone: 502-852-6581
SID Fax: 502-852-7401
SID e-mail: kenny.klein@louisville.edu
Website: www.UofLSports.com
THE SERIES
Overall: Louisville leads 6-2
In New Orleans: Louisville leads 3-1
As C-USA Members: Series Tied 2-2
Last Meeting: Louisville 35, Tulane 32 (Oct. 28, 2000 in Louisville)
First Meeting: Louisville 23, Tulane 12 (Nov. 8, 1986 in New Orleans)
Of Note: Tulane meets Louisville for the sixth time in the last seven seasons. UL won the first five meetings in the series before Tulane claimed back-to-back victories in 1997 and '98. Tulane won the last meeting in New Orleans during its undefeated season in 1998. The teams played a three-game set from 1986-88, then re-started the series in 1995.
THE COACH
In his third season as the Tulane head coach, Chris Scelfo, one of the youngest head coaches in NCAA Division I-A, has a career record of 12-20. A 1985 graduate of Northeast Louisiana University (now Louisiana-Monroe), Scelfo began his coaching career at his alma mater and made coaching stops at Oklahoma (1986-87), Marshall (1990-95) and Georgia (1996-98) before becoming Tulane's head coach. A native of New Iberia, La., Scelfo moved past Mack Brown and Buddy Teevens in Tulane victories with the win over TCU. He now ranks 14th all-time in coaching wins at Tulane, one behind the 13 posted by Claude Simons Jr. in four full seasons.
NOTING TULANE
La. Finale
Tulane returns to the Superdome for its final home contest of the 2001 season as they play host to C-USA leader Louisville. For the Green Wave, it's the earliest end to a home schedule since the 1992 season when the final home contest was played October 31.
Senior Celebration
Although a pair of games remain, Tulane will honor its 14 2001 seniors prior to Saturday's game. The list of 14 includes one specialist, five defensive players and eight offensive players, 12 Louisianans and two Floridians. Offensively, the Green Wave says goodbye to six senior starters -- QB Patrick Ramsey, WR Terrell Harris and offensive linemen Chrys Bullock, Charles Caldwell, Corey Sewell and Torie Taulli along with second team running back Gee Reshard and injured WR Zander Robinson. The senior specialist is punter Casey Roussel while on defense, SS Meldon Barnes, CB Jamal Jones, DE Glenn Lemoine, LB David Dorsey and CB Trey Godfrey make their final Superdome appearances.
Home, Home at the 'Dome
All-time, the Green Wave is 70-84 (.454 winning percentage) in games played in the Superdome, dating back to the 1975 season. Tulane is in its 27th season playing in the 'Dome and is 2-2 in the Superdome so far this season. A year ago, the Green Wave went 4-1 at home, falling only to Southern Miss at home while defeating C-USA foes Houston, Cincinnati and Memphis, and Navy. Since the beginning of the 1997 season, Tulane is 19-7 (.731) in games played in the Superdome.
So Much "Mo"
Mewelde Moore is much more than one of the most successful running backs in Tulane history (see next note). Moore is also the Green Wave's leading RECEIVER on the season with 51 catches after grabbing nine passes for 168 yards at Army. Moore's yardage total was the highest by a Tulane player this year, ranks 13th in school history and established a new record for receiving yards by a running back. With 248 all-purpose yards in the game, Moore blew away Tulane's all-time record for single season all-purpose yards, set by Michael Pierce in 1988. He also set the Conference USA single season mark for all-purpose yards. His total stands at 1,824 yards rushing, receiving and returning, with three games remaining. By upping his per game average to 202.7 all-purpose yards, he regained the No. 1 spot in the national rankings in that category.
Chasing Price
Moore needs 44 rushing yards to establish a new Tulane single season record and break the mark of 1,178 yards earned by Eddie Price in 1948. Moore joined Price as just the second player in school history, and the first in 52 years, to surpass the 1,000-yard mark in a single year and now looks to supplant the All-American in the record books. The Baton Rouge native has 1,135 yards on 204 carries, an average of 5.6 yards per carry and 126.1 yards per game. He was the first player in the country to reach the 1,000-yard mark this season and his total still ranks third in the nation. In back-to-back weeks versus Southern and Cincinnati, Moore recorded two of the top five rushing days in Tulane history, including the record-breaker (see below). His 10 100-plus yard games in his career (in 19 career games) ranks second to Price's 13.
Record-Breaking
Moore did much of the rushing damage in successive weeks versus Southern and Cincinnati with back-to-back 200-yard games. At Cincinnati, Moore broke the 31-year-old Tulane single game rushing record with 249 yards on 28 carries, picking up C-USA Offensive Player of the Week honors. He also set the Conference USA and Tulane record for all-purpose yards in a game with a total of 336 rushing (249) and receiving (87) yards. He averaged 9.9 yards every time he touched the ball and 8.9 yards per rush (a new Tulane record). He scored a pair of touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving.
