Green Wave Battles UAB Saturday
Nov 3, 2003 | Football
Nov. 3, 2003
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TULANE (3-6, 1-4) at UAB (4-5, 3-2)
November 8, 2003 -- 3 p.m. (CST)
Birmingham, Ala.-- Legion Field (83,091)
Head Coach Chris Scelfo
In his fifth season as the Tulane head coach, Chris Scelfo has a career record of 24-33 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
Top of the Class
Tulane Athletics, and specifically Tulane Football, continues to rank at the top of the NCAA heap in terms of graduation rates of its student-athletes. The football squad ranked 10th in the nation this year as 79 percent of the football players who entered school in 1996-97 graduated. In addition, 82 percent of the African-American football student-athletes earned their degrees. The Green Wave's overall graduation rate was also at 79 percent, the 14th-best mark in the nation.
Middle of the Road
Tulane faces the middle opponent in a three-game road swing with this trip to Birmingham to take on UAB. Despite a five-game losing streak, the Green Wave still has a chance to become bowl-eligible, but must win the remainder of its games to have a chance to play in the post-season.
On Schedule
Tulane is in the midst of a stretch during which it will play four of its last six games of the season on the road. Following the game at UAB, Tulane makes the short trip up the road to Hattiesburg to take on Southern Miss before concluding the regular season in the Superdome versus East Carolina.
Last Time Out
The Green Wave held Navy to just 35 points, the lowest total by a Tulane opponent in five games, and 414 total yards, the lowest total for a Tulane opponent all season, but the Midshipmen built a 21-10 halftime lead and turned it into a 35-17 victory over TU. The Wave suffered its fifth straight loss as Navy converted on 10-of-12 third downs on offense while holding the Tulane offense in check throughout the game. The Green Wave could not take advantage of four Navy turnovers, scoring just three points off the giveaways.
When Last We Met
In the Superdome last year, a hot Tulane team held UAB to just 14 points while scoring two touchdowns on a pair of laterals and two more on J.P. Losman touchdown passes to claim a 35-14 win over the Blazers. The Green Wave scored 28 first-half points, including one touchdown just before the half, while the Wave defense recorded six sacks and limited UAB to 292 yards of total offense.
Series Situation
The Tulane-UAB series has the shortest history of any on the 2003 schedule as the teams first met in 1999, the Blazers' first year as a Conference USA football member. UAB won that memorable series opener, 23-20 in Tulane's first overtime game ever. Last year, the Wave got its first win over UAB. The Wave will be looking for its first win on the Blazers' home field in its second trip there. Two years ago, Tulane's comeback attempt against one of the nation's best defenses fell just short when Patrick Ramsey's final pass was intercepted in a 34-27 UAB victory.
In Conference
In seven seasons of competition, Tulane is 22-28 (.440) in Conference USA games after posting a 4-4 C-USA record a year ago, but the Green Wave is just 1-4 versus the league so far in 2003. Tulane's lone league win so far in 2003 came at Army, 50-33 as it is 1-1 on the road in C-USA. 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 46-66-2 (.412) all-time versus schools that currently comprise C-USA.
What More, Moore?
What more can be said about Tulane all-everything back Mewelde Moore? Well, what more can Moore do? The senior from Baton Rouge followed a season-high 159-yard performance versus Memphis with his fifth straight 100-yard rushing game versus Navy. It was the sixth time this season, and the 22nd time in his career, that Moore has reached the century mark in rushing yards. The most productive back in Tulane history, Moore continues to add to his Green Wave legend, and to his 23 Tulane and seven Conference USA records. He has 915 rushing yards on the season and is within reach of the third 1,000-yard rushing season of his Tulane career, which would be a school record as well. And it's not just rushing. Moore is in the Tulane Top 10 and in the C-USA Top 10 in career catches and receiving yards, the only running back on either list. For more on Moore, go to www.MeweldeMoore.net.
Yappin' About the YAC
Research by Tulane coaches shows that Mewelde Moore is indeed a master at creating his own yards after contact (YAC). This season alone, 660 of Moore's 915 rushing yards have been gained by the senior after the first contact by the opponent. His "YAC" account for more than 72 percent of his season total. His top YAC games in terms of percentage have come against Army (all of his 55 yards came after the first hit), Mississippi State (80-of-92, 87%), and Texas (96-of-114, 84%). In six of Tulane's nine games this year, his YAC total has accounted for at least 70 percent of his total rushing yards.
