goTULA.NEt

We're Close:

http://www.nola.com/tulane/index.ssf/20 ... iver_index

Getting stopped on that last play at SMU reminded me of the 1972 LSU game which ended similar. It motivated the team onto a great 1973 season. Hopefully the same can happen in 2018.

We're always going to have squad limitations, (?????) so we need the freshman to be able to come in and play for us right away."

mbawavefan12 wrote:We're always going to have squad limitations, (?????) so we need the freshman to be able to come in and play for us right away."

I picked up on that as well. We don’t get the walk-ones like he did at GSU did because of our high tuition and 40% male student population to populate the roster. See below:

Because of attrition and high tuition that makes attracting walk-ons difficult, Tulane has only 12 offensive linemen and 79 non-kicking specialists available. Fritz pointed out Georgia Southern, his previous stop, usually had about 130 players and 16 or 17 offensive linemen.

http://www.theadvocate.com/new_orleans/ ... dece4.html

tpstulane wrote:Getting stopped on that last play at SMU reminded me of the 1972 LSU game which ended similar. It motivated the team onto a great 1973 season. Hopefully the same can happen in 2018.

I sure hope it works out that way. The difference is that that '73 team had most everybody returning on both sides of the ball from'72. We have most of the offense but lose those 8 seniors off the defense.

tpstulane wrote: Getting stopped on that last play at SMU reminded me of the 1972 LSU game which ended similar. It motivated the team onto a great 1973 season. Hopefully the same can happen in 2018.

AMEN! Roll GREEN WAVE !!!

tpstulane wrote:

mbawavefan12 wrote:We're always going to have squad limitations, (?????) so we need the freshman to be able to come in and play for us right away."

I picked up on that as well. We don’t get the walk-ones like he did at GSU did because of our high tuition and 40% male student population to populate the roster. See below:

Because of attrition and high tuition that makes attracting walk-ons difficult, Tulane has only 12 offensive linemen and 79 non-kicking specialists available. Fritz pointed out Georgia Southern, his previous stop, usually had about 130 players and 16 or 17 offensive linemen.

http://www.theadvocate.com/new_orleans/ ... dece4.html

There are plenty of private school playing FBS football. Outside of a few monster endowment schools, every private school faces the same issue. Tulane does have the legislative schollies, hopefully we can utilize them more and more.

Throughout the season I've been critical of WF but his demeanor every time he speaks gives me reason to believe. The recruiting uptick is a massive development! Sure there were some WTF moments that cost a couple games but with better athletes I see fewer and fewer of those costly missed opportunities.

If I'm WF I print out an enormous picture of Banks on the 1 yard line and put it up everywhere! In every coaches office. In the weight room. Make a billboard of it on the sidelines of the practice field. Getting that last inch has to be the motto for next year! No more excuses. A bowl game or nothing.

Ruski wrote:Throughout the season I've been critical of WF but his demeanor every time he speaks gives me reason to believe. The recruiting uptick is a massive development! Sure there were some WTF moments that cost a couple games but with better athletes I see fewer and fewer of those costly missed opportunities.

If I'm WF I print out an enormous picture of Banks on the 1 yard line and put it up everywhere! In every coaches office. In the weight room. Make a billboard of it on the sidelines of the practice field. Getting that last inch has to be the motto for next year! No more excuses. A bowl game or nothing.

My feelings exactly!

Interesting and I welcome being corrected but I have never seen Fritz throw anyone under the bus when there is a failure. From Navy game on down, it is always we/I (coaching staff) have to do a better job and help players and whoever else to perform better.

That is the most refreshing thing about him. He never quits and he never points the finger at anyone else.

lurker123 wrote:Interesting and I welcome being corrected but I have never seen Fritz throw anyone under the bus when there is a failure. From Navy game on down, it is always we/I (coaching staff) have to do a better job and help players and whoever else to perform better.

That is the most refreshing thing about him. He never quits and he never points the finger at anyone else.

I totally agree. I cannot stand the Ben McAdoos and Brian Kelly's of the world that throw their players under the bus regularly.

Banks just needed to stay on his feet for six more inches of forward progress and it wouldn't have even required a replay review. Next year we need to turn some of these close games into no doubt about it victories.