More Moore?
Moore currently ranks second in Conference USA in BOTH rushing (yards per game) and RECEIVING (catches per game) as well as leading the league in touchdowns. The sophomore has scored a total of 12 this season -- five rushing and seven receiving. He ranks 34th in the country in scoring and 32nd in catches per game.
Perfection
Tulane kicker Seth Marler has become a leading candidate for the 2001 Lou Groza Award as the junior has not missed a kick this year. Marler has moved within two three-pointers of the Tulane career record for field goals after making his 45th and 46th career threes at UAB. The junior has made all 15 of his field goal attempts in 2001 to lead the nation in percentage, and he is 32-of-32 on extra points. Marler has made 17 consecutive field goals dating back to the final game of last season. The field goals haven't exactly been "chip shots" either, three have been of over 50 yards and four were from 40-plus yards out. Marler connected on a 51-yard boot versus TCU and made a career-record 53-yarder versus East Carolina, the second-longest in Tulane history. He moved past longtime NFLer Eddie Murray into second place on the Wave charts with his kicks at UAB.
Ramsey's TD Streak
Tulane QB Patrick Ramsey owns the nation's longest current streak of consecutive games throwing a touchdown pass, as the senior has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 29 straight games played, every game in which he has started during his Green Wave career. The Ruston, La. native has tossed at least two touchdown passes in seven of the Wave's eight games this season with 18 total. With 68 career touchdown passes, he trails Tulane record holder Shaun King by just two.
And Then There Was One
Patrick Ramsey took over the all-time lead in passing yards by a Tulane quarterback with 177 yards in the UAB game and now has 8,421 for his career. Earlier this season, Ramsey added the school's career records for pass completions and pass attempts to his list. Just about the only Wave passing records Ramsey hasn't broken yet is touchdown passes. Ramsey is Tulane's all-time leader in 300- and 400-yard passing games and leads the Tulane career lists in most of the per game averages. He owns the Top 6 single game completion marks and 11 of the top 12 games in single game pass attempts. In all, he has broken 27 records during his stellar Tulane career.
Turnover Tales
In nine games this year, Tulane has forced 23 turnovers to surpass its 11-game total of 2000. The Green Wave picked up a fumble and intercepted a pass at Army to up its season total to 14 fumble recoveries and nine interceptions. A year ago, Tulane totalled 11 interceptions and recovered 11 fumbles. The Green Wave defense has picked up the turnover pace in the last five games, forcing 20 TOs in those contests, with five each in wins over TCU and Southern. In the UAB game, Tulane turned four turnovers into 24 points. Tulane has also scored twice on interception returns this season. On the year, Tulane has scored 85 points off of opponent turnovers, nearly 30 percent of its points.
"Fresh" Starters
A total of 10 members of the 2001 signing class have started games for Tulane this season. The 10 -- four on offense and six on defense -- have combined to make 27 starts. Brandon Spincer and Tra Boger, two of four true freshmen who have started on the Wave defense in each of the last three games, have each made five starts to lead the way for the rookies while DT Wallace Mateen has started four contests. Receiver Carl Davis ranks next with three starts while cornerback Darren Sapp, defensive end Jay Ashton, tight end Bobby Hoover and defensive end Brandon Rottmayer have two starts each. Laine Sambrooks and Tristan Smith have started one game apiece. The Green Wave started a total of six true freshmen on offense and defense versus TCU while five freshmen made starts in the last two games at UAB and Army.
Safety Nets 100 (Almost)
Tulane free safety Adrian Mitchell, a junior from Alexandria, is having a banner year in terms of tackles after adding a team season high 16 stops, including 13 solos, at Army. Mitchell has 99 stops so far this season for an average of 11 per game. He leads Tulane in tackles and ranks fourth in Conference USA in that category. He has already surpassed his 2000 tackle total of 89. With three games remaining, Mitchell has a chance to compile the most tackles by a Tulane player since 1995, when Derrick Singleton totalled 126 stops.
Honored
A trio of Tulane players have earned Conference USA honors this year, while Mewelde Moore also earned Offensive Player of the Week recognition from the Louisiana Sportswriter's Association following the Southern game. Moore was named the C-USA Offensive Player of the Week after his record-breaking day at Cincinnati. Following the win over TCU, Green Wave QB Patrick Ramsey shared C-USA offensive honors while LB Wesley Heath became the first Tulane player to be named C-USA Defensive Player of the Week in the last three seasons, since Meldon Barnes was honored after the final game of 1998.