Mr. Consistency
With 170 all-purpose yards versus Navy, Mewelde Moore climbed past Ladainian Tomlinson of TCU into 11th place on the NCAA Division I-A all-time list, and he is just eight yards out of the Top 10. Texas' Ricky Williams holds the NCAA career record with 7,206 all-purpose yards from 1995-98.
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 123 rushing and 57 receiving yards. The C-USA and Tulane career leader in rushing and all-purpose yards, Moore now has 4,364 rushing and 2,059 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.
Respectable
Of Tulane's six losses this season, all have come to teams which currently sport a winning record and at least five wins on the year, while three of the teams that have defeated the Green Wave are ranked this week in TCU (#12 ESPN/USA Today), Texas (#11) and Louisville (#25). The five teams Tulane has lost to currently have a combined record of 39-12, including 8-0 TCU and 7-1 Louisville. Texas is 7-2 while Memphis and Navy are both 6-3 and Houston is 5-3.
The "Survivors"
Through nine games, Tulane has just eight players who have started every game this year. A year ago, 12 Green Wave players made it through the entire season, starting all 12 regular season games. Six of this year's "survivors" are on offense in QB J.P. Losman, OT Chris McGee, RB Mewelde Moore, WR Nick Narcisse, OG Matt Traina and WR Roydell Williams. Defensively, Sean Lucas has started at three different positions in the secondary at right and left cornerback and at free safety while getting the start in all nine games. Senior defensive tackle Terrence Tarver is the only player on the Green Wave defense who has started every game at the same position this year.
New Line-Up
Tulane has started eight different line-ups on defense in its nine games so far this year. Versus Navy, redshirt freshman Michael Purcell made his first career start at defensive end after coming back from a preseason knee injury. In addition, Taurean Brown returned to the starting defensive line while Winfred Brown made his first start of the year at free safety, and his second start overall. In addition, Jeremy Foreman got the start at right cornerback in place of freshman Alton Widemon, who was ill. The changes came after the most recent defensive injuries, to Joey Dawson and Michael Roberts. Roberts had surgery last week on his left foot and is out for the remainder of the season while Dawson dislocated his toe in the Memphis game and is out indefinitely. The only games this year when Tulane started the same line-up on defense were the Mississippi State and Army contests, both Green Wave wins.
Ready to Return
Tulane freshman Fred Smith is already having one of the most prolific years by a Tulane kickoff return man with 31 returns for 706 yards to date in 2003. Smith's marks already rank sixth in single season yardage and in returns at Tulane. He needs three returns and 70 yards to move into the top three in a single season all-time.
Harrison is HOT
Another of the many true freshmen contributing in a big way for Tulane this year is defensive end Billy Harrison, a Pensacola, Fla. product who made his fourth start versus Navy. With a pair of tackles for loss in the game, including a quarterback sack, Harrison took over the team lead in both of those categories. The top tackler on the Tulane defensive line this year with 46 stops, Harrison's 6.5 tackles for loss and three sacks rank first among Tulane defenders. In his four starts since the injury to senior Daniel Nevil, Harrison has compiled 33 tackles with three sacks and five tackles for loss.
Smith On the List
With five catches in the Navy game, Tristan Smith now has 99 career grabs to rank 14th on the Green Wave career chart for receptions. In fact, with Mewelde Moore fourth on the list and Roydell Williams eighth, the current Tulane team features three of the top 14 pass-catchers in Green Wave history. Smith needs 12 catches to tie Kerwin Cook for 13th on the career receptions chart. He has caught passes in Tulane's last 21 games over the last two seasons while Williams' receptions streak is at 24, not including the games he missed while injured last year.
The Century Mark
With three games still remaining, a trio of Tulane defenders is nearing the century mark in tackles this season, led by junior strong safety Tra Boger who is having a career year with 95 stops so far. He is followed on the tackle chart by linebackers Brandt Quick and Anthony Cannon, with 87 and 86 tackles, respectively. The last time Tulane had three players pass the 100-tackle mark was in 1992 when Mike Staid (133), Wilbert Gilmore (118) and Willie Smith (100) all went over the 100-tackle mark. The fourth man on the Tulane tackle chart this year, Sean Lucas, also has a chance to top 100 stops as he enters this game with 81 on the year.
