Green Wave Meet Midshipmen In Annapolis
Nov 4, 2005 | Football
Nov. 4, 2005
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2005 TULANE FOOTBALL
Game 8: Saturday, November 5, 2005; 12:30 p.m. (CST)
Annapolis, Md.; Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (34,000)
GREEN WAVE FACTS
2005 Record: 2-5
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: 33-45/7th
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: 18
Series Record: 11-6-1
First Meeting: Nov. 5, 1949, Tie, 21-21
Last Meeting: Nov. 6, 2004, TU, 42-10
at Annapolis: 1-5
Current Streak: TU W1
Scelfo vs. Navy: 4-2
On the Road Again
Tulane, with just one "home" game remaining, is hitting the road for this weekend's contest at Navy in Maryland. However, "hitting the road" is not anything new for the Wave as 10 of its 11 games will involve travel this year. The lone non-travel game was the Oct. 14 game vs. UTEP which was played at its temporary home in Ruston. The Green Wave looks to snap a four-game losing skid against Navy, which comes in having won four of its last five games. Last weekend, Tulane held a 26-14 lead against Marshall, but the Thundering Herd battled back with a pair of fourth quarter TDs as the Wave suffered a heart-breaking 27-26 loss. Navy also dropped its Saturday contest, falling to Rutgers, 31-21.
Last Week's Leaders
In a recurring theme, senior linebacker led the Green Wave in tackles with 14 to push himself over 400 tackles in his dominant career. However, other defensive stars included senior safety Tra Boger who had a pair of interceptions, one which he returned 66 yards for a touchdown. Senior cornerback also had a pickoff - returning his 51 yards for a score. Safety Sean Lucas tallied a season-high 10 tackles as well. On offense, wide receiver Preston Brown led the way with three catches for 44 yards, including his team-leading fifth touchdown of the year.
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.
Navy Lends a Hand
Throughout this trying season for the Green Wave, individuals, corporations and schools have provided immense assistance to Tulane. This weekend, Navy has stepped up with a huge boost to the Green Wave, again showing what is right about college athletics. The United States Naval Academy and the Naval Academy Athletic Association are reaching out to help the Tulane athletic department. Naval Academy Superintendent Admiral Rodney Rempt, USN, and Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk have raised the game guarantee to Tulane by 50 thousand dollars, have arranged for free bus transportation during its stay and will provide gift bags for the entire travel party. The Wyndham Hotel in Baltimore is providing complimentary rooms for the entire travel party. Tulane students will also be provided with a free game ticket by presenting a valid Tulane student ID at the ticket window located in the North end zone at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
11 in 11
The Green Wave will play 11 games in 11 different stadiums this year. Tulane's final "home" football game was scheduled for UL-Monroe's Malone Stadium on Nov. 19 against Tulsa. This weekend's Navy game will mark the eighth stadium of the year and then the Wave heads to Rice (Stadium #9) next weekend. In 1975, Southern Miss, with current head cach Jeff Bower at quarterback, played 11 games in 11 stadiums due to the rebuilding of its own stadium.
Pickoff Party
After going three complete games without forcing a turnover, the Tulane defense snagged three interceptions on Saturday 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.
The 400 Club
With 14 tackles on Saturday against Marshall, senior linebacker Anthony Cannon has surpassed 400 tackles for his career at Tulane, just the fifth player in school history to reach that milestone. He has posted double-figure tackles in six of seven games this year and 21 times in his career as he now has 402 career stops. His 80 tackles this year is nearly twice as many as anybody else on the team and ranks third in Conference USA (11.4 per game). His 14-tackles game on Saturday was his second of the year to go with a pair of 12-tackle games. The Stone Mountain, Ga., product, who has registered 100+ tackles in each of his first three seasons, has 403 career takedowns to rank fifth all-time (10 from moving into fourth) for the Green Wave. He has 212 solo stops (ninth all-time); while his 191 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. On Saturday, he snagged a pair of interceptionms, 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 has42 tackles this year, second on the team, and 310 career tackles.
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. On Saturday 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.
Defensive Specialists
The Tulane defense, which held Marshall to just 286 yards on Saturday, continues to lead Conference USA by allowing just 328.9 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.
