Tulane Squares Off Against Tulsa For Senior Day
Nov 18, 2005 | Football
Nov. 18, 2005
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
2005 TULANE FOOTBALL
Game 10: Saturday, November 19, 2005; 1 p.m. (CST)
Monroe, La.; Malone Stadium (30,427)
GREEN WAVE FACTS
2005 Record: 2-7
2004 Record: 5-6
2004 C-USA Record/Finish: 3-5/t6th
Head Coach: Chris Scelfo
Alma Mater/Year: UL-Monroe/1985
Record at Tulane/Year: 33-47/7th
Career Record/Years: Same
Location: New Orleans, La.
Enrollment: 13,214
Conference: Conference USA
Stadium: Louisiana Superdome
Capacity: 64,900
President: Dr. Scott Cowen
Athletics Director: Rick Dickson
Interim Football SID: John Sudsbury
Cell Phone: 214-793-6363
E-Mail: sudsbury_2000@yahoo.com
Ticket Info: 800-488-5252
Website: www.TulaneGreenWave.com
2005 TULANE SCHEDULE AND RESULTS
SERIES FACTS
Games Played: 1
Series Record: 1-0
First Meeting: Nov. 9, 1968, TU, 25-15
Last Meeting: Nov. 9, 1968, TU, 25-15
at Neutral sites: 0-0
Current Streak: TU W1
Scelfo vs. Tulsa: 0-0
"Close to Home" Game
The Green Wave plays its final "home" game of the year this Saturday, and it is actually somewhat close to home, or close to its temporary home in Ruston, La. This weekend's game against Tulsa will be played at UL-Monroe's Malone Stadium, located just 32 miles from Ruston. The Wave will celebrate Senior Day, honoring its 15 seniors prior to the game. Tulane hopes to snap a six-game winning streak following Saturday's 42-34 loss to Rice. Tulsa, meanwhile, comes into this week's game with a 6-4 overall record. The Golden Hurricane became bowl-eligible last week with a 45-13 victory over East Carolina.
Last Week's Leaders
The top individual performer for the Green Wave last weekend was probably redshirt freshman quarterback Scott Elliott who completed 22-of-37 passes for 298 yards and three touchdowns in his first career start. Senior running back Jovon Jackson tallied 81 yards on 14 carries in the first half, but an injured hamstring ended his day at halftime. Receiver Preston Brown posted his fourth 90-yard receiving game of the year with four catches for exactly 90 yards, including a 68-yard scoring grab from Elliott. Defensively, senior linebacker Brandon Spincer registered his second straight double-figure tackle game with 10, while Antonio Harris and Tra Boger each added seven stops.
On the Run
Tulane evacuated New Orleans on Sunday, August 28th, the day before Hurricane Katrina came to shore. After two days sleeping on a gymnasium floor at Jackson State University (including the last 30 hours without electricity), the team moved on to Dallas to much plusher accommodations at a DoubleTree hotel. On Sept. 12, the Wave made the move to its "home" for the semester: Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, La.
Finally Football
After arriving on the Tulane campus on August 9, the Green Wave football team waited 39 days before hitting the field for a real game. Sixteen of those days were spent on the road fleeing Hurricane Katrina and its resulting destruction, before settling at Louisiana Tech University for the remainder of the season. The September 17th opening day marked the latest opening day for the Green Wave since the 1973 season when it debuted against Boston College on Sept. 22 with a 21-16 victory in New Orleans. That team finished the year 9-3 with the No. 20 ranking in the nation.
Elliott Debuts at Starter
Quarterback Scott Elliott made the first start of his career on Saturday against Rice. The redshirt freshman had seen action in four games, including extensive time against Navy, before stepping into the starter's role. The Bay City, Texas, native, who also made his first career high school start in Rice Stadium, completed 22-of-37 passes for 298 yards and three touchdowns. Elliott's stats compares favorably with the first start of Tulane's last four QBs - Shaun King (12-28, 182 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT), Patrick Ramsey (21-30, 196 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT), J.P. Losman (20-35, 299, 2 TD, 0 INT) and Lester Ricard (16-31, 135 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT).
