2020 Football Season Review

The main discussion board for everything Tulane athletics related.
winwave
Top of the WAVE
Posts: 24913
Joined: Sat Jul 16, 2011 10:34 am
Status: Offline

Glad we were able to get through a full season Congrats to the team for that.

That said it was overall a disappointing season. Today we had yet another classic Willie slow start. He's got to learn that football is a four quarter game. Due to COVID the schedule got dumbed down. Yet we still couldn't get 9 wins which was clearly doable. We need to upgrade at WR and DB ASAP. Hopefully we benefit from the free COVID YEAR and get some returnees. We also need to add some quality recruits in the February signing period.
Last edited by winwave on Tue Dec 22, 2020 6:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.


BAYWAVE&Sophandros are SPINELESS COWARDS
YOU NEED LEVERAGE TO BE PROACTIVE!
Small time facilities for small time programs
6-4-23:Now all of the mistakes Tulane has made finally catches up with them as they descend to CUSAAC.
Pepper
Swell
Posts: 1449
Joined: Thu Dec 02, 2010 7:38 pm
Status: Offline

winwave wrote: Tue Dec 22, 2020 5:58 pm Glad we were able to get through a full season Congrats to the team for that.

That said it was overall a disappointing season. Today we had yet another classic Willie slow start. He's got to learn that football is a four quarter game. Due to COVID the schedule got dumbed down. Yet we still couldn't get 9 wins which was clearly doable. We need to upgrade at WR and DB ASAP. Hopefully we benefit from the free COVID YEAR and get some returnees. We also need to add some quality recruits in the February signing period.
Jesus, I hope some do not return especially at safety and the grad transfer on the OL.
With that said, we have a lot of experience coming back. I think the offense can be better especially if Long is allowed to get up in the ass of the players who are not getting the job done. I know the defense will be better. Glover has 1 year left of eligibility but he's already in grad school. Hopefully he can come back. Future is bright.
"Purple & Gold? You look ridiculous!"-Johnny Be Good.
winwave
Top of the WAVE
Posts: 24913
Joined: Sat Jul 16, 2011 10:34 am
Status: Offline

Pepper wrote: Tue Dec 22, 2020 6:05 pm
winwave wrote: Tue Dec 22, 2020 5:58 pm Glad we were able to get through a full season Congrats to the team for that.

That said it was overall a disappointing season. Today we had yet another classic Willie slow start. He's got to learn that football is a four quarter game. Due to COVID the schedule got dumbed down. Yet we still couldn't get 9 wins which was clearly doable. We need to upgrade at WR and DB ASAP. Hopefully we benefit from the free COVID YEAR and get some returnees. We also need to add some quality recruits in the February signing period.
Jesus, I hope some do not return especially at safety and the grad transfer on the OL.
With that said, we have a lot of experience coming back. I think the offense can be better especially if Long is allowed to get up in the ass of the players who are not getting the job done. I know the defense will be better. Glover has 1 year left of eligibility but he's already in grad school. Hopefully he can come back. Future is bright.
Talking players like Dublin, Henry, Moody, Huderson, Dauphine, Get a grip. Glover is coming back.
BAYWAVE&Sophandros are SPINELESS COWARDS
YOU NEED LEVERAGE TO BE PROACTIVE!
Small time facilities for small time programs
6-4-23:Now all of the mistakes Tulane has made finally catches up with them as they descend to CUSAAC.
Pepper
Swell
Posts: 1449
Joined: Thu Dec 02, 2010 7:38 pm
Status: Offline

winwave wrote: Tue Dec 22, 2020 6:10 pm
Pepper wrote: Tue Dec 22, 2020 6:05 pm
winwave wrote: Tue Dec 22, 2020 5:58 pm Glad we were able to get through a full season Congrats to the team for that.