Pressed Into Service
Sixteen freshmen -- five redshirts and 11 true -- have played significant roles for Tulane this year, with 12 of those having started games and nearly all of the rest listed no lower than second on the depth chart. Redshirt defensive lineman Michael Purcell is the latest freshman starter added to the list as he opened the game at end and was joined by fellow redshirt Taurean Brown and true freshman Billy Harrison on the line, and Jeremy Foreman at cornerback. Against Louisville, Tulane started four true freshmen on defense in end Harrison, cornerback Alton Widemon (3rd start), and Alvin (DT) and Kelvin (LB) Johnson (no relation). 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 ninth consecutive games. Other freshmen starters for the Green Wave this year have included true freshman Israel Route (nickel) and offensive lineman Derek Rogers, the only offensive rookie to start.
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. Defensive end Michael Roberts and safety Joey Dawson are the latest additions to the list as Roberts underwent season-ending foot surgery and Dawson dislocated his toe. On a roster that numbers just 88 players, 24 (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 127 games missed due to injury. Of those 24 players, 17 are defenders and at least 14 have started games or were projected to start. The injury list has included linebackers (Blake Baker, Wesley Heath, Anthony Cannon), offensive linemen (Jimmy Kosienski, Will Blaylock), tight ends (Bobby Hoover), defensive backs (Jeremy Foreman, Joey Dawson, Darren Sapp, Alton Widemon) and defensive linemen (Bamm Mateen, Daniel Nevil, Michael Roberts, Tremell Jack).
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. In addition, in the last three weeks, Tulane has experimented by moving a pair of offensive linemen (Willie Christian and Mark Burgess), a linebacker (Brandt Quick) and a wide receiver (Preston Brown) to the defensive line. Christian, less than three weeks after moving to d-line, started the Memphis game at defensive end in place of the injured Michael Roberts. A visual look at what a defensive line depth chart might have looked like prior to the losses.
Of this list, 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 is currently in the line-up while Roberts, Purcell and Jack have all missed games due to injury this year.
It's Good
Freshman Barrett Pepper hit a career-long 41-yard field goal at the end of the first half at Navy to record his first three-pointer in six games and just the second of his career. Since Pepper's game-winning 32-yarder at the end of the Mississippi State game, Tulane had attempted just one field goal, a 38-yarder, versus Army. On the season and for his career, Pepper is now 2-of-5 on field goals while hitting 31-of-33 PATs.
Special Specialist
Freshman punter Chris Beckman has had the three best punting days of the season, and of his career, over the last three weeks, and now ranks third in Conference USA in punting with a 42.0 average. In the last three games, Beckman has punted 19 times for a 44.0-yard average. Beckman has established a new career long punt in each of the last two weeks with a 54-yard effort versus Memphis and a 56-yarder at Navy.
Williams' Ways
Back from a broken ankle which led to a redshirt season last year, junior Roydell Williams notched his fourth 100-yard game of the year, and the seventh of his career, versus Louisville, while adding his 20th career TD. Last week versus Navy, Williams tied his season high with 10 catches, six of those coming on Tulane's field goal drive at the end of the first half. The LaPlace, La. native leads Tulane in receiving with 51 catches for 731 yards and six TDs as both his yardage and TD totals are more than any Green Wave receiver recorded in 2002. He has caught at least one pass in his last 24 games. 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 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 the seventh and eighth players in Tulane history to surpass the 2,000-yard mark in career receiving yards. Williams had a 54-yard catch in the fourth quarter to put him over the 2,000-yard mark. He now ranks sixth on the career yardage list with 2,126. Moore, meanwhile, passed the 2,000-yard barrier on a 29-yard catch and run and now has 2,059 career receiving yards. He is the only running back on the 2,000-yard receiver list, and on the C-USA career receiving chart, where he ranks seventh in catches and 11th in yards.