Injury Bug
After battling logistical issues all season long due to Hurricane Katrina, the Green Wave football team has come up against another obstacle, albeit, a more common football problem - injuries. The Wave played without starting linebackers Anthony Cannon (finger) and Antonio Mason (hamstring) in the Rice game. In addition, second-string defensive end Billy Harrison (knee) missed the game and starting running back Jovon Jackson (hamstring), who rushed for 81 yards in the first half, did not play in the second half.
Senior Send-Off
Tulane will honor its 15 seniors prior to Saturday's game. The group combined to play in 519 games, recording 327 starts 1597 rushing yards, 85 receptions, 22 interceptions and 1548 tackles. The 15 seniors to be honored are: SS Tra Boger, LB Anthony Cannon, QB Chris Dawson, TE Bobby Hoover, RB Jovon Jackson, FS Sean Lucas, LB Antonio Mason, LT Chris McGee, S Darren Sapp, LB Brandon Spincer, WR Lyneal Strain, WR Bubba Terranova, C Joe Traina, LG Matt Traina and CB Bruce Youmans.
11 in 11
The Green Wave will play 11 games in 11 different stadiums this year. This weekend is Tulane's final "home" football game; it was scheduled for UL-Monroe's Malone Stadium on Nov. 19. This weekend's game will mark the 10th stadium of the year and then the Wave heads to Hattiesburg's M.M. Roberts Stadium next weekend when it will match the NCAA record of 11 games in 11 stadiums. Interestingly, the record was set in 1975 by none other than Southern Miss. In fact, current Southern Miss head coach Jeff Bower quarterbacked that Golden Eagles team which finished 8-3 while playing 11 games in 11 stadiums due to the rebuilding of its own stadium.
Malone Stadium
Tulane will be playing its second game in Malone Stadium. The first contest was a 2002 meeting with UL-Monroe, a 52-9 Green Wave victory. Saturday's game will wrap up a state-wide tour as the Wave will have played games at all four I-A stadiums in Louisiana (other than the Superdome) and the Independence Bowl in Shreveport.
A Sort of Homecoming
Saturday's game at Monroe's Malone Stadium will be a sort of homecoming for Chris Scelfo. The Tulane head coach played at UL-Monroe (then Northeast Louisiana) from 1981-84 with Malone Stadium as his home field. He served as a team captain as a senior. Green Wave offensive coordinator Frank Scelfo graduated from Northeast Louisiana (1981).
Pickoff Party
Tulane has intercepted five passes in the last three games to lift its season total to seven interceptions, one more than last season. After going three complete games without forcing a turnover, the Tulane defense snagged three interceptions against Marshall. Even more impressive was the fact that Bruce Youmans and Tra Boger (who had two pickoffs) each returned INTs for touchdowns - Youmans with a 51-yard return to knot the game at seven in the second quarter and Boger with a 66-yard return to give the Wave a 26-14 lead late in the third quarter. The last time Tulane had as many as three pickoffs in one game was against Army, on Sept. 20, 2003 when it had five against Army, including two by Boger.
No Competition
Senior Anthony Cannon has led the Green Wave in tackles in two of his first three seasons. He appears to have a third wrapped up. The linebacker has 92 tackles this year, 44 more than his next-highest teammate. He has led the team in tackles seven times this year, tallying 10+ takedowns in each of those games. With his 14 tackles against Marshall, the Georgia product surpassed 400 tackles for his career at Tulane - he now has 415, fourth all-time at Tulane, with 22 double-figure tackles games. Cannon, who has registered 100+ tackles in each of his first three seasons, also leads the team in tackles for loss (nine) and pass break-ups (five). He has 220 solo stops (eighth all-time); while his 195 assists rank third all-time for the Wave.