That said it was overall a disappointing season. Today we had yet another classic Willie slow start. He's got to learn that football is a four quarter game. Due to COVID the schedule got dumbed down. Yet we still couldn't get 9 wins which was clearly doable. We need to upgrade at WR and DB ASAP. Hopefully we benefit from the free COVID YEAR and get some returnees. We also need to add some quality recruits in the February signing period.
Jesus, I hope some do not return especially at safety and the grad transfer on the OL.
With that said, we have a lot of experience coming back. I think the offense can be better especially if Long is allowed to get up in the ass of the players who are not getting the job done. I know the defense will be better. Glover has 1 year left of eligibility but he's already in grad school. Hopefully he can come back. Future is bright.
Talking players like Dublin, Henry, Moody, Huderson, Dauphine, Get a grip. Glover is coming back.
Get a grip on what?.
"Purple & Gold? You look ridiculous!"-Johnny Be Good.
Jaxwave
Swell
Posts: 2400
Joined: Thu Dec 02, 2010 8:14 pm
Status: Offline

If 36 returns and is in the lineup anywhere but special teams you will know the defense has not only not improved but regressed.
User avatar
tpstulane
Top of the WAVE
Posts: 26666
Joined: Thu Dec 02, 2010 11:56 pm
Status: Offline

Most disappointing season under Willie Fritz. Should have won 9 games this year.
Be proactive, being reactive is for losers..
Tulane Class of 1981
Pepper
Swell
Posts: 1449
Joined: Thu Dec 02, 2010 7:38 pm
Status: Offline

tpstulane wrote: Tue Dec 22, 2020 7:44 pm Most disappointing season under Willie Fritz. Should have won 9 games this year.
I agree. Wish we had started Pratt from day 1. Hopefully, we can chalk it up to all the crap this year. At least he realized that a coaching change was needed on the defensive side of the ball.
"Purple & Gold? You look ridiculous!"-Johnny Be Good.
HoustonWave
Tsunami
Posts: 7471
Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2010 6:27 pm
Status: Offline

Pepper wrote: Tue Dec 22, 2020 7:47 pm
tpstulane wrote: Tue Dec 22, 2020 7:44 pm Most disappointing season under Willie Fritz. Should have won 9 games this year.
I agree. Wish we had started Pratt from day 1. Hopefully, we can chalk it up to all the crap this year. At least he realized that a coaching change was needed on the defensive side of the ball.
No, it’s not all the crap this year. It’s Willie Fritz. We routinely were not prepared to play games, and had maybe two games (Army and Memphis) where we played close to a
complete game. Willie’s tenure system cost us the Navy game, and his poor in-game decision making cost us three games. His decisions about who to play are absolutely head scratching. And yes, he finally changed DC, at least a year too late. He just seems to have very little energy about coaching Tulane.
Tulane is the University of Louisiana
JerseyWave
Riptide
Posts: 4665
Joined: Sat Sep 10, 2011 7:09 pm
Location: Bay Area, California
Status: Offline

Kudos to everyone involved with Tulane football for successfully completing an incredibly difficult season and everyone staying healthy.

I still have a very bitter taste in my mouth over the Navy game when we surrendered a 24-0 halftime lead. As for the Tulsa debacle, it's beyond my comprehension how we lost that game to a third string quarterback and gave up a last second Hail Mary.

I agree that Fritz seems to be lacking fire in the belly to Coach Tulane, yet he has the nerve to pursue P5 jobs. He seems to lack a killer instinct and it reflects in the way his team plays.

It looks to me that going into the offseason we upgraded both coordinator jobs and offensive line coach. I would love to see a change in wide receiver and defensive back coaches. We still have a lot of recruiting to do before our next kick off.
Jaxwave
Swell
Posts: 2400
Joined: Thu Dec 02, 2010 8:14 pm
Status: Offline

No wonder Willie is pursuing P5 jobs. Here is his take on the kind of athletes he has recruited:
"Our margin for error is very slim," Fritz said. "We have to do the little things every game to come out with a win. We're not just going to roll the ball out and beat people. We have to do things right the whole time. There is a lot of good things, but there are some things we left out on the field."
winwave
Top of the WAVE
Posts: 24913
Joined: Sat Jul 16, 2011 10:34 am
Status: Offline

Yep he did make a change at DC. He still hasn't made the very necessary change at WR where we have a coach who can't recruit or coach. We also still need a change in the DB coaching staff. He's got more work to do to right this ship.
BAYWAVE&Sophandros are SPINELESS COWARDS
YOU NEED LEVERAGE TO BE PROACTIVE!
Small time facilities for small time programs
6-4-23:Now all of the mistakes Tulane has made finally catches up with them as they descend to CUSAAC.
User avatar
MicMan
Swell
Posts: 1464
Joined: Sun Sep 07, 2014 6:00 pm
Status: Offline

"Hopefully".

