Tulane Tackles Tigers Saturday
Oct 20, 2003 | Football
Oct. 20, 2003
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WEEKLY RELEASE -- GAME 8
TULANE (3-4, 1-3) vs. MEMPHIS (4-3, 1-2)
October 25, 2003 -- 1:30 p.m. (CDT)
New Orleans, La. -- Louisiana Superdome (69,767)
HEAD COACH Chris Scelfo
In his fifth season as the Tulane head coach, Chris Scelfo has a career record of 24-31 to rank eighth all-time at the school in wins, just one behind seventh place Andy Pilney. He became the first coach to win two bowl games at Tulane with the Green Wave's win in the Hawai'i Bowl last year. 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 arriving at Tulane in December 1998. He coached four teams that played in the I-AA national championship game, two of which won championships. A native of New Iberia, La., Scelfo ranks ahead of 29 other coaches in Tulane wins, including Greg Davis, Mack Brown, Buddy Teevens, Tommy Bowden and Larry Smith.
NEWS & NOTES
Home Again, Briefly
The Green Wave returns to the Super-dome for the first time in six weeks -- since a Sept. 13th win over Mississippi State -- to face league foe Memphis in its second-to-last home game of 2003. Since the MSU game, Tulane has played three away games, enjoyed an open date and hosted Houston at Tad Gormley Stadium.
On Schedule
Following the game versus Memphis -- which concludes a three-game road stretch at Tulane -- the Wave embarks on a three-game road trip of its own with November games at Navy, UAB and Southern Miss. In all, Tulane plays four of its last six games of the season on the road beginning with last week's contest at Louisville.
Last Time Out
Louisville followed a familiar script for Green Wave opponents by jumping out to a first-half lead (24-7) and holding off Tulane in the second half. Only this time, a pair of turnovers and a depleted defense prevented a Wave comeback as the Cardinals rolled to a 47-28 win in a Friday night game in Louisville. Tulane turned the ball over four times while coming up with just one as the Cards gained 500 yards of total offense.
When Last We Met
A year ago, Tulane completed a three-game C-USA road swing at Memphis where the Tigers claimed a 38-10 win over the Green Wave at the Liberty Bowl. Mistakes plagued the Green Wave in the game as Tulane committed three turnovers, dropped passes and were charged with eight penalties for 100 yards. Memphis took a 21-3 halftime lead and upped it to 31-3 after DeAngelo Williams scored on an 86-yard run in the third quarter.
Series Situation
Memphis' win last year broke the tie and gave the Tigers a 12-11-1 edge in the series, which the Green Wave will look to even in 2003. Tulane will play both Southern Miss and Memphis for the 25th time this year, more than any other C-USA opponent. The Wave and Tigers have met in 23 of the last 27 seasons, including every year from 1980-90. Since C-USA play began in 1996, the teams are 3-3 against each other.
Home Sweet 'Dome
Since moving into the Superdome in 1975, the Green Wave is 75-88 (a .460 winning percentage) all-time in its home stadium. The Green Wave is 1-1 in the Superdome so far in 2003 and won four of its six 'Dome games last year. Tulane is 26-13 (.667) in the building since the beginning of the 1997 season.
Exclusive Club
Tulane running back Mewelde Moore joined an exclusive club versus Louisville. Needing 37 rushing and 50 receiving yards to become just the SECOND man in NCAA Division I-A history to gain 4,000 rushing and 2,000 all-purpose yards for his career, Moore picked up a season-high 123 rushing yards, along with 57 receiving yards. The C-USA and Tulane career leader in rushing and all-purpose yards, Moore now has 4,090 rushing and 2,007 receiving yards for his career as he joined Stanford's Darrin Nelson (1977-78, 1980-81) as the only two players in the 4,000 /2,000 club.