Good to be Back
Senior Tra Boger led the Green Wave with 133 tackles in 2003 and was prepared for a big year last year. However, an injury ended his season in the second game. After receiving a medical redshirt, he has returned in 2005 to again be a defensive leader for Tulane. Against Marshall, he snagged a pair of interceptions, returning one 66 yards for his first career touchdown. In 2002, he picked off a pass and returned it seven yards before lateralling to Sean Lucas who carried it another 53 yards for a score. Boger now has nine career interceptions (three on the year) to climb to ninth on the Tulane career list. He also has 53 tackles this year, third on the team, and 321 career tackles.
Showing Some Hart
While Barrett Pepper battled injuries this fall, walk-on freshman Jacob Hartgroves stepped into the place-kicking role and has successfully converted 25-of-27 extra point attempts. Both of his misses were blocked (against Southeastern Louisiana and Marshall). A three-time academic all-district honoree at Bryan (Texas) High School, Hartgroves booted a pair of field goals in the Rice game, Tulane's first multiple-field goal game since the 2002 Hawaii Bowl when Seth Marler connected on a pair. Hartgroves' four field goals this year match last year's total and are one more than the 2003 total.
Showing Some Courage
Tulane has been announced as a candidate for the FWAA Courage Award, which honors someone in college football on any level who shows great courage in the face of adversity. Candidates must display a courageous action on or off the field, overcome an injury or physical handicap, prevent a disaster or live through a lifetime of hardship. The Green Wave is one of 11 candidates for the award, sponsored by the Orange Bowl. The other 10 are individuals.
Taking Them to School
Tulane had four players honored as ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District first team selections this season. It is the most first-team selections the Green Wave has ever had. Senior offensive linemen Joe Traina and Matt Traina, senior linebacker Anthony Cannon and junior defensive end Michael Purcell all earned the honor. It was the third year in a row as a first team honoree for Matt Traina. Joe Traina made his second appearance on the first team and third overall. Cannon and Purcell were both second team selections last season.
Don't Forget Your Roots
Junior Preston Brown has stepped up as a go-to receiver for the Green Wave this season. However, he has not given up on his forte from his first two years at Tulane when he established himself as a premier special teams gunner. Against Marshall, he tallied a career-high five tackles on special teams, including forcing a fumble on a punt which was nearly recovered by the Wave. In the Rice game, he recovered a fumble on a muffed punt at the Rice 11-yard line in the fourth quarter.
What Can Brown Do For You?
Preston Brown, who had not caught a pass entering this season, has stepped into the role of Tulane's go-to receiver. The junior has 41 receptions for 622 yards this year to lead the team in both categories, including four 90-yard receiving games. He had also caught touchdown passes in four straight games prior to be shutting out by Navy. In the Houston game, he snagged a 13-yard Lester Ricard delivery for his first career touchdown and he followed that up with a pair of TD catches against UTEP. Against UCF, he added three receptions for 97 yards, including a 44-yard TD on a fingertip-grab over the middle. The New Jersey product made his debut at wide receiver on Sept. 17 against Mississippi State and corralled Tulane's first reception of the game, a 20-yarder, on the Wave's second drive. He finished the game with nine catches for 117 yards. The 117 yard-effort is the 83rd-best in school history.
Doubling Back
Last season, Matt Forte and Jovon Jackson reach rushed for exactly 624 yards. However, the majority of Forte's yardage came after Jackson suffered an injury. This year, the pair are splitting time in the backfield. In the Houston game, the duo combined for a season-high 150 yards on the ground, and in the Rice game, they tallied 140 combined yards on the ground. Their combined season total now stands at 875 yards (97.2 yards per game). Forte leads the way with 124 carries for 447 yards, while Jackson has 101 attempts for 428 yards, but Jackson posted the only 100-yard game of the season for the Wave with 101 against Navy.
