Tulane University Senior Quarterback J.P. Losman
Sep 24, 2003 | Football
Red-Hot
Tulane quarterback J.P. Losman is one of the nation's hottest signal-callers as the senior tallied his fourth straight 300-yard passing game last week. Losman's 15 passing TDs and 1,355 passing yards lead the nation. He has totalled 303, 353, 349 and 350 yards passing in the Wave's four games this season while completing nearly 64 percent of his passes. The senior also ranks second in the nation in total offense and is climbing the career charts in all of Tulane's passing categories.
Seven on 7: Seven Quick Notes on #7
- One of the nation's hottest quarterbacks who threw for 350 yards versus Army on 26-of-34 passing while tying a school record (again) with five touchdown tosses.
- Has recorded four straight 300-yard passing games in 2003 and ranks second in the country in total offense with 353.0 yards per game.
- Completing 63.7 percent of his throws (109-of-171) while his 15 touchdown passes lead the nation.
- Put on a fourth-quarter clinic vs. Mississippi State to bring Tulane back from a 28-14 deficit. Completed 13-of-17 passes for 146 yards with two TD passes in the last 8:22 of the game and finished the game hitting 29-of-47 passes for 349 yards, four TDs and no INTs.
- Threw for 353 yards in the overtime win over Northwestern State, following a 303-yard day versus TCU.
- One of the nation's top senior quarterbacks who has been named to the Preseason Watch List for the Davey O'Brien Quarterback Award and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.
- Completed 25-of-42 passes for 303 yards with two TDs in the TCU game, including a career-long 68-yard completion and a career-long 34-yard rush.
Fourth-Quarter Phenom
While Losman's overall numbers put him among the national leaders, his stats in the fourth quarter alone are out of this world. In the fourth quarter (plus overtime versus Northwestern State) of Tulane's four games, Losman has completed 46-of-62 passes (74.2 percent) for 615 yards, nine touchdowns and one interception. His quarterback rating for the fourth quarter alone is an astounding 202.19. Losman game-by-game in the 4th quarter so far this year:
vs. TCU: 10-of-12, 161 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
*vs. NSU: 8-of-13, 104 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INT
(*includes 1-of-1 in overtime)
vs. MSU: 16-of-23, 176 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INT
vs. Army: 12-of-14, 174 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INT
Back-to-Back-to-Back-to-Back
Quarterback J.P. Losman joined his predecessors, Patrick Ramsey and Shaun King, as the only TU players to record back-to-back 300-yard passing days in the first two games of the season and then added to the streak with 300 yards in each of the next two games. Losman is the first player to accomplish the feat in the first four games of a season. The record for consecutive 300-yard games is five by Ramsey between Sept. 11 and Oct. 16, 1999.
Practically New
An impressive aspect of Losman's impressive statistics this season has been the fact that he is doing it with a very young offensive line. In the last two weeks, Tulane has started an O-line composed of four sophomores and a redshirt freshman in Derek Rogers at right tackle. All told, the five have just 42 starts between them with Rogers, center Joe Traina and guard Donald Madlock combining for only eight starts. Guard Matt Traina (twin of Joe) and tackle Chris McGee have both started 17 consecutive games dating back to the first game of last year.
Losman Goes Long
J.P. Losman recorded both the longest pass and longest rush of his Tulane career versus TCU while passing for 303 yards on a 25-of-42 night. Losman hit Roydell Williams with a 68-yard completion in the fourth quarter and later in that quarter picked up 36 yards on his career-long rush.
J.P. in Draft Ratings
Losman has garnered plenty of preseason attention of his own as he has been rated at the top of the NFL's scouting service rankings for senior players. Losman and Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning are projected as the top two senior quarterbacks in the nation. This summer, Losman was featured in an article in ESPN The Magazine.
Equal Opportunity Passer
While Mewelde Moore and Roydell Williams join Losman as the "stars" in the Tulane lineup, Losman has no qualms delivering passes to other players. This season, the #7 has completed passes to 10 different players. Moore leads the way with 25 receptions out of the backfield while Williams has 24 receptions. Both of those players have snagged four TD strikes from Losman, while Tristan Smith (3 touchdowns), Chris Bush (2), Nick Narcisse (1) and Jerome Landry (1) have also caught scoring passes.
Awards and Honors
Losman entered the season with his name on a pair of preseason "Watch Lists." The senior signal-caller is a candidate for both the Davey O'Brien Quarterback Award and the Johnny Unites Golden Arm Award. In addition, Losman has won a pair of weekly honors this season. Folowing his amazing fourth-quarter against Mississippi State, the senior was named the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week. Then, after matching a school record with five touchdown passes against Army, Losman was honored by the Louisiana Sportswriters Association as its Offensive Player of the Week for the state.