Mr. Consistency
With 6,179 career all-purpose yards, Mewelde Moore has climbed into 13th place on the NCAA Division I-A all-time list, having surpassed such names as Archie Griffin, Herschel Walker and Anthony Thompson. Moore is averaging 142.4 all-purpose yards per game in 2003, an average which would move him into the Top 5 all-time if he can sustain it. Texas' Ricky Williams holds the NCAA career record with 7,206 all-purpose yards from 1995-98.
In Conference
In seven seasons of competition, Tulane is 22-27 (.449) in Conference USA games after posting a 4-4 C-USA record a year ago but just a 1-3 mark so far in 2003. Tulane is looking for its first league win at home this year after falling to TCU (38-35) and Houston (45-42) so far. Tulane's lone league win so far in 2003 came at Army, 50-33. League schools will play eight conference games in 2003, with each team missing two C-USA foes. The Green Wave will not play the newest Conference USA football member, South Florida and for the first time since the school's played the first-ever C-USA game in 1996, Tulane will not meet Cincinnati.
Tulane vs. C-USA
The Wave is 46-65-2 (.416) all-time versus schools that currently comprise C-USA. Tulane's all-time records with its conference brethren, both all-time and since the league began in 1996.
Pressed Into Service
An amazing 16 freshmen -- five redshirts and 11 true freshmen -- have played significant roles for Tulane this year, with 11 of those having started games and nearly all of the rest listed no lower than second on the depth chart. Against Louisville last week, Tulane started a four true freshmen on defense in end Billy Harrison, who made his second career start, cornerback Alton Widemon (3rd start), and Alvin (DT) and Kelvin (LB) Johnson (no relation), both of whom made their first career starts. In addition, three freshmen continue to start on the Tulane special teams as kicker Barrett Pepper and return specialist Fred Smith joined redshirt freshman punter Chris Beckman in starting their seventh consecutive games. Other freshmen starters for the Green Wave this year have included redshirts Taurean Brown, who has started four games at defensive tackle and Jeremy Foreman, with a pair of starts at cornerback. Offensive lineman Derek Rogers, a redshirt who has started three games, is the only true offensive player among the rookies. Nickel back and true freshman Israel Route started the Houston contest. Also seeing plenty of playing time on the Tulane defense are linemen Tremell Jack and Craig Morris and linebacker Patrick Benford.
Rookie of Another Sort
Although not a freshman in terms of eligibility, senior Byron Parker is certainly a rookie in terms of experience after joining the football squad in the spring. The former Tulane basketball player, who won the ESPN College Slam Dunk Championship last year, saw his first action on the football field versus Houston when he played on the Green Wave special teams. Last week versus Louisville, he saw playing time in the Tulane secondary and responded with a pass break-up. Parker has a pair of tackles on the year.
Hurting
To say the Green Wave has been bitten by the injury bug in 2003 is a huge understatement as Head Coach Chris Scelfo says the list of players who missed games this year is unlike anything he has experienced in his coaching career. On a roster that numbers just 88 players, exactly one-fourth -- 22 different Tulane players (including three lost late last year or this spring to career-ending injuries) -- have missed games for the Green Wave in 2003 with a total of 83 games missed due to injury. Of those 22, 15 are defensive players and overall, at least 12 started games or were projected to start. The injury list has included players who have started games at linebacker (Blake Baker, Wesley Heath, Anthony Cannon), offensive line (Jimmy Kosienski, Will Blaylock), tight end (Bobby Hoover), defensive back (Jeremy Foreman, Joey Dawson, Darren Sapp) and defensive line (Bamm Mateen, Daniel Nevil).
Decimated
The Tulane defensive line has been particularly hard hit by injuries, including two career-ending disabilities, and by a pair of academic casualties. Nearly two full defensive lines have been wiped out, necessitating a huge influx of freshmen, not just into the mix, but into the starting line-up.