Shaq at Running Back
Senior Jovon Jackson, nicknamed Shaq, has started the last five games at running back and last Saturday against Navy, he posted 101 rushing yards on 16 carries, the fourth 100-yard day of his career (first for Tulane this year). He also scored three touchdowns in the game (two rushing, one receiving) and leads the Wave with four rushing TDs this year. Jackson now has 346 career carries for 1597 yards (11th all-time) and 13 touchdowns (10th all-time).
Precision Punting
Punter Chris Beckman, a first team all-conference selection in 2004, may have a lower punting average, however, the junior continues to excel at his duties. In the UTEP game, Beckman punted five times for 179 yards (35.8 avg.), however, that number is deceiving as he had punts of 21 and 24 yards which were both downed at the UTEP 10-yard line. This season, Beckman has punted 53 times for 2166 yards (40.9 avg.). The Mississippi product also has a 35-yard punt which was downed at the 11 (SMU) and a 31-yard punt which was fair-caught at the 12 (MSU). Removing his four "successful short" punts from his average boosts him to a solid 41.9 punting average. Fifteen of his punts have been downed inside the 20 (six inside the 10) while he just has five touchbacks (he had only two in 52 punts all of last season).
Start Me Up
Senior offensive linemen Chris McGee and Matt Traina are in elite company as far as starting games. The pair have both started 45 consecutive games for the Green Wave (every game of their careers). That number ranks seventh in the nation for I-A football - LSU offensive tackle Andrew Whitwork has started 48 straight games to lead the nation.
Defensive Specialists
The Tulane defense, which held Marshall to just 286 yards two weeks ago, ranks fifth in Conference USA by allowing 361.7 yards per game. The Green Wave leads the league in pass defense, allowing just 156.3 yards per game. In four games this year, the Green Wave has held opponents below 310 yards of total offense, including the SMU game when the Mustangs tallied just 127 total yards. That effort was the best by the Green Wave defense since Nov. 1, 1997 when UL-Lafayette (then Southwestern Louisiana) was limited to 126 total yards.
Touchdown Terranova
Entering this season, Bubba Terranova had 33 catches for 426 yards and four touchdowns in his career. In the first nine games of 2005, the senior has 33 catches for 483 yards and four touchdowns. He has snared TDs in four different games and has also tallied three 100-yard receiving games, the first of his career. On Oct. 21 against UCF, the New Orleans native (from Slidell, La., a suburb), had six catches for 109 yards.
First-Down Bubba
Not only is Bubba Terranova posting big numbers in receiving, but the veteran wide receiver is making plays in crucial situations. Of his eight catches in the UTEP game, five were third-down plays and another was a fourth-down conversion. In the UCF game, all six of his catches went for first downs. For the season, Terranova has 15 catches on third down (12 for first downs), including all four of his touchdown receptions. He has 23 first-down receptions total this year.
Driver, Where You Taking Us?
The Green Wave has become quite familiar with busses this season. Without a home stadium, Tulane had traveled a minimum of 69 miles for each of its games (until the Oct. 14 game against UTEP, which was played in Ruston). In addition, the travel has not been easy due to the lack of vacancies at hotels in southern Louisiana. Prior to the Southeastern Louisiana game, the Wave slept on air mattresses at English Turn Country Club in New Orleans, while the team bussed to Lafayette the morning of the Houston game.
Opportunity Knocks
With three of its top receivers from last year graduated, Tulane was in the hunt for players to step up in 2005. Preston Brown has led the line of players who have stepped up this year. Quarterback Lester Ricard has connected with 11 different receivers this year. Junior Preston Brown (zero catches entering 2005) leads the team with 37 grabs for 532 yards, while senior Bubba Terranova (31-for-472) and junior Damarcus Davis (23-for-219) have also stepped up their production. Brown and Terranova have both registered their first career 100-yard games this year, while Davis had a career-best seven catches against Southeastern Louisiana and against UTEP.
