Football Meets Mississippi State Saturday
Sep 8, 2003 | Football
Sept. 8, 2003
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TULANE (1-1, 0-1) vs. MISSISSIPPI STATE (0-1, 0-0)
September 13, 2003 -- 7:00 p.m. (CDT)
New Orleans, La. -- Louisiana Superdome (69,767)
TULANE HEAD COACH Chris Scelfo
In his fifth season as the Tulane head coach, Chris Scelfo has a career record of 22-28 to rank eighth in wins. He became the first Tulane coach to win two bowl games at the school with the Green Wave's win in the Hawai'i Bowl. 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 others in Tulane wins, including former coaches Greg Davis, Mack Brown, Buddy Teevens, Tommy Bowden and Larry Smith.
Back on Schedule
After playing two games in six days to start the season, the Green Wave plays its third straight home game, hosting SEC foe Mississippi State at the Louisiana Superdome in a 7 p.m. contest.
Free Football
In just the second overtime game in its history, Tulane 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. The victory evened the Wave's record at 1-1 on the year. Tulane is now 1-1 all-time in overtime.
103 Years
Although they have not played since 1994, Mississippi State is one of the Green Wave's oldest foes as the two teams first met on November 9, 1901 in New Orleans with Tulane claiming a 24-6 win. Saturday's game is the 54th between the teams; Tulane has met only LSU (94) and Ole Miss (69) more times in its history. Nineteen meetings came when the two schools were members of the Southeastern Conference with MSU owning an 11-8 edge in those games as well as a 27-24-2 lead in the overall series. The Bulldogs have won the last five meetings with Tulane's last victory in 1988 by a 27-22 score.
Vs. the SEC
Tulane is 156-231-24 all-time versus teams from the Southeastern Conference, including during the 33 seasons it was a member of the league. Tulane's last on-the-field win over an SEC team came in 1989 when the Green Wave defeated Vanderbilt 37-13. (TU earned a win via forfeit over Alabama in 1993.) Since the '89 Vandy game, Tulane has lost 24 straight contests to SEC foes. Chris Scelfo is 0-3 versus the SEC since becoming the head coach at Tulane.
Air Time
In all, at least five Tulane games are slated for broadcast on a national, regional or syndicated cable telecast in 2003. In addition to the TCU and Louisville games on ESPN, ESPN Regional will air Tulane's games at Army and at Southern Miss with those games picked up on cable networks around the country, including Cox Sports Television in Louisiana and Florida. The Tulane-Navy game will be shown up and down the East Coast on CN8 while any television plans for the Texas game will be announced 12 days before the game.
Record Watch
Tulane running back Mewelde Moore needs just 46 rushing yards to become the all-time leading rusher in Conference USA history. After adding to his school and league record with his 17th career 100-yard rushing game last week, the senior from Baton Rouge has 3,591 yards on 759 carries. Houston's Ketric Sanford is C-USA's all-time leader with 3,636 yards from 1996-99.
Home Sweet 'Dome
Since moving into the Superdome in 1975, the Green Wave is 74-88 (a .457 winning percentage) all-time in its home stadium. The Green Wave is 0-1 in the Superdome so far in 2003 but won four of its six 'Dome games last year and is 25-13 (.658) in the building since the beginning of the 1997 season.
Moore's "Double Triple"
Mewelde Moore added to his career legend with another amazing performance last week versus NSU 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 touchdown catches. Moore totalled 100 rushing yards on 16 carries for the game and tied his career high with nine catches for 116 receiving yards. It was the 17th 100-yard rushing and fourth 100-yard receiving day of Moore's career. The only player in school history to record a "double triple," Moore previously accomplished the feat versus Navy in 2001 with 131 rushing and 130 receiving yards.
More on Moore
Mewelde Moore also ranks in Tulane's Top six receivers all-time (in catches) and is eighth in career receiving yardage with 1,799 yards. His 14 career touchdown catches are tied for seventh while his 31 total TDs tie him for second all-time. With 5,472 career all-purpose yards, the Tulane career record holder needs 346 yards to become C-USA's all-time leader in that category as well, surpassing Ketric Sanford of Houston who had 5,817 all-purpose yards from 1996-99.
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. The Wave's Shaun King picked up the postseason Offensive Player of the Year award twice, in 1997 and 1998.
Stellar Start
Freshman kick return/receiver Fred Smith had about as good a start to his collegiate career as you can get as he scored on a 100-yard kickoff return the very first time he touched the ball as a collegian. The Destrehan (La.) product became the second player in Conference USA and Superdome collegiate history to score on a 100-yard kickoff return. Smith finished the day with three returns for 138 yards and was named the C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week. He leads C-USA in kickoff returns.
Welcome Back
Junior receiver Roydell Williams, who missed the last 10 games of the 2002 season with a broken ankle, has returned with a vengeance. Versus TCU, the LaPlace, La. product caught five passes for 110 yards, including a 68-yarder that set up his two-yard TD reception from J.P. Losman. It marked the fourth 100-yard receiving game of his career.
It's Better to Receive
After Tulane receivers combined to record just one 100-yard receiving day in 2002 (Carl Davis' 111 yards on four catches versus UL-Monroe), the Green Wave has seen three players total 100 yards receiving through the first two games. In addition to Williams' 110-yard day versus TCU, Mewelde Moore (116) and Chris Bush (six catches for 105 yards) each recorded 100 or more yards versus Northwestern State. Bush had the top day of his Tulane career in the game with the Demons.