Open Date Slate
In a quirk of scheduling, seven of the Green Wave's 2001 opponents will have or have had at least two weeks (or more) to prepare for the Wave. Three of Tulane's early opponents did not play in the week prior to the game with Tulane: BYU, which was the first game for both teams, LSU, which played Tulane in its season opener, and UCF, which had an unexpected open date due to the postponement of its contest with ULL on Sept. 15. In addition to Cincinnati and TCU, Tulane's last two opponents of the year, Navy and Southern Miss, will have off before playing the Wave.
Conference Calling
In four seasons, the Green Wave is 17-18 all-time in Conference USA play, including a 6-0 record and league championship in 1998. After adding a seventh conference game a year ago, the league will have an eight-game schedule next season. In 1996, teams played five league games, and the number stood at six from 1997-99. The league has expanded to 10 teams with the addition of TCU this season. South Florida, a I-A independent this year, will become C-USA's 11th football member beginning in 2003.
C-USA Slate
With the addition of TCU to the C-USA fold, Tulane is 41-56-2 versus teams that currently comprise Conference USA. The all-time lists, both as C-USA teams and overall.
Team All-Time C-USA
Army 5-4-1 2-2
Cincinnati 10-3-0 4-1
East Carolina 1-4-0 1-3
Houston 3-4-0 3-2
Louisville 2-6-0 2-2
Memphis 11-11-1 3-2
Southern Miss 6-16-0 1-4
TCU 3-6-0 1-0
UAB 0-2-0 0-2
Targeting the Tight End
Green Wave tight end Bobby Hoover has more catches -- 12 -- than Tulane TEs made in the last two seasons combined. In fact, Hoover's total of 12 catches is more than Tulane tight ends have made in any of the previous four seasons. Tulane tight ends caught three passes in 2000, four in 1999 and five in both 1998 and 1997. In 1996, Tulane tight ends Cory Geason and Kevin Cunane accounted for 26 catches. Hoover ranks sixth on the team in catches and he has caught at least one pass in Tulane's last six games.
Great Grad Rates
Tulane student-athletes, and Tulane football players, were near the very top of the DIvision I-A lists when the NCAA released its annual graduation rate report last month. The graduation rate for ALL Tulane student-athletes who entered the school in 1994-95 was 75% as opposed to a 70% graduation rate for the overall student body. On the football side, Tulane's graduation rate of 89% topped every school in Conference USA, every school in Louisiana and nearly every school in the nation.
On The Watch
Four Tulane players have been named as candidates for five national awards. Senior quarterback Patrick Ramsey was named one of just 20 candidates for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, given to the nation's top senior quarterback. Ramsey has also been named to the Watch List for the Davey O'Brien Quarterback Award and is Tulane's nominee for the National Scholar-Athlete Award. Junior kicker Seth Marler - a semifinalist last year who is enjoying a "perfect" season so far in 2001 - is on the list for the Lou Groza Award, given to the nation's top kicker. Running back Mewelde Moore is one of just three sophomores on the Watch List for the Doak Walker Award while senior punter Casey Roussel is on the Watch List for the Ray Guy Award given to the nation's top punter.
A Thousand Times
Tulane's game with UAB earlier this season was the 1,000th in school history. Tulane played its first game Nov. 18, 1893 versus the Southern Athletic Club, game No. 500 was a 27-13 win over eighth-ranked Auburn in New Orleans on Oct. 29, 1955. In its 109th season, the Wave's all-time record is 454-509-38.
Savvy Senior
LaPlace senior Corey Sewell will line up for his 44th consecutive career start Saturday versus Louisville, having started every game of his Tulane career beginning in his rookie season of 1998. Sewell is one of four senior offensive linemen for the Green Wave in 2001.
Streaking
Despite missing a game with an injury and seeing limited time in other contests this year, Tulane receiver Terrell Harris extended his streak of consecutive games played with a pass reception to 26 last week with a touchdown grab at Army. Harris' streak stretches back to the fourth game of the 1999 season at Syracuse.
Spreading It Out
Patrick Ramsey hit 10 different receivers with passes in the UCF game. That is the most Tulane receivers to catch passes in a game since Sept. 2, 1995, when 10 players caught passes from QB Aley Demarest in the season-opening loss to Maryland in the Superdome. That's a string of 66 games since a Tulane QB "spread it around" as much. Ramsey's receivers in the game included two players who caught their first passes of the year - WR Chris Bush and RB Gee Reshard, and two more who caught their second passes of the season in WR James Dunn and TE Bobby Hoover.
