Wave loses 24-14

[winwave]

Can't overcome the drought:

http://www.theadvocate.com/new_orleans/ ... ft_amplify

[RobertM320]

We're still undermanned, between not having a full allotment of scholarship players and our injuries. Fritz has even mentioned there's some reps he has to cut back on to avoid injuries.

[winwave]

I would like to see us use Lazedrick more especially early in the game. He's finally healthy and has run really well. Use him to pound them down early plus he'll likely get a big gainer or two. Hilliard is not playing as well as usual and that's likely due to Rounds and Thompson having to miss practice every Tuesday and Thursday due to graduate school classes.

[GreenPuddleSplash]

I would like to see us use Lazedrick more especially early in the game. He's finally healthy and has run really well. Use him to pound them down early plus he'll likely get a big gainer or two. Hilliard is not playing as well as usual and that's likely due to Rounds and Thompson having to miss practice every Tuesday and Thursday due to graduate school classes.

What?!? Are they taking graduate course to finish their UG degree?

[Aberzombie1892]

I would like to see us use Lazedrick more especially early in the game. He's finally healthy and has run really well. Use him to pound them down early plus he'll likely get a big gainer or two. Hilliard is not playing as well as usual and that's likely due to Rounds and Thompson having to miss practice every Tuesday and Thursday due to graduate school classes.

What?!? Are they taking graduate course to finish their UG degree?

They are in graduate school.

[GreenPuddleSplash]

I would like to see us use Lazedrick more especially early in the game. He's finally healthy and has run really well. Use him to pound them down early plus he'll likely get a big gainer or two. Hilliard is not playing as well as usual and that's likely due to Rounds and Thompson having to miss practice every Tuesday and Thursday due to graduate school classes.

What?!? Are they taking graduate course to finish their UG degree?

They are in graduate school.

I totally thought they were redshirt sophomores when they're seniors. Dain it's going to be tough losing them two.

[winwave]

They are RS seniors.

[Aberzombie1892]

I totally thought they were redshirt sophomores when they're seniors. Dain it's going to be tough losing them two.

Given that Tulane is starting quite a few Redshirt Juniors, Seniors, and Redshirt Seniors, the roster will look pretty different next year but we won't know how different until we find out who all isn't coming back.

[DfromCT]

How does not having Rounds and Thompson at practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays make Hilliard's play worse? I don't get that! If nothing else, Hilliard should be enjoying more reps on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Please explain.

[tpstulane]

How does not having Rounds and Thompson at practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays make Hilliard's play worse? I don't get that! If nothing else, Hilliard should be enjoying more reps on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Please explain.

Add Badie to that list.

[Aberzombie1892]

How does not having Rounds and Thompson at practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays make Hilliard's play worse? I don't get that! If nothing else, Hilliard should be enjoying more reps on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Please explain.

This is a good question.

[GreenPuddleSplash]

How does not having Rounds and Thompson at practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays make Hilliard's play worse? I don't get that! If nothing else, Hilliard should be enjoying more reps on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Please explain.

This is a good question.

I believe in a meritocracy system, if your top players aren't at practices to challenge the other top players in same position group, then that could very well make the ones that do show up worse. Seniors are supposed to help groom underclassmen on the team and teach them just like the coaches.

[golfnut69]

How does not having Rounds and Thompson at practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays make Hilliard's play worse? I don't get that! If nothing else, Hilliard should be enjoying more reps on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Please explain.

This is a good question.

I believe in a meritocracy system, if your top players aren't at practices to challenge the other top players in same position group, then that could very well make the ones that do show up worse. Seniors are supposed to help groom underclassmen on the team and teach them just like the coaches.

I may be mistaken but they are taking Grad Courses, the courses are either offered only Tuesday - Thursdays or it is some sort of NCAA regulation of which there are too many...The NCAA is the IRS of regulations....both needed to be disbanded

[DfromCT]

How does not having Rounds and Thompson at practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays make Hilliard's play worse? I don't get that! If nothing else, Hilliard should be enjoying more reps on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Please explain.

This is a good question.