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. Below are candidates for the 2005 award, The Green Wave is one of 11 candidates for the award, sponsored by the Orange Bowl. The other 10 are individuals.
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 43 consecutive games for the Green Wave (every game of their careers). That number ranks 10th in the nation for I-A football:
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 33 receptions for 474 yards this year to lead the team in both categories, including three 90-yard receiving games. He has also caught touchdown passes in four straight games following his 34-yard scoring catch against Marshall. 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, including a 27-yard reception from punter Chris Beckman on a fake punt. The 117 yard-effort is the 83rd-best in school history.
Touchdown Terranova
Entering this season, Bubba Terranova had 33 catches for 426 yards and four touchdowns in his career. In the first seven games of 2005, the senior has 30 catches for 466 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 13 catches on third down (11 for first downs), including all four of his touchdown receptions. He has 22 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.
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 45 times for 1794 yards (39.9 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 41.0 punting average. Thirteen of his punts have been downed inside the 20 (six inside the 10) while he just has three touchbacks (he had only two in 52 punts all of last season).
Turnover Turnaround
After going three straight games without forcing a turnover, the Green Wave finally snared three interceptions against Marshall on Saturday. The three of opponents who did not turn it over against the Wave had struggled with turnovers the game before the Tulane game, while Marshall had had just one giveaway in its previous game.
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 18-of-20 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 also has a pair of field goals this year.
Future Schedule
The Tulane administration has completed the rebuilding its home schedule. On Oct. 18, Tulane announced that it would host Tulsa on Saturday, Nov. 19 at UL-Monroe's Malone Stadium. Tulane will play 11 games in 11 stadiums this year, including games at all four I-A stadiums in Louisiana (other than the Superdome) and the Independence Bowl in Shreveport.
Opportunity Knocks
With three of its top receivers from last year graduated, Tulane was in the hunt for players to step up in 2005. Thus far, it has not been a problem. Quarterback Lester Ricard has connected with 11 different receivers this year. Junior Preston Brown (zero catches entering 2005) leads the team with 33 grabs for 474 yards, while senior Bubba Terranova (30-for-466) 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.
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 is the first game which has not been altered due to weather.
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, while their combined season total now stands at 620 yards (88.6 yards per game). Forte leads the way with 103 carries for 374 yards, while Jackson has 71 attempts for 246 yards.
Award Winners
Tulane has collected four weekly awards this season. For the second time this season, senior linebacker Anthony Cannon has been named the Louisiana Defensive Player of the Week as he earned the honor this week following his 14-tackle performance against Marshall. 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Welcome to College Football
The Green Wave has had 22 players see their first career action this year. Offensively, linemen Troy Kropog and Michael Parenton and receivers Brian King and Cary Koch have seen the most time, while on defense it been cornerback Josh Lumar and linebackers James Dillard and Jordan Ellis hitting the field the most. True freshman Jacob Hartgroves has handled all place-kicking duties thus far this year. Fourteen true freshmen (Luke Bell, Kirk Bush, Sean Carney, Dillard, Ellis, Ace Foyil, Matt Harding, Charles Harris, Hartgroves, Justin Kessler, King, Koch, Evan Lee, James McMurchy) have seen action, while seven redshirt freshmen (Michael Batiste, Ryan Bewley, Scott Eilliott, Craig Gelhardt, 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.
Football Talk
While the talk around Tulane football has focused on Hurricane Katrina, it should not be forgotten that competing on the field is still the main focus of the Green Wave. Tulane returns 45 letterwinners and 18 starters for 2005 while saying goodbye to just three starters from both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. The Green Wave welcomes eight starters back on offense while nine players, including 2003 starter Tra Boger, are back for the Green Wave defense.
Still More Returnees
While only 16 of the 2004 "official" starters (players who started at least six games a year ago) return on offense and defense, overall there are 31 players on Tulane's 2005 roster who have started games for the Green Wave over the last two seasons. That includes eight players (in addition to the 16) who started at least two games a year ago and five players who held starting positions in 2003. Familiar names like Israel Route, Michael Purcell, Bruce Youmans, Billy Harrison and Matt Forte, although not considered returning starters, have produced big plays at critical moments over the last two seasons.
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.