You may hope for whatever you wish.
Jaxwave
Swell
Posts: 2400
Joined: Thu Dec 02, 2010 8:14 pm
Status: Offline

Fritz is a solid football coach who it appears to me is reaching the same point in his Tulane career as just about all his predecessors where he realizes he can’t recruit to the same standard as the upper echelon in his conference for a number of reasons, tradition, academic, commitment by administration, etc. I do not think however, he is one to just pack it in like a number of the recent ones and he’ll work his butt off to achieve better results whether they come or not. It’s got to be frustrating year after year to get commitments from a handful of players early in the recruiting process who could be early contributors and potential stars only to lose them later near signing day when it’s hard to replace them.
Wave755
Tsunami
Posts: 6227
Joined: Sun Oct 07, 2012 4:04 pm
Status: Offline

Jaxwave wrote: Wed Dec 23, 2020 6:31 am Fritz is a solid football coach who it appears to me is reaching the same point in his Tulane career as just about all his predecessors where he realizes he can’t recruit to the same standard as the upper echelon in his conference for a number of reasons, tradition, academic, commitment by administration, etc. I do not think however, he is one to just pack it in like a number of the recent ones and he’ll work his butt off to achieve better results whether they come or not. It’s got to be frustrating year after year to get commitments from a handful of players early in the recruiting process who could be early contributors and potential stars only to lose them later near signing day when it’s hard to replace them.
It would be nice to have some depth @ OL and at least a few wide receivers who can actually catch a football. These 2 positions should be at the top of WF’s Christmas wish list.

And let’s take a deep breath, I remind everyone that 50% of all teams in bowl games this season will lose.
User avatar
Bigschtick
Riptide
Posts: 3279
Joined: Sat Dec 04, 2010 9:57 am
Location: Tucson, Az.
Status: Offline

HoustonWave wrote: Tue Dec 22, 2020 9:23 pm
Pepper wrote: Tue Dec 22, 2020 7:47 pm
tpstulane wrote: Tue Dec 22, 2020 7:44 pm Most disappointing season under Willie Fritz. Should have won 9 games this year.
I agree. Wish we had started Pratt from day 1. Hopefully, we can chalk it up to all the crap this year. At least he realized that a coaching change was needed on the defensive side of the ball.
No, it’s not all the crap this year. It’s Willie Fritz. We routinely were not prepared to play games, and had maybe two games (Army and Memphis) where we played close to a
complete game. Willie’s tenure system cost us the Navy game, and his poor in-game decision making cost us three games. His decisions about who to play are absolutely head scratching. And yes, he finally changed DC, at least a year too late. He just seems to have very little energy about coaching Tulane.
My opinion exactly!
Speak softly but carry a bigschtick! In Sumrall We Trust!
Pepper
Swell
Posts: 1449
Joined: Thu Dec 02, 2010 7:38 pm
Status: Offline

Jaxwave wrote: Wed Dec 23, 2020 6:31 am Fritz is a solid football coach who it appears to me is reaching the same point in his Tulane career as just about all his predecessors where he realizes he can’t recruit to the same standard as the upper echelon in his conference for a number of reasons, tradition, academic, commitment by administration, etc. I do not think however, he is one to just pack it in like a number of the recent ones and he’ll work his butt off to achieve better results whether they come or not. It’s got to be frustrating year after year to get commitments from a handful of players early in the recruiting process who could be early contributors and potential stars only to lose them later near signing day when it’s hard to replace them.
I truly believe coaches have no idea what they are walking into when they accept the TU HC job.
Zero fan interest.
Small local alumni base.
A BOA that is not athletic friendly.
The perception by local high school coaches that local kids can't get into Tulane.
A history of losing and zero media coverage with LSU and Saints gobbling it up.
Worst facilities in Div 1.