I believe in a meritocracy system, if your top players aren't at practices to challenge the other top players in same position group, then that could very well make the ones that do show up worse. Seniors are supposed to help groom underclassmen on the team and teach them just like the coaches.

Rounds and Thompson have been with Hilliard for three years. Having two teammates miss two practices a week for the 12 weeks of the season shouldn't really have much of an affect on a third year player. I'm not buying this at all. It's a convenient fact that really is a non-factor. In other terms: "BS".

[GreenPuddleSplash]

Here is your box score from Friday's contest:

Total Yards:
TU: 313 yards MU: 399

First downs:
TU: 20 MU: 16

3rd down conversion rate:
TU: 4-16 (still abysmal, and even worse if we are behind the sticks) MU: 4-15
Passing:
TU:144 yards, (11/30) 1 passing td, 1 int by GC MU: 236 yards (21-34), 1 passing td, 1 int
Encalade 3 for 47 yards, Mooney 4 for 43 yards. Ardoin has 1 catch for 20 yards and the lone td in the air.

Rushing:
TU: 169 yards on 44 attempts MU: 163 yards on 33 attempts
GC has your lone rushing td in garbage time, but he rushed for 18X for 35 yards. GC still has hesitation running the option as he pitched the ball a couple of times, but took off running more than he pitched.... Thompson had 8 carries for 69 yards, Hilliard had 8 carries for 21 yards and Rounds had 7 carries for 33 yards. Running backs had 23 carries, GC had 18... *I also believe the beating GC takes from not pitching the ball makes him wildly inaccurate. On one drive he can throw darts, then on the next drive after he's taken a hit or two, he either skips the ball to the receiver or overthrows them by a mile.

Time of Possession:
TU: 32:32 MU: 27:28
(You can see Fritz' conservative game plan here and why he calls so many runs. On the one hand it's a good plan because it shortens the game, and keeps us in the games we play till the very end. It also gives us a chance to win, but we got to harness the ways of winning. On the flip side, this doesn't allow us to really take shots deep down the field and we waste more and more downs by running qb draws. I'm on the fence about this)

Turnovers:
TU: 3 MU: 3

Special Teams:
Straight up special in the bad kind of way.

*right after Memphis first fg made, they onside it and recover.

*next series, Memphis, punts, Hilliard fumbles the punt, Memphis ball.

*2nd quarter, 11:38, Memphis punts, Hilliard fumbles the punt, Memphis ball.

*DiRocco misses a 39 yarder on next series going 0/1 and 2/2 on extra points for the day.

Special teams disaster at the beginning led by Hilliard. We tightened up ST play in second half, but the damage was already done.

We had a chance to beat Memphis, but we committed way too many mental blunders against a good Memphis team. Next up is Tulsa who had a wild game against Houston. We go up to Tulsa where we have the opportunity to ruin their homecoming... Fritz still needs a good conference win, but still has an eye on getting us bowl eligible at 3-3. Our offense took another step back this weekend and our special teams that were supposed to be fixed reared its ugly head again. These are all fixable problems, and we definitely need to fix them to stand a chance at Tulsa. Let's get them hurricanes, ROLL DAMN WAVE!

[winwave]

How does not having Rounds and Thompson at practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays make Hilliard's play worse? I don't get that! If nothing else, Hilliard should be enjoying more reps on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Please explain.

This is a good question.

I believe in a meritocracy system, if your top players aren't at practices to challenge the other top players in same position group, then that could very well make the ones that do show up worse. Seniors are supposed to help groom underclassmen on the team and teach them just like the coaches.

Rounds and Thompson have been with Hilliard for three years. Having two teammates miss two practices a week for the 12 weeks of the season shouldn't really have much of an affect on a third year player. I'm not buying this at all. It's a convenient fact that really is a non-factor. In other terms: "BS".

On two of the heaviest practice days we don't have Badie, Rounds or Thompson. The freshman Strickland is battling a foot injury and not practicing. That means Hilliard is carrying a much bigger burden in practice and he hasn't been running as well in games lately. To be clear I am not talking about the muffed punts. I am talking about his play as a RB. It appears the workload during the week is affecting him.

