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NewOrleans.Com/Sports - Tulane Green Wave News |
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Written by Ken Trahan Wednesday, 28 October 2009 08:27
The effort is solid. Practices are good. There is no quit in this team. That is the strong message conveyed by Bob Toledo to the media, Tulane fans and to concerned administrators regarding the 2009 Tulane football team.
Of course, the concern is that 2009 is turning into 2008 all over again. Of course, Tulane started 2008 2-2 and collapsed after an embarrassing Homecoming loss to Army, losing eight-in-a-row by margins of 31, 25, 25, 28, 17, 49 and 39 points. Only a three-point loss at UTEP was competitive. In 2009, Tulane started 2-2 and has collapsed since an embarrassing Homecoming loss to Marshall.
Once again, it isn't that Tulane is losing, it's how they are losing. By huge margins. Making mistake after mistake. Tulane actually outgained Marshall and lost by 21 points (31-10). Since then, Tulane has lost by 28 to Houston (44-16) and by 37 to Southern Mississippi (44-16). Previous losses were to Tulsa by 24 (37-13) and to BYU by 51 (54-3).
Were Tulane competitive, there would not be cause for concern or an outcry from disgruntled fans. Yes, Tulane is young. Yes, they have played 18 freshmen, more than any team in the nation. Still, this is a team that has three senior starters on offense and seven on defense. That's nearly half of your starters who are seniors. Accepting Toledo's premise that they are playing hard (and I do), one can only conclude that they simply aren't good enough.
The schedule has been difficult. "We have played the two top teams in the West in Conference USA and the top two teams in the East in Conference USA. BYU was nationally-ranked and very good. McNeese State is one of the best teams in the country at their level. Now we get LSU," said Toledo. "They are very, very good. I think John Chavis is a great addition to their staff. Their defense is playing well. Offensively, they have great weapons. They are an outstanding team and it is tough playing them on the road, in front of a huge crowd at Tiger Stadium."
It's not just LSU. Tulane has to play all but one remaining game on the road. Of course, the opposition is not as formidable and based on comments by Toledo and his players, they would seem to enjoy playing on the road, anyway, based on the fact that there is a better atmosphere, with fans in the stands.
Toledo's comments of a couple of weeks ago about not having fan support did not sit well with loyal Tulane fans who continue to support the program through loss after loss, year after year. Some of his players seized upon the thoughts and have expressed similar sentiments. They follow their leader. Toledo was compelled (or coerced) into apologizing for his comments about fans a week ago. Now, he is apologizing for the play of his team and his coaching.
"We have to do a better job of coaching and playing. We're not doing either right now. We practice hard but we don't play like we practice. It has been a comedy of errors. What can go wrong goes wrong," said Toledo.
At the center of Tulane's many problems is the play of special teams. Tulane has now endured 10 blocked kicks in its last 18 games, an astonishing figure. It is hard to fathom a worse kicking game in the country. Toledo coordinates the special teams effort and takes full credit (or blame) for their pathetic performance. "We had a special teams coordinator in my first year here and we were last in the league on special teams. Last year, we moved up to the middle of the pack. This year has been unacceptable. It's always something. How do you explain it? We practice very hard. I don't know. I am responsible," said Toledo.
Injuries are beginning to set in, taking a toll, especially for a younger team with minimal depth. While it is not the MASH unit of 2008, there are key players out. Free safety Alex Wacha will miss the game with a concussion and freshman Jordan Garrett will replace him. Wacha will be missed on special teams as well. He is one of the few standouts for Tulane in that discipline.
A bigger loss is the injury to starting center Andrew Nierman. The fiery junior from John Curtis has a pulled hamstring and will be replaced by junior Joey Ray. "That's a big loss. Nierman is emotional, intense. We hope to get him back for the last four games," said Toledo. Nierman had started all 31 games during his Tulane career.
LSU represents Tulane's oldest rival. The two schools will meet for the 98th time. LSU has won the last 17 meetings. Most have not been competitive. LSU has won 10 straight over Tulane in Tiger Stadium. Toledo has lost to LSU 34-9 in 2007 and 35-10 in 2008. In the last six meetings between the two schools, LSU has outscored Tulane 250-85. Tulane's last victory was a 31-28 win at Tiger Stadium by Vince Gibson's Green Wave in 1982.
Of course, the series is set to end after both schools agreed to break their current 10-year contract over a disagreement about where the future games will be played. As a result, loyalists who still enjoy seeing LSU and Tulane play should enjoy Saturday night in Tiger Stadium. It may be the last time in a long time that you see the two teams on the same field and that is sad, regardless of how one-sided the series has become and how non-competitive the games have become.
In the two most recent games, Toledo says Tulane was very competitive in the first half. "They simply wore us down in the second of both games but our kids played hard against them," said Toledo.
The Green Wave head coach expects nothing less Saturday night and throughout the rest of the season.
"They are playing hard. I do not see us quitting. I don't think we have. I am not giving up. I am not going away. We want to play good and not embarrass ourselves. I don't accept the losing. I am disappointed, upset, angry. I see a lot of good things, potential in this team. The season is not over yet. I know it sounds crazy, you may think I'm nuts, but we are closer than people can imagine. We are probably where most thought we would be at this stage. We will continue working hard."
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