Rottmayer and Crayton suffered career-ending injuries, while Ashton and Williams encountered academic problems and are sitting out the season. On the second line, only Tarver and Roberts (who is playing with a sprained foot) remain as Mateen's season was cut short by a recurrence of a foot injury suffered last spring and Nevil is out with a back injury. Even the third line of true freshmen Billy Harrison and Alvin Johnson and redshirts Taurean Brown and Michael Purcell has been hurt by injuries with Purcell seeing his first career action versus Houston after coming back from a preseason knee sprain. On the fourth line (which is now actually the second team), Willie Christian played his second game as a defensive end after converting from offensive line during the open week and seeing his first career action versus Houston while linebacker Brandt Quick was moved to the line prior to the Louisville game.
Williams' Ways
Back from a broken ankle which led to a redshirt season last year, junior Roydell Williams has made a huge difference to the Tulane offense in 2003. Williams notched his fourth 100-yard game of the year, and the seventh of his career, versus Louisville, while adding his 20th career touchdown catch. The LaPlace, La. native leads Tulane in receiving with 39 catches for 634 yards and six TDs. He has caught at least one pass in each of the last 22 games he has played. His 15-yard TD catch versus Texas, a juggling, 15-yard effort which he corralled while lying flat on his back in the corner of the endzone, was featured that night on ESPN's "SportsCenter" as its top play of the day. Williams' day versus the Longhorns included a 77-yard catch-and-run that was the longest pass completion at Tulane since 1999.
Two for 2,000
Within minutes of each other in the second half of the Louisville game, junior Roydell Williams and senior Mewelde Moore became just the seventh and eighth players in Tulane history to surpass the 2,000-yard mark in career receiving yards. Williams, who leads Conference USA in receiving yards per game in 2003 with more than 90 per game, had a 54-yard catch in the fourth quarter to put him over the 2,000-yard mark, and to edge him ahead of Moore in seventh place on that career yardage list with 2,009. Moore, meanwhile, passed the 2,000-yard barrier on a 29-yard catch and run and finished the game with 2,007 career receiving yards. He is the only running back on that list, and on the C-USA career receiving chart.
www.JP-Losman.com
After a smoking-hot start which included four straight 300-yard passing games to open the season, Tulane has added a website with updated information on senior quarterback J.P. Losman at www.JP-Losman.com. With 22 passing TDs, and at least three in five of Tulane's seven games this year, the senior is tied for second in the nation in that category. In just seven games, Losman has surpassed his total number of TD passes from a year ago. Losman's total offense average of 300.3 yards per game ranks 12th nationally and with 24 TDs either passing (22) or rushing (2), Losman ranks fourth in the country in Points Responsible For. He totalled 303, 353, 349 and 350 yards passing in the Wave's first four games this season and he is completing 63 percent of his passes so far in 2003.
A Turnover Tale
Although the Green Wave is on the plus side when it comes to turnovers, albeit by the slimmest of margins (18 for opponents, 17 by Tulane), turnovers have really told the tale of the last three Tulane games. In those games -- all losses -- Tulane has committed 11 turnovers while its opponents have given Tulane the ball just three times. Meanwhile, in wins over Army and Mississippi State, the Green Wave gained 11 turnovers while committing just one. A similar story can be told by looking at J.P. Losman's interceptions. In the Wave's three wins, Losman has thrown one interception compared to 13 touchdown passes. In the Tulane losses, Losman has thrown seven INTs and nine TDs. Over the last two years, Tulane is 7-0 when Losman does not throw an interception.
He Scores Too!
With 36 career touchdowns after adding a 25-yard, tackle-breaking jaunt versus Louisville, Mewelde Moore ranks second in Tulane history and needs just two scores to break the 75-year-old Green Wave school record for TDs, set by Bill Banker from 1927-29. The senior also ranks second in C-USA history in touchdowns, five behind the all-time record of 41 by Cincinnati's DeMarco McCleskey.