Award Winners
Tulane has collected five weekly awards this season. Senior linebacker Anthony Cannon has been named the Louisiana Defensive Player of the Week three times. He earned the honor in back-to-back weeks as he earned the honor following his 12-tackle effort against Navy (11/5) and his 14-tackle performance against Marshall (10/29). Return man Sean Lucas was named the Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Week (9/26), while quarterback Lester Ricard was named the Louisiana Offensive Player of the Week (9/26). Cannon was also the Louisiana Defensive Player of the Week for Oct. 2.
Navy Lends a Hand
Throughout this trying season for the Green Wave, individuals, corporations and schools have provided immense assistance to Tulane. Last weekend, Navy stepped up with a huge boost to the Green Wave, again showing what is right about college athletics. Navy raised the game guarantee to Tulane by 50 thousand dollars, arranged for free bus transportation during its stay and provided gift bags for the entire travel party. The Wyndham Hotel in Baltimore provided complimentary rooms for the entire travel party as well.
More Hurricane Headaches
The Tulane football schedule has suffered damage from three hurricanes this year. Katrina forced all six home games to be moved to alternate sites as well as bumping the Southern Miss road game from Sept. 4 to Nov. 26. Rita caused the SMU game to be moved up from 7 p.m. to 1 p.m. and Wilma necessitated the moving of the UCF game from Saturday night (10/22) to Friday (10/21). That makes nine Tulane games which have been affected by hurricanes this season. The Navy game was the first game which was not altered due to weather.
Tulane Goes to Four Sites
In an unprecedented move, the Tulane University Athletic Department has relocated to four different campuses for the fall of 2005 due to Hurricane Katrina. In addition to Louisiana Tech, SMU, Texas A&M and Texas Tech are hosting Green Wave teams.
The Decision Process
While Katrina has caused a myriad of questions and problems for the Green Wave football team and the Tulane Athletic Department in general, all of those pale in comparison to the true tragedies which have been faced in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast. In its thought process for dealing with the relocation of its athletic department, Tulane focused on five specific tasks - enroll the student-athletes in school, provide for the housing needs, assist with meal services, arrange for books, and provide the counseling needed to all involved. With those five objectives obtained, the Green Wave staff has moved on to more general needs such as staffing needs at its multiple locations, scheduling work, and preparation for games.
Got My Eye on You
Linebacker Anthony Cannon is on a pair of "Watch Lists" for 2005. The senior, who has tallied 100 or more tackles in each of his first three seasons, is on the list for the Rotary Lombardi Award, which goes to the top lineman or linebacker in the nation. He is also a top candidate for the Butkus Award as the top linebacker in the country.
Good Works
Senior offensive lineman Matt Traina was honored by the AFCA when the organization named him to its 2005 Good Works Team, which recognizes players for their dedication and commitment to community service. Traina has started every game in his collegiate career while also participating in numerous community service activities as President of Tulane's Student-Athlete Advisory Board.
More For Matt
Matt Traina has also been selected as a semifinalist for the Draddy Award, known in many circles as the "Academic" Heisman. The trophy recognizes an individual as the absolute best in the country for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary community leadership. The 15 finalists will be announced on Oct. 27 with the winner announced on Dec. 6 at the 48th National Football Foundation Awards Dinner on Dec. 6 at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. Each finalist will be recognized that night and will receive an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship.
Hurricane Veterans
While the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe has devastated the city of New Orleans and the entire Gulf Coast, it is not the first time a hurricane has affected the Wave football team. Just last season, Hurricane Ivan drove the university to evacuation forcing the postponement of its Sept. 18th game with Louisville (which was eventually played on Dec. 4th). In 2002, Tropical Storm Isidore forced the Wave to miss practice time and to bunk down in the Reily Student Recreation Center for one night prior to a home game against Texas. Back in 1965, Hurricane Betsy, another devastating storm for the Big Easy, forced the Wave's season opener with Texas to be moved from New Orleans to Austin.