A Rarity
Tulane's defense added two points to the team total versus Memphis when Anthony Cannon blocked the Tiger PAT attempt and Jeremy Foreman scooped up the ball and took it all the way back for the defensive PAT conversion. Cannon's block was Tulane's first blocked PAT in three seasons and 38 games, since Roxie Shelvin preserved a Green Wave win over UL-Lafayette on Oct. 7, 2000 with a block late in the game. The Wave's last blocked field goal was two games after that in that 2000 season.
A Finalist
Tulane senior J.P. Losman was named one of seven finalists for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, joining Eli Manning (Ole Miss), Jon Navarre (Michigan), Matt Schaub (Virginia), Jason White (Oklahoma), Philip Rivers (N.C. State and B.J. Symons (Texas Tech) on the list. The senior's 24 passing TDs rank tied for sixth in the nation and he has thrown at least one touchdown pass TD tosses in each of Tulane's games this year. Losman currently ranks second in Conference USA in passing and in total offense. The California native totalled 303, 353, 349 and 350 yards passing in the Wave's first four games this season. Complete information on the Tulane quarterback, who has been rated one of the top seniors in the 2004 NFL draft, is available at www.JP-Losman.com.
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. Traina earned the Tulane Coaches' Offensive Player of the Week honors after the Houston game while McGee followed that by earning the honor versus Louisville and Jimmy Kosienski took the same award after the Navy contest. Just sophomores, both Matt Traina (his twin brother Joe starts beside him at center) and McGee have started 22 consecutive games dating back to 2002.
The Grass is Greener
Through the first eight games of the year, Tulane has played on just about every surface out there with its fifth "grass" game up next at UAB. Tulane is 1-3 on grass in 2003 and two of those outings have come in home games as the Green Wave is 1-1 on the grass surface of Tad Gormley Stadium. In all, Tulane will play six games on grass in 2003, including each of the three road games in the current stretch. Under Chris Scelfo, the Wave is 8-18 on grass since the Liberty Bowl game in 1998.
All-Surface
In addition to its six grass games, Tulane will play three games on the Astroturf of the Superdome, as well as one on the FieldTurf surface at Louisville and once on the AstroPlay field at Army. Why THREE games and not four, even though the Wave plays in the Superdome four times? On Oct. 23, the Superdome announced plans to remove the seven-year-old Astroturf and replace it with AstroPlay, the same surface which is on Tulane's Westfeldt Practice Facility fields. The new surface will be in place for the New Orleans Saints game on Sunday, Nov. 16th and thus for the Wave's contest versus East Carolina the following Saturday. Tulane is 75-89 all-time on the 'Dome's Astroturf.
Slow-Starting
Tulane continues to start slow on the offensive end, having scored just 20 of its 257 points in the first quarter of its nine games. The Green Wave has been held scoreless in the opening period six times, including in each of its last four losses, and has not scored more than seven points in the first quarter in any game this year. During its current five-game losing streak, the Wave has scored just 30 first-HALF points. By contrast, Tulane has scored 122 points, or 47 percent of its total, after the third quarter, exploding for 28 points versus TCU, scoring 17 in the fourth-quarter comeback versus Mississippi State and matching Army with 21 points in the final period. The Wave also put up 35 second-half points in the Houston game.
A Turnover Tale
Over the last two years, Tulane is 7-0 when quarterback J.P. Losman does not throw an interception, but the senior has not had an interception-free game during the Wave's current five-game losing streak. The Green Wave did win the turnover battle at Navy, picking up four Midshipmen turnovers, including two on special teams, while turning the ball over three times. However, Tulane turned its four turnovers into just three points while Navy turned Tulane's turnovers into seven points. On the year, the Green Wave is on the plus side when it comes to turnovers, albeit by only a 24-22 margin.
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). Then on a three-yard rush versus Texas, Moore broke the C-USA career all-purpose mark, also held by Sanford (5,817).
"Quicker" By the Dozen
Back to his "familiar" linebacker spot, Brandt Quick, the former Kansas State, fullback recorded 12 tackles in a game for the fifth time this year versus Memphis. The Mandeville senior ranks second on the Wave defense in tackles with 87 and has 58 solo stops to lead Tulane.
On the Air
Tulane-UAB on TV
The Tulane-UAB game will be broadcast on Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast, a 24-hour regional sports network with approximately four million viewers across 11 Southeastern states. A listing of the network's cable partners is available at www.css-sports.com.
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.