Down to the Wire
Apparently, whichever team gets ahead by three at the end of Tulane games will come out the victor. Four of Tulane's seven games have been decided by a three-point margin with Tulane winning the Northwestern State (27-24) and Mississippi State (31-28) games on the last plays of the game, in overtime and regulation, respectively. TCU (35-38) and Houston (42-45), meanwhile, secured three-point wins over Tulane on the last plays of those games via an onside kick recovery and a sack, respectively.
Penalty-Free
For the first time under Chris Scelfo, a Tulane team finished the game with a "0" in the penalty category as the Wave was not penalized in the Louisville contest. Although a pair of pass interference infractions were called, one was declined by the Cardinals while the other was offset by a Louisville penalty. The previous low in penalties for a Scelfo-coached Tulane team was one in a 2001 loss to Army.
Taking the Fourth
Tulane is scoring nearly half of its points -- 107 of 231 -- in just a single quarter of action in 2003. The Green Wave posted 17 points in the final 4:50 to win the Mississippi State game, and in the season-opener versus TCU exploded for 28 points in the final 15 minutes to come back from a 31-7 deficit before falling, 38-35. Tulane and Army combined for 41 points in the final period, including 21 for the Green Wave. Versus Houston, Tulane scored 35 points in the second half, with 14 of those coming in the fourth, and the Wave continued the trend at Louisville with 21 of its 28 points coming in the second half, 14 in the final quarter. TU also scored seven points in the fourth quarter of the Northwestern State game and added the game-winning six in overtime. By contrast, Tulane continues to be slow out of the gate, putting up just 20 points in the first quarter of its seven games. The Wave has not scored in four of seven first quarters this year and has not scored more than seven points in a single opening period.
Line Time
Tulane's young offensive line continues to improve, with the two sophomores who man the left side of the line leading the way. Versus Texas, both left guard Matt Traina and left tackle Chris McGee graded out over 80 percent to record their top marks of the season as Tulane totalled 156 rushing yards. Versus Houston, Traina earned the Tulane Coaches' Offensive Player of the Week honors, the first offensive lineman to pick up the award this year. McGee followed that by earning the Offensive Player of the Week honor after the Louisville game as the Wave garnered a season-high 160 rushing yards. Both Matt Traina (his twin brother Joe starts beside him at center) and McGee have started 20 consecutive games dating back to 2002.
He's Number One
Tulane running back Mewelde Moore broke the Conference USA career record for rushing yards on a season-long 26-yard carry in the second half versus Mississippi State, surpassing the mark of 3,636 yards gained by Houston's Ketric Sanford (1996-99). Moore finished the game with 92 yards on 23 carries to add the league record for all-time carries. Then on a three-yard rush versus Texas, Moore broke the C-USA career all-purpose mark, also held by Sanford (5,817).
Fred's Firsts
Tulane's Fred Smith made his first career catch count versus Houston when the Slidell, La. product reached up to grab a J.P. Losman toss and half dove/half ran the remaining few yards into the end zone for a touchdown. That continued a trend of successful "firsts" for the freshman. Versus TCU in the season opener, Smith scored on the first kickoff return of his career when he brought a kick back 100 yards for a touchdown. His 581 kickoff return yards to date already rank ninth on the Tulane single season list.
Fourth-Quarter Phenom
As Tulane has been successful in the fourth quarter on offense, so has quarterback J.P. Losman. In the fourth quarter of Tulane's seven games (plus overtime versus Northwestern State), Losman is completing 73.3 percent of his passes (63-of-86) for 877 yards, 11 touchdowns and two interceptions. Those figures account for 43 percent of Losman's total passing yards and fully half of his touchdown passes. In addition, Losman played sparingly late in losses to Texas and Louisville, and passed less than five times each in those quarters.