No Rush
The 117 rushing yards by Mississippi State on Sept. 17 was the least by a Tulane opponent since the 2002 Hawai'i Bowl victory when Hawaii had just 66 rushing yards. The defense outdid itself one week later, holding SMU to just 63 yards on the ground - the least by a Wave opponent since the 1998 season, when it held Louisiana Tech and BYU to 54 rushing yards each in the final two games of the year. On Oct. 1, the "D" improved yet again versus the rush, holding Southeastern Louisiana to just 41 yards, the least since the 1997 season when UL-Lafayette (then Southwestern La.) had just one rushing yard.
No Passing
With Navy's triple-option offense clicking on all cylinders, the Midshipmen completed just one pass for 29 yards against Tulane. With just three pass attempts in the game, Navy tied the record for fewest passing attempts in a game by a Tulane opponent, which was last done by Rice on Sept. 13, 1997. Georgia Tech (10/22/77) and Alabama (11/7/59) were the other opponents to attempt only three passes in a game versus Tulane.
Just Fakin'
The Green Wave successfully faked a pair of punts on Sept. 17 against Mississippi State. On the first play of the second quarter, the Wave snapped the ball directly to Tra Boger, who rushed for three yards on the fourth-and-two play. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Wave again lined up to punt, but this time punter Chris Beckman connected with Preston Brown for a 27-yard pass completion, the longest pass play by either team in the game. In the Oct. 1 Southeastern Louisiana game, Beckman, who is also the holder on extra points, took the snap and connected with Bobby Hoover in the end zone for the surprise two-point conversion.
Hitting the Sack
The Green Wave registered nine sacks on Sept. 24 against SMU, the second-most sacks recorded by the Tulane defense since prior to 1989. Last season against Florida A&M, the Wave tallied 11 sacks; in the 2002 Hawaii Bowl, Tulane notched eight sacks matching its total from the 1997 meeting with Memphis. Single-game records prior to 1989 are not available.
Welcome to College Football
The Green Wave has had 22 players see their first career action this year. Fourteen true freshmen (Luke Bell, Kirk Bush, Sean Carney, James Dillard, Jordan Ellis, Ace Foyil, Matt Harding, Charles Harris, Jacob Hartgroves, Justin Kessler, Brian King, Cary Koch, Evan Lee, James McMurchy) have seen action, while seven redshirt freshmen (Michael Batiste, Ryan Bewley, Scott Elliott, Craig Gelhardt, Troy Kropog, Josh Lumar, Parenton, David Skehan) cracked the lineup for the first time. Redshirt freshman defensive lineman Reggie Scott has seen significant action this year, buthe played in last year's opener before suffering an injury.
Helping Hands
Anyone interested in helping the victims of Hurricane Katrina are encouraged to support any of the federally-recognized relief organizations, while those wishing to support the student-athletes from Tulane or Southern Mississippi (the other Conference USA school directly affected by the storm) can visit www.ConferenceUSA.com for information regarding the C-USA Relief Fund.
C-USA 2005
Tulane, with the 1998 C-USA football crown to its credit, is one of six holdover teams in the "new look" Conference USA 2005 - along with East Carolina, Houston, Memphis, Southern Miss and UAB. The league bid farewell to football members Army, Cincinnati, Louisville, USF and TCU and welcomes Marshall, Rice, SMU, Tulsa, UCF and UTEP to the fold this year. For 2005, Conference USA will consist of 12 schools competing in all sports and will hold its first football championship game.
Go West, Young Wave!
Tulane will play in the West Division of Conference USA with Rice, SMU, Tulsa, UTEP and Houston, and will meet crossover opponents Southern Miss, UCF and Marshall in 2005 and 2006. Although Tulane is one of six teams remaining in Conference USA, the new divisional alignment of the 12-team all-sports league means that the Green Wave will face only two of the same league opponents in 2005 -- USM and Houston. The Green Wave will face all six of the league's new schools, the only "holdover" team to do so.