With all that being said, we have made strides to better a program. I believe WF is the right guy who makes the same game mistakes most other coaches make. It's very difficult to call plays when your backup OL should be redshirting and your receivers can't catch. Designed runs with Pratt early yesterday were called plays. I didn't understand why until I saw the blocking on passing plays. Then I wondering why Pratt was looking off an open #3 to throw into a tight window to #4. Then I saw #3's attempt to catch a football. That told me the coaches realized what hand we were dealt with, To be down by 6 late in the game, was actually amazing. I've said it before and I'll say it again, "We need more athletes who are students, not the other way around."
"Purple & Gold? You look ridiculous!"-Johnny Be Good.
anEngineer
Riptide
Posts: 2714
Joined: Tue Nov 24, 2015 7:26 pm
Status: Offline

It's significant that we played 12 games when most teams played less than 10. The more games you play, the more starters are going to get hurt. We would have had far fewer injuries if we had played 8 games with breaks in between. Couple that with the tragedies suffered this week and it was just a bad set of circumstances. You can't compare teams to each other this year because EVERYONE'S situation was different week by week. In spite of it all, I would rather have played the 12 games than not. If we hadn't played the Navy, SMU and Houston games, we would be 6-3. Better record, but would we be any better?

We have a quality QB for the future with more behind him. We have new coordinators and a solid recruiting/transfer class. We are grinding our way in the right direction.
Lutzow46
Ripple
Posts: 80
Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2020 6:45 pm
Status: Offline

Hopefully Pratt will stay with the team. I sensed his frustration towards the end of the 4th quarter as the Nevada defender poured in. Had we stayed on the ground with the 26 - 20 deficit, we might have pulled it off. But we started throwing long passes with the tricky winds. Nice to see him run though he is not as shifty as last year's QB. If he had LSU's receivers from championship Year 2019, he would have looked terrific. He got us back in the game. Stephon Hudderson and Carroll were standouts. I give the backfield a "B" for the game. Everyone else rated a "C" or less, including the coaching staff. Should have won.
oliveandblue
Surge
Posts: 854
Joined: Fri Dec 12, 2014 2:02 pm
Status: Offline

The Tulane job is tricky but not impossible. The Saints do allow us to use their facilities over the course of the year. Yulman has been far kinder to Tulane than the Superdome. We need to improve Yulman and get our own IPF next.

Academics aren't the problem - it's actually that we are in a conference of teams willing to take risks on guys (like the TTU transfer) that we won't.

We have had a few bad eggs, but those get tossed INSTANTLY. In the southeast, FBS coaches see that and think "I'll never win big if I have to hold those morals".

Tulane is a fun midmajor job that you can win 7 to 9 games per year in for 10+ if you enjoy NOLA. It's just not a place to win BIG at unless the school reformats itself.
DfromCT
Wild Pelican
Posts: 13004
Joined: Tue Dec 27, 2011 1:50 pm
Location: Stamford, CT
Status: Online

The season was disappointing to say the least, but yesterday's game was extremely predictable. Changing both the OC and DC, two players losing their fathers, going to a climate that's unlike anything most of these players have played in, opt-outs and injuries, 3.5 hour flight, it all added up to a poorly executed game. Once again our QB and WR's were not the best QB and WR's on the field.

I don't get this stuff about Fritz losing fire or doing anything other than his best. I won't try to get into his head.
" If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day.." Jimmy V
winwave
Top of the WAVE
Posts: 24913
Joined: Sat Jul 16, 2011 10:34 am
Status: Offline

oliveandblue wrote: Wed Dec 23, 2020 3:46 pm The Tulane job is tricky but not impossible. The Saints do allow us to use their facilities over the course of the year. Yulman has been far kinder to Tulane than the Superdome. We need to improve Yulman and get our own IPF next.

Academics aren't the problem - it's actually that we are in a conference of teams willing to take risks on guys (like the TTU transfer) that we won't.