That's A Lot of Tackles
When Houston ran a Tulane opponent record 105 plays, it provided opportunities for Green Wave defenders to pile up some tackle totals. In all, Tulane players were credited with 139 tackles in the Houston game, which was actually the fourth game this year when Tulane totalled 100 or more tackles. However, the 139 credited (by Tulane coaches' film) far exceeded the previous high of 107. Five players finished the Houston game with doubles figures in tackles, led by safeties Joey Dawson and Tra Boger, who tallied 14 and 13, respectively. Anthony Cannon checked in with 12 stops, Brandon Spincer tallied 11 with a pass break up and a sack, while freshman Billy Harrison, making his first start, came through with a season-high 10 stops and a sack.
Free Football
In just the second overtime game in Tulane history history, All-America candidates J.P. Losman and Mewelde Moore hooked up on a 23-yard touchdown pass on the Green Wave's second play of OT to give Tulane a hard-fought 27-24 victory over Northwestern State at Tad Gormley Stadium. The Tulane defense had held NSU to a field goal on its overtime possession. Tulane is now 1-1 all-time in overtime.
Comeback Win
The Green Wave put together its second fantastic finish in as many weeks versus Mississippi State, scoring 17 points in the final 4:50 of the game to claim the win. Starting at the 8:22 mark of the fourth quarter, J.P. Losman completed 13-of-17 passes to seven different receivers for 146 yards, with TD passes of one and 13 yards to Jerome Landry and Chris Bush respectively. On the final drive, which began at the MSU 49-yard line with 1:45 on the clock, Losman hit Roydell Williams and Bubba Terranova on completions of 15 and 17 yards to set up Barrett Pepper's game-winning field goal.
Moore's "Double Triple"
Mewelde Moore added to his career legend with an amazing performance versus Northwestern State as the senior notched the second "Double Triple" of his career, hitting triple figures in both rushing and receiving yards while also establishing a career high with three TD catches. Moore totalled 100 rushing yards on 16 carries for the game and tied his career high with nine catches for 116 receiving yards. The only player in school history to record a "double triple," Moore previously accomplished the feat versus Navy in 2001.
Preseason Honors
Moore was recognized by Conference USA coaches this summer when he was selected the league's Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. Moore was one of three Tulane players named to the league's preseason all-conference team as he was joined on the list by offensive tackle Chris McGee and receiver Roydell Williams.
MeweldeMoore.net
All of the latest information on Tulane All-America candidate Mewelde Moore is available on the internet at www.MeweldeMoore.net. The site includes links to the latest newspaper clips on Moore, Tulane press releases about his honors and awards, updated statistics and records and quotes on the Tulane all-star.
Coming Up
Tulane takes to the road for the first of three straight road games, and for its last non-conference game of the year, with an afternoon game at Navy.
ON THE AIR
Tulane-Memphis on TV
There is no television broadcast of the Tulane-Memphis game. Fully half of eight games so far this year have been televised with the Navy game scheduled to air on CN8 across the East Coast.
Tulane-ISP Radio Network
Tulane games will be heard in the New Orleans area on WTIX-FM (94.3), WTIX-AM (690) and WJSH-FM (104.7) in 2003 as part of a 13-station network that stretches across the state and even into Florida. Sean Kelley calls the play-by-play action while former Tulane wide receiver Steve Barrios returns with color commentary and Todd Graffagnini is back on the sideline beat.
Tulane 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. during the season. Tulane radio voice Sean Kelley hosts the show, which is broadcast live from Superior Grill on St. Charles Ave. in New Orleans.
Tulane Football
with Coach Chris Scelfo
"Tulane Football with Coach Chris Scelfo," will get you ready for the big game with game highlights and player features. Hosted by Sean Kelley, the show airs Saturday mornings at 10:30 a.m. throughout Louisiana on Cox Sports TV.
"Ringside" Radio
Tulane Athletics will be the featured topic on the radio show "Ringside" with host Jeff Crouere each Wednesday from 1:30 to 2 p.m. on WTIX-AM 690 in New Orleans. Tulane coaches, players and staff will be featured each week throughout the 2003-2004 school year