Future so bright you're gonna need shades:

http://www.theadvocate.com/new_orleans/ ... 4114f.html

Fritz doesn't come out and say it, but I think he believes we'll be ok on D. Yes, we lost 8 players that played a lot on the defensive side of the ball. But it's not like our D was anything special and there's nobody to replace them. Some are significant (Nickerson) some are replaceable. It has to be time for other players to step up. The schedule isn't easy, either, but we need to trust the system. Anything short of a bowl game next year will be cause for concern.

Those same players had been on defenses that most of our fans lauded. The new scheme didn't work out. Hopefully the staff adjust there.

winwave wrote:Those same players had been on defenses that most of our fans lauded. The new scheme didn't work out. Hopefully the staff adjust there.

Agreed. Moving Aruna inside was the biggest glaring mistake. At the same time, there was TONS of "gloom and doom" predictions about our D in 2017 this time last year because of the loss of Smart and Marley. We weren't IMHO that much worse, and had stretches during games when we made key stops. The OU and Memphis games blew up our stats, but we were good enough in pretty much every other game to stay in the game. USF might have been another, because I'm not sure how much of our comeback was predicated on the D stepping up after giving up 30+ points, or USF substitutions and/or lost focus. That game was only close in the last minute or two.

DfromCT wrote:

winwave wrote:Those same players had been on defenses that most of our fans lauded. The new scheme didn't work out. Hopefully the staff adjust there.

Agreed. Moving Aruna inside was the biggest glaring mistake. At the same time, there was TONS of "gloom and doom" predictions about our D in 2017 this time last year because of the loss of Smart and Marley. We weren't IMHO that much worse, and had stretches during games when we made key stops. The OU and Memphis games blew up our stats, but we were good enough in pretty much every other game to stay in the game. USF might have been another, because I'm not sure how much of our comeback was predicated on the D stepping up after giving up 30+ points, or USF substitutions and/or lost focus. That game was only close in the last minute or two.

So now your saying our D was good this year. I don't recall gloom and doom over Smart and Marley. All agreed Smart would be a big loss but there was debate over Marley but certainly no doom and gloom. However no matter how much you try to dismiss the loss of 8 players, mostly starters, it doesn't change the fact that it is a major issue. We always lack depth and when you lose that many major contributors at one time it's a blow.

No, I'm not saying our D was good. But it wasn't terrible, either. The ball control of Fritz's offense covers up a lot of the weakness of the D. And people on this board post as if players that graduate, transfer or leave the team leave a gap that is not filled by another player. We're not playing 3 vs. 11 is my point.

Yet this gap is a lot larger than usual. This isn't one or two players it's 8. We'll have to stay very healthy on that side of the ball next year as depth will be very hard to find. We'll be going back to being a young team on that side of the ball. Then as discussed above hopefully the staff does a better job of evaluating their talent on that side of the ball and utilize players to maximum benefit.

winwave wrote:Yet this gap is a lot larger than usual. This isn't one or two players it's 8. We'll have to stay very healthy on that side of the ball next year as depth will be very hard to find. We'll be going back to being a young team on that side of the ball. Then as discussed above hopefully the staff does a better job of evaluating their talent on that side of the ball and utilize players to maximum benefit.

That's true.
But it's also true that we lose only one difference maker...and if you want to include "really good player" you could stretch it to 3.

I know we left at least 1 win (as many as 3) on the table. But I'm really happy with the program building and what should be sustainable (unless we both lose the coach AND botch the replacement).

DrBox wrote:

winwave wrote:Yet this gap is a lot larger than usual. This isn't one or two players it's 8. We'll have to stay very healthy on that side of the ball next year as depth will be very hard to find. We'll be going back to being a young team on that side of the ball. Then as discussed above hopefully the staff does a better job of evaluating their talent on that side of the ball and utilize players to maximum benefit.

That's true.
But it's also true that we lose only one difference maker...and if you want to include "really good player" you could stretch it to 3.

I know we left at least 1 win (as many as 3) on the table. But I'm really happy with the program building and what should be sustainable (unless we both lose the coach AND botch the replacement).

We lose 8 significant contributors, most of them starters for multiple seasons. Five of our top tacklers. That's a lot and it's the reality. It will make us young and leave us without much depth. I'm not saying we can't come up with a decent D next year but the staff and the team have their work cut out for them.