[DfromCT]

OK, win, I can believe that a whole lot more than the "tutoring" factor for a 3rd year player. I'd imagine the coaches are well aware of how much is left in his tank for game day, but your logic makes sense.

[winwave]

I totally thought they were redshirt sophomores when they're seniors. Dain it's going to be tough losing them two.

Given that Tulane is starting quite a few Redshirt Juniors, Seniors, and Redshirt Seniors, the roster will look pretty different next year but we won't know how different until we find out who all isn't coming back.

On offense we will lose the following starters: Breaux,Jacquet and Taylor. Thompson and Rounds will also be gone. On D we will lose Smart, Marley, Allen and likely Nickerson.

[DfromCT]

Our team will look much different next year. I hope these AAC games are opening Coach Fritz's eyes. This is a big step up from the Sunbelt Conference, and we need talented players to win games in this league. While I'm impressed with what he's done with (in my not so humble opinion) the little he's had to work with, I'm also concerned that we're not building the roster with players that can win games in the strongest "G5" conference. We're a whole lot better than we were at this time a year ago. That being said, we're still bottom feeding the AAC.

[GreenPuddleSplash]

Our team will look much different next year. I hope these AAC games are opening Coach Fritz's eyes. This is a big step up from the Sunbelt Conference, and we need talented players to win games in this league. While I'm impressed with what he's done with (in my not so humble opinion) the little he's had to work with, I'm also concerned that we're not building the roster with players that can win games in the strongest "G5" conference. We're a whole lot better than we were at this time a year ago. That being said, we're still bottom feeding the AAC.

I think you're onto something D. I agree with everything except recruiting. I think he's building the best roster possible for the vision he has in terms of what he wants our offense to be, but he's limited by what he can do because he's performing CPR on a program that's been pretty lifeless for a long long time. I think by signing day, we are going to be pleasantly surprised by our signing class (Stephon Huderson from Petal, Ms, is by far my favorite in this 2017 class.. The kid is going to run wild as a Greenie.). Fritz just needs a little time, but the most important thing till signing day is pretty simple. Just win.

I also don't mind if we are bottom feeding on the AAC. I mean, we weren't even doing that during the CJ era, so at least we are eating something right now as opposed as to being starved completely. The message is still the same though, just win baby.

Roll DAMN WAVE!

[DfromCT]

Our team will look much different next year. I hope these AAC games are opening Coach Fritz's eyes. This is a big step up from the Sunbelt Conference, and we need talented players to win games in this league. While I'm impressed with what he's done with (in my not so humble opinion) the little he's had to work with, I'm also concerned that we're not building the roster with players that can win games in the strongest "G5" conference. We're a whole lot better than we were at this time a year ago. That being said, we're still bottom feeding the AAC.

I think you're onto something D. I agree with everything except recruiting. I think he's building the best roster possible for the vision he has in terms of what he wants our offense to be, but he's limited by what he can do because he's performing CPR on a program that's been pretty lifeless for a long long time. I think by signing day, we are going to be pleasantly surprised by our signing class (Stephon Huderson from Petal, Ms, is by far my favorite in this 2017 class.. The kid is going to run wild as a Greenie.). Fritz just needs a little time, but the most important thing till signing day is pretty simple. Just win.

I also don't mind if we are bottom feeding on the AAC. I mean, we weren't even doing that during the CJ era, so at least we are eating something right now as opposed as to being starved completely. The message is still the same though, just win baby.

Roll DAMN WAVE!

Amen, brother! Just win.

We're going to be underdogs in 5 of our last 6 games. It really doesn't matter how many we win this year. What matters is that recruits see we're NOT A TRADITIONAL OPTION TEAM and that the coaching staff has the program as a whole in a better place than we were after Thanksgiving last year. Clearly, Willie Fritz has the program growing in the direction he wants it to go. Win or lose, I enjoy watching a whole lot more than I did the past three years.

And you're right. We may be bottom fishing in the AAC, but at least we have some teeth and might chomp on some unsuspecting "tuna"!!

ROLL WAVE!