MEET THE PRESS: Fritz Previews Nicholls at Weekly News Conference

Willie Fritz Weekly News Conference – Nicholls
Listed below is the complete transcript from Green Wave head coach Willie Fritz's weekly press conference leading up to Tulane's matchup with Nicholls on Saturday.

Opening statement:
"Thursday we did some good things against a good opponent, Wake Forest. Disappointed we weren't able to close the game out. Thought they really had a good up-front on both sides of the ball offensively and defensively. Freshman quarterback really did a good job of handling the game in his first Division I start. A bunch of games are going to be close – they always are in college football – and we were a play or two away from being able to win the game in regulation, and we started off poorly in overtime to be able to have an opportunity. But like I told the kids after the game, it's one game and we have 11 to go. We've got a great opponent coming in this weekend. I've got a ton of respect for Coach Rebowe and his staff. I do a lot of camps with those guys. He's really done a sensational job. I'm an old FCS/1-AA coach at Sam Houston. He's done a really nice job of putting together a good team and combining in a good high school talent and some good transfer kids. He's also got a very good offensive and defense line which is kind of a rarity at that level, being good and solid on both sides of the ball. We know about the success they've had last season and obviously the big win over Kansas in Week 1 for them."

On Tulane's offensive line:
"We played against a good defensive line. A lot of movement, good size, good quickness, very athletic defensive line. I think they probably match up well in their conference, and they certainly match up well in our conference. We've got to do a better job of getting bodies on bodies and creating some horizontal and verticals seams and also do a good job of pass protection. We've got to get better up front just like we do in a lot of spots."

On Nicholls QB Chase Fourcade:
"He's just a really good quarterback. Kind of watching from afar the last couple of years, he has a lot of composure. Runs it well and will run it quite a bit. Week 1 they ran it quite a few times, and he's able to make all the throws. He's a smart, heady football player."

On Banks having time in the pocket:
"There were some where he had good time, and sometimes he flushed out of the pocket early. One of the things you've got to do is keep that pocket as clean as you can so you don't take off running when you've got everything picked up and blocked properly. And that's also, you see in practice, that first game is a little different when the bullets are flying for real."

On Banks' ability to make plays:
"He made a couple of really nice plays in the second half getting out of trouble and making something big and good happen for us. He can do that with his feet, he's a dynamic football player no question."

On Tulane running backs and Corey Dauphine:
"I thought Corey [Dauphine] did a nice job. When he was in there he ran the ball inside effectively and then outside he's got good speed. I thought we did a great job of ball security throughout the game offensively. So it's tough to make your own yards. You've got to get them started first, and that's what we're working on this week."

On Wake Forest defenders getting pressure off the corner:
"A couple times it was a missed assignment and a couple times it was getting beat quick. The play should have been a give and a pull or whatever. So they did a good job with their front playing their penetrating type-front. And they did a good job of playing on our side of the line of scrimmage."

On Wake being better as the season goes on:
"I really feel that they're going to be one of the better teams on the offensive and defensive lines. They're playing with a bunch of big, experienced guys on the offensive line and then the defensive line they've got a lot of experience and speed. I think they're going to match up well against anybody with their offensive and defensive line."

On losing the first game adding a sense of urgency to the next home game:
"We just want to play as well as we can. We want to get better and make improvements from Week 1 to Week 2. Nicholls is a very fine team. They've got a lot of great ability and they're well coached as I mentioned before. We need to put everything into this one just like we do every week."

On not overreacting to Wake Forest loss:
"I always tell the kids that every game that you play counts as one. You put 365 days of work in for these 12 opportunities. I don't believe in the old saying that you can't get up 12 times in a season. I think you can. That's what we're pointing towards. This is one twelfth coming up this weekend and we've got to play as well as we possibly can. Then you've got to turn the page and go onto the next one. That's the way it is. If you sit ad look at past failures or successes, I don't think you're going to play as well as you're capable that next game."

On acknowledging 1998 team:
"They're the standard without question here at Tulane University. Unbelievable season, a bunch of great players, coaches, managers and trainers. I always talk about it when we're recruiting to show this is what can be done at Tulane."

On how team responds to a close loss this season when compared to previous years:
"I know our guys are disappointed, no question. We've raised the expectations. Sometimes year one, you're happy they're lining up right and playing hard. Now our expectations are totally different. We go out every week with the belief of winning. When it doesn't happen that way, you're disappointed because you put a lot of stuff into a game. So that is disappointing. Like I said before, you've got to move on. You sit there and dwell on ineffective play from the week before, you're probably going to repeat it. So you've got to move on."

On Fritz's personal perfect seasons:
"It's difficult to do. That's why at the end of the year, you've got one, two, three teams that have the possibility of doing that at the Division I level. Coach Bowden and his staff and players, they did a good job of bringing their A game every single week. It's very, very difficult to do."

On Nicholls' talent being deceptive because of transfers from bigger schools:
"You hope you hit on everybody that you recruit, and I feel like they've done a great job of recruiting and developing guys, getting them better while they're there. They've got pretty darn good size where you watch them compete against Georgia and Texas A&M and last week Kansas, they look the same as the team they're playing. Sometimes that's not always the case. I know when I was at Sam [Houston State], we played A&M or Baylor when Baylor was really rolling, there was a big size difference. You don't see that when they're taking the field and playing people."

On Nicholls beating Kansas making it easier to motivate his players:
"Oh yeah. I think without question. I'm sure there's a bunch of guys who've got buddies on both teams. I'm sure that's another motivating factor for both squads as well."

On facing a QB with a knack for making plays late in games:
"I think you've just got to be on point all the time. We talk all the time about doing your job. If everybody does their job, you've got an opportunity to be successful. Chase [Fourcade] has certainly done an excellent job late in ballgames. You've got to be on point throughout the game. You never know, it always comes down to a play or two, and you don't know which play or two that's going to be. Could be in the first quarter, could be in the third quarter."

MEET THE PRESS: Fritz Previews Nicholls at Weekly News Conference

Players Mentioned

Corey Dauphine

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