Fresh Faces
The 2003 recruiting class made an impact in its first game as 14 true freshmen and five redshirt freshmen saw action in the Wave's season-opener. The 14 true freshmen included starters Israel Route (nickel back) and Barrett Pepper (kicker) while Jeremy Foreman (CB) and Chris Beckman (P) are two of the four redshirt freshmen who started. True freshmen who played included: Alton Widemon, Route, Fred Smith, Carlis Jackson, Preston Brown, Pepper, Kelvin Johnson, Patrick Benford, Billy Harrison, Kenneth Guidroz, Alvin Johnson, Craig Morris and Tremell Jack. On the redshirt side, Terrence Peterson, Derek Rogers and Taurean Brown joined Foreman and Beckman in the game.
On D: Youth is Served
With eight new starters, the Green Wave defense was Tulane's most inexperienced unit entering the year. However, now youth is added to the inexperience as eight freshmen are listed in second team positions on the depth chart. At times during the first two games, defensive line coach Giff Smith has played a line composed of four freshmen in ends Alvin Johnson and Billy Harrison and tackles Taurean Brown and Tremell Jack. At linebacker, true freshmen Kelvin Johnson and Patrick Benford have both seen action, while Israel Route has claimed the starting nickel back spot as well as return duties. Alton Widemon is listed as the Wave's second teamer at the left cornerback spot.
Back-to-Back
Quarterback J.P. Losman became the third player in Tulane history to record back-to-back 300-yard passing games after following his 303-yard performance in the season opener with 353 passing yards last week. Losman joined his predecessors, Patrick Ramsey and Shaun King, as the only TU players with back-to-back 300-yard days. However, he is the first player to accomplish the feat in the first two games of a season. Losman has five career 300-yard passing days.
Career Days for DBs
In the Green Wave defensive backfield, a trio of Tulane players had career tackle totals versus Northwestern State with Tra Boger leading the way with 13 stops from his strong safety position. Boger also forced a pair of fumbles, although the Green Wave was unable to recover any of the six fumbles they forced last Saturday. At free safety, Joey Dawson also compiled his career high in tackles with 10, eight solo while also picking up defensive player of the game accolades from Tulane coaches. Sophomore cornerback Sean Lucas recorded a career high 10 tackles, seven solo, and added a tackle for loss, a pass break-up and his first interception of the season versus the Demons.
Captains
Mewelde Moore and J.P. Losman were voted Tulane's offensive team captains for the second straight season while defensive linemen Terrence Tarver and Daniel Nevil were named the defensive leaders. The four were selected in voting by their teammates.
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.
On The Watch
Moore has been named a preseason candidate for the Doak Walker Running Back Award for the third straight season and was named to the 42-man "Watch List" for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award. Moore was a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award in 2001 as a sophomore. Meanwhile, quarterback J.P. Losman, was named to the preseason Watch List for the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award and for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, which is limited to seniors. On the defensive side, sophomore linebacker Anthony Cannon was named to the initial Watch List for the 2003 Butkus Award, presented to the nation's top linebacker by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando.
Losman Goes Long
Senior quarterback 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. The California native leads C-USA in passing yardage and total offense.
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.
Eventful Debut
Freshman kicker Barrett Pepper was called on to execute almost everything in his repertoire in his collegiate debut in the Green Wave's game versus TCU. The Bastrop, La. product made five PATs and handled six kickoffs, with two downed in the endzone. He also had an onsides kickoff attempt and missed a 47-yard field goal. Pepper was even called upon to make a tackle on a kickoff, which he did.
Proof Is In the Punting
Freshman punter Chris Beckman followed a solid debut versus TCU with a nice performance in the Northwestern State game, kicking six times for a 43.8-yard average, including one inside the 20 and a career-long 50-yard kick. With 12 kicks for a 42.5-yard average through the season's first two games, Beckman ranks third in C-USA in punting average. In the TCU game, Beckman had three of his six punts downed inside the 20-yard line.
At It Again
The Tulane defense picked up where it left off last year in terms of scoring. After setting a school record with six defensive TDs a year ago, cornerback Bruce Youmans put the Green Wave "D" on the board in 2003 with a 35-yard fumble return in the fourth quarter versus TCU. The score was the first of Youman's career.
Quick Kicks
Middle linebacker Brandt Quick was credited with 12 tackles in each of the last two games to give him five double-digit tackle days in the last six games...tight end Jerome Landry doubled his career catch total with three grabs versus TCU. The sophomore had three catches last year, two for scores and currently has four receptions on the year...TCU had not given up 35 points in a regular season game since UAB scored 38 on Nov. 10, 2001...Mewelde Moore has gained 142 of the Green Wave's 149 net rushing yards this season...Roydell Williams has caught passes in 17 straight games in which he has played dating back to his freshman season of 2000.
Up Next
Next week, the Green Wave takes to the road for the first time in 2003 with a trip to West Point, N.Y. to meet Army. Tulane will play its third game at Army in the last four years. The road contest is the first of two straight for Tulane, which travels to Texas the following week.
On the Air
Tulane-Mississippi St. on TV
There is no television broadcast of the Tulane-Mississippi State game.
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.