The Long Haul
Now in his seventh season at the helm of the Tulane program, Chris Scelfo is the longest-tenured coach at Tulane (in seasons) since Andy Pilney, who coached the Wave for eight years from 1954-61. In addition to Pilney, only Hall-of-Famer Clark Shaughnessy (1915-20, 1922-26) with 11, coached more seasons than Scelfo's six. Only three previous Tulane coaches -- Shaughnessy with 59, and Bernie Bierman (1927-31) and Red Dawson (1936-41) with 36 -- have won more games at Tulane than Scelfo's 33. Among C-USA coaches, Scelfo ranks fourth in longevity behind Southern Miss' Jeff Bower (14 seasons), Rice's Ken Hatfield (11) and UAB's Watson Brown (10).
Welcome Back
On the defensive side of the ball, Tulane welcomes back two players who redshirted the 2004 season while the Green Wave offense will have the services of a pair of former letterwinners. Safety Tra Boger, the Green Wave's leading tackler in 2003, returns after missing all but two games a year ago after undergoing knee surgery for a meniscal tear. Sophomore defensive lineman Alvin Johnson also is ready for action after redshirting the 2004 season. On the offensive side, tight end Jerome Landry and quarterback Nick Cannon are preparing to return to action. Landry underwent knee surgery last spring, while Cannon had surgery on his shoulder and elbow, causing him to miss the 2004 campaign.
Moving On
Former Tulane receiver Roydell Williams, the Tulane and Conference USA all-time leader in touchdown catches who ranks second on the Tulane career list for receiving yards and catches, was drafted in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans. He is the seventh Tulane player to be drafted during the Chris Scelfo era as the Green Wave has seen at least one player drafted every year since 1999, except in 2003. A year ago, Tulane QB J.P. Losman was a first round selection of the Buffalo Bills while running back Mewelde Moore was chosen in the fourth round by the Vikings.
Century Mark
Senior linebacker Anthony Cannon posted his third straight 100-tackle season in 2004 en route to All-Conference USA and All-Louisiana honors. He finished the season ranked fourth in Conference USA and 29th in the nation in tackles per game and is the first Green Wave defender since Mike Staid (1991-94) to compile 100-plus tackles in three straight seasons. Last year, Cannon tied his career high with 16 tackles in the Southern Miss game.
Lester is the Latest
The latest in a distinguished line of Tulane quarterbacks is junior Lester Ricard, who is in his second season as the starter in 2005. Ricard, who followed NFL-ers Shaun King, Patrick Ramsey and J.P. Losman as Tulane's starting quarterback, missed the last two-and-a-half games of the 2004 season with a broken wrist, but not before posting two of the most impressive performances in Tulane and Conference USA history.
Versus UAB on Oct. 23, Ricard joined Ramsey as the only Tulane QBs to throw for 400 yards in a game when he completed 36-of-49 passes for 417 yards with a school-record six touchdown passes. The mark for single game TD passes had stood since 1952. The 417 yards rank third on the Tulane single-game list while his 36 completions is tied for second all-time.
Two weeks later, Ricard completed a school and C-USA record 94.7 percent of his passes - on 18-of-19 passing - for 323 yards and four TDs, including an 87-yard touchdown pass that tied for the second-longest in school history. He completed his last 14 passes of that game while compiling a single-game efficiency rating of 307.01 that ranked second in the nation.
Back Intact
The Green Wave coaching staff returns intact for the second straight season in 2005. The staff includes three coaches who have been with Chris Scelfo for the duration of his Tulane tenure in Garret Chachere, Frank Scelfo and Don Mahoney.
New Schedule
Due to its placement in the Western Division of Conference USA and the fact that two of its three "crossover" opponents are Marshall and UCF, Tulane is the only C-USA tea which will play all six of the league's new members in 2005. Overall, the Green Wave will face seven new opponents, marking the largest turnover in Tulane's schedule in a single season since 1970.