We have had a few bad eggs, but those get tossed INSTANTLY. In the southeast, FBS coaches see that and think "I'll never win big if I have to hold those morals".

Tulane is a fun midmajor job that you can win 7 to 9 games per year in for 10+ if you enjoy NOLA. It's just not a place to win BIG at unless the school reformats itself.
What the program needs ASAP is a football operations building. As to the TTU guy we took a chance. When we couldn't finish it others stayed away too. Yulman hasn't been kinder than the Dome. The Dome had nothing to do with the losing. All the bad hires and policies did. At Yulman see what happened under CJ. He did better at the Dome . :mrgreen: The President and Board are more in than they have been in since forever. It is easier to get and keep athletes in. We can win this conference championship if we improve the facilities which will help us attract better players.
BAYWAVE&Sophandros are SPINELESS COWARDS
YOU NEED LEVERAGE TO BE PROACTIVE!
Small time facilities for small time programs
6-4-23:Now all of the mistakes Tulane has made finally catches up with them as they descend to CUSAAC.
Wave755
Tsunami
Posts: 6227
Joined: Sun Oct 07, 2012 4:04 pm
Status: Offline

DfromCT wrote: Wed Dec 23, 2020 3:58 pm The season was disappointing to say the least, but yesterday's game was extremely predictable. Changing both the OC and DC, two players losing their fathers, going to a climate that's unlike anything most of these players have played in, opt-outs and injuries, 3.5 hour flight, it all added up to a poorly executed game. Once again our QB and WR's were not the best QB and WR's on the field.

I don't get this stuff about Fritz losing fire or doing anything other than his best. I won't try to get into his head.
Bowden was right in 1997, we should have stayed home.
winwave
Top of the WAVE
Posts: 24913
Joined: Sat Jul 16, 2011 10:34 am
Status: Offline

Due to the pandemic our schedule was lightened up . So the important numbers are this - 3-5. That's what we finished in the AAC. That's in what was a down year for the conference. You can woulda, coulda all you want but we didn't. To make it worse we have people carrying on like lunatics on all of our sites that next years schedule is a killer so instead of wait till next year it's wait till the year after next. Oh the joy.
BAYWAVE&Sophandros are SPINELESS COWARDS
YOU NEED LEVERAGE TO BE PROACTIVE!
Small time facilities for small time programs
6-4-23:Now all of the mistakes Tulane has made finally catches up with them as they descend to CUSAAC.
Wave QB
Swell
Posts: 2251
Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2012 5:09 am
Status: Offline

anEngineer wrote: Wed Dec 23, 2020 8:55 am It's significant that we played 12 games when most teams played less than 10. The more games you play, the more starters are going to get hurt. We would have had far fewer injuries if we had played 8 games with breaks in between. Couple that with the tragedies suffered this week and it was just a bad set of circumstances. You can't compare teams to each other this year because EVERYONE'S situation was different week by week. In spite of it all, I would rather have played the 12 games than not. If we hadn't played the Navy, SMU and Houston games, we would be 6-3. Better record, but would we be any better?

We have a quality QB for the future with more behind him. We have new coordinators and a solid recruiting/transfer class. We are grinding our way in the right direction.
Thank God we played 12 games! Otherwise, we wouldn’t have won 6 games! 😂

Also, thank you USM and USA for being on our schedule!
Wave QB
Swell
Posts: 2251
Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2012 5:09 am
Status: Offline

Wave755 wrote: Wed Dec 23, 2020 4:18 pm
DfromCT wrote: Wed Dec 23, 2020 3:58 pm The season was disappointing to say the least, but yesterday's game was extremely predictable. Changing both the OC and DC, two players losing their fathers, going to a climate that's unlike anything most of these players have played in, opt-outs and injuries, 3.5 hour flight, it all added up to a poorly executed game. Once again our QB and WR's were not the best QB and WR's on the field.

I don't get this stuff about Fritz losing fire or doing anything other than his best. I won't try to get into his head.
Bowden was right in 1997, we should have stayed home.
Speaking of Bowden, Terry is now at ULM.
Post Reply