It's Been A While
With his 64-yard punt return for a touchdown versus Southern, Tulane's Lynaris Elpheage became the first Green Wave player since 1988 to return a punt for a score. Elpheage was six years old when TU's Mitchell Price scored on a 59-yard return vs. Chattanooga on Sept. 3, 1988. That's 149 games between punt return touchdowns for the Green Wave.
Closing it Out
Following the home finale, Tulane takes to the road for the final two games of 2001 as they travel to Navy and Southern Miss. The Green Wave will have played four of its last five and five of its last seven games on the road.
Key Catch for KC
Tulane fullback Kris Coleman made his first catch of the season count when he hauled in a pass from Patrick Ramsey at the 12-yard line and dragged a TCU defender the rest of the way into the end zone to get Tulane on the board. Coleman's catch was the first of the year for the sophomore and just the second of his career. He came back to make a 21-yard catch and run later in the game while also rushing for 12 yards on three carries.
Making Strides
Tulane's defensive freshmen are making an impact and showing improvement. Tra Boger scored the first defensive TD of the year when he returned an interception for a score in the TCU game. Brandon Spincer played his top game of the year with a a team season high 14 tackles, seven solo and a tackle for loss, at UAB. That's after Spincer recorded a key QB sack and forced a pair of fumbles versus TCU. On the defensive line, Jay Ashton was credited with a pair of tackles for loss at UAB and has three in the last two games, while Brandon Rottmayer had his best game with five tackles and a tackle for loss and Wallace Mateen was credited with a season high four solo tackles, a tackle for loss and forcing a fumble.
Offensive Youth is Served
While much has been made of the lack of seniors on the Green Wave defense, the Cincinnati game pointed up the youthfulness of the Tulane offense. Of the 12 players that caught a pass or rushed the ball for Tulane at Cincinnati, 10 were freshmen or sophomores, including EVERYONE who caught a pass and the top four rushers. Sophomores Mewelde Moore, James Dunn and Kris Coleman and freshman Tristan Smith combined for 34 carries for 288 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Moore, Smith and Dunn, along with freshmen Bobby Hoover and Carl Davis and sophomore Roydell Williams caught 24 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns.
Captain My Captain
Five Tulane players were named permanent team captains for 2001 at the end of preseason drills in Hammond, La. Offensively, quarterback Patrick Ramsey was selected a captain for the second consecutive season. He is joined as an offensive captain by former Archbishop Shaw High School teammates Terrell Harris (WR) and Torie Taulli. Defensively, a pair of juniors were selected to lead the team. Defensive end Floyd Dorsey and strong safety Terry Fontenot earned the selection from their teammates.
ON THE AIR
Tulane-Louisville TV
WDRB-TV will send the Tulane-Louisville back to Louisville on a point-to-point broadcast.
Tulane ISP Radio Network
WTIX-FM (94.3) in New Orleans is the flagship station of Tulane's 12-station network. Jim Freeman, in his first season as the "Voice of the Green Wave," provides play-by-play while Steve Barrios returns with color commentary and Todd Graffagnini is the sideline reporter.
Market Station Frequency
Alexandria KDBS-AM 1410
*Amite WABL-AM 1570
*Baton Rouge WSKR-AM 1210
Bogalusa WBOX-FM 92.9
+Chattahoochee (FL) WTCL-AM 1580
*Lafayette KROF-AM 960
Lake Charles KEZM-AM 1310
*Morgan City KMRC-AM 1430
*New Orleans WTIX-FM 94.3
%New Orleans WTIX-AM 690
Shreveport KEEL-AM 710
^Thibodaux KTIB-AM 640
West Monroe KWJM-FM 92.7
*Also carries Coaches' Call-In Show
^Partial football schedule
%Simulcasts selected games
Coaches' Call-In Show
Head Coach Chris Scelfo will be the featured guest on the Tulane Coaches' Call-In Show every Monday from 7-8 p.m. beginning August 20th. Jim Freeman and Tulane AD Rick Dickson will co-host the show, which will be take place live at Superior Grill on St. Charles Ave. in New Orleans.
Chris Scelfo TV Show
The Chris Scelfo Show will air weekly in New Orleans on WDSU-TV every Sunday night at 11:05 p.m., and on Cox Cable Mondays at 8 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7 p.m. The show will also air on Comcast Sports South. Check local listings for those weekly times.
TulaneGreenWave.com
Tulane game broadcasts and Call-In Shows, as well as Coach Scelfo's portion of the weekly Conference USA Coaches' Teleconference, can be heard on the internet through Tulane's official athletic department website, www.TulaneGreenWave.com. The site is the stop for all the latest information on Tulane Athletics, including player features, Ask the Coach and AD, statistics and game reports.
