Wednesday, October 22, 2014
KSW's Tulane Power Spread Option
I was gonna post this a while ago, but it took a lot of time to write this up. This is the playbook I use in my Tulane Green Wave dynasty on NCAA Football 13. While I play on '13 the playbook will work fine in NCAA '14, but with a few differences. The SimSports link provided below shows the playbook under the NCAA '14 umbrella. While it's not exactly my offense, it is about 90%. Since most of you guys play '14 now I thought to put it there; if anyone still plays '13 like me, PM me and I can send you a link to the playbook under the NCAA '13 umbrella.
Playbook Name: KSW's Tulane Power Spread Option
Base Offense: This offense has varied so much over the years that ANY option- or spread-based playbook will do. When I created it long ago, I used Air Force as the base.
SimSports Link: http://www.simsports.net/viewPlayboo...bid=2685&gid=2
Position Requirements:
QB: Must have good mobility. Preferably someone w/ 85+ OVR Speed & Acceleration. (75-84 Speed will suffice if needed, but some of the option plays may not be as effective. Below 75 will not work. Acceleration must be at least 80.) Passing skills should be decent, but great passing isn't required (the passing in this offense isn't very in-depth). Bryan Higgins ran this offense to near-perfection in my dynasty this past season. Throwing for only 1687 yards & 18 touchdowns, he also ran for 1755 yds & 17 TDs. He won the 2017 Maxwell Award.
Tulane QB Bryan Higgins
HB: HBs can be recruited based on your preference. I prefer larger power runners but speed backs can work just fine. As long as they have good strength & elusiveness, and SOME ability to shed blockers, they're fine. This is one position where you will use Formation Subs a lot, depending on the situation & your stable of backs. In a dynasty, HB is THE FIRST position I look at when recruiting, because they can make-or-break this offense.
FB: Just as the JOKER is a wild-card in most card games, the FB position is the true wild-card in this offense. It is not required to have a FB in the offense, but having a good one can be a great luxury. If you don't have one, a good power HB or even an athletic TE can work. If you don't want one you can simply substitute a HB/TE in the position. The FB should be an all-around player: good running ability, decent hands, great at blocking. In my Tulane dynasty Fred Roach was the greatest at this. He's since graduated; here's his career stat line:
FB Fred Roach:
292 rush, 1582 yds, 21 TD
43 rec, 498 yds, 3 TD
151 pancake blocks
WR: Speed guys are preferred. Especially the slot receiver. The slot receiver is arguably the most important receiver, as he may receive the majority of the jet sweeps & motion option pitches. Nevertheless all receivers must possess decent strength, as they will have many blocking assignments. In the past I've used bigger receivers on the outside to block, with a speed demon in the slot. But all big guys or all speed demons can work, if they all have good running ability & decent strength. If you throw it as much as I do however, they won't catch a lot of passes.
TE: Like the FB, the TE position can be a wild-card in this offense. A big TE can be a great mismatch down the field, while a smaller TE can play in the backfield as a FB sub. But this one fact is important: ALL TIGHT ENDS MUST BE ABLE TO BLOCK. For this reason I recruit primarily "Blocking" TE's, as I personally don't throw it enough to consider recruiting a good receiving threat. A typical TE in my offense may average between 10-30 catches a season, but over 50 pancake blocks. Great strength & blocking ability is a must, but good hands are a bonus.
Offensive Line: The skills of your O-line will greatly depend on how much you like throwing the ball. If you're run-heavy like me, you better recruit "Run Block" O-linemen. Guys who can dominate the trenches at all times are a must. They need to get great push to have success on dive runs, but must also be athletic enough to block downfield on sweeps, outside run plays and screen passes. As I said with HB's, if you're using this playbook in a dynasty the offensive line would be one of the first positions I'd consider when recruiting, because they too can make-or-break the offense. For guys who throw the ball more than I do, "Balanced" lineman will do.
Key Plays:
The playbook has a fair amount of passing plays, but it's a run-first offense. Use the power running game to set up either the play-action pass or the option game. Most of the passing plays are either short patterns, inside routes or screens, meant to catch the defense napping. When they commit to stopping the run, throw a deep one over the middle. Short pass should be the majority of your passing, which is why passing numbers will typically be low. I treat screen plays as extended running plays, so the passing plays I call most frequently are Slants, Curls, and HB Slip Screen. Ideally most of the deep-ball passing will be done out of play action.
The option plays are important too, as it's all about deception in this offense. You always want to keep the defense guessing on every down. Run a few HB/FB dive plays with your HB or FB to start, then have your QB pull out the read option & gash the defense for a big gain. Every now & then throw out a jet sweep or motion option run with a speedy WR, or a speed option with the HB. The defense should never know what hits them. THIS is the primary reason why my playbook has a whopping 26 formations. Though most formations will contain only 9, 12, or 15 plays, you always want to throw many looks at the defense to keep them on their toes.
Recruiting Recommendations:
QB: Scrambler
HB: Doesn't matter (depends on your preference)
FB: Receiving
WR: Speed preferred (though a fast Possession guy can work)
TE: Blocking
OL: Run Block preferred (though Balanced can work)
This offense can also work well with great ATH's. Depending on their skill set they can find many roles in the system. For example, Bryan Higgins was an ATH when I recruited him, and my HB Josh Williams was also an ATH at first.
Strategies:
The base alignments of the playbook are the Ace, I Form, Pistol and Shotgun. These four alignments I feel link together really well, because they're really 4 offenses wrapped into one. You could go Ace-Pistol combo (since a lot of formations overlap between the two), Ace-I Form (for a heavy dose of power football), Ace-Shotgun (for you Pro Style/One Back enthusiasts), or Pistol-Shotgun (for those who love the Spread offense). Ideally you can use any combination of the four base alignments, but I feel those four mentioned work best as a cohesive unit. I run Pistol-Shotgun combo the most, but you should really play to the hand of the defense. In my Tulane dynasty I could run a lot of Pistol-Shotgun one game, then run Ace-I Form the next. Just take whatever the defense gives you. DON'T FORCE ANYTHING. The best way to run this offense is to play "situational football."
On a per-game average, my play-calling is typically about 70% run, 30% pass. I run 9:00 quarters in my dynasty, and I average between 60-80 plays a game. As far as stats are concerned I aim for over 300 yards a game rushing, while only 100-200 yards passing. If I hit my quota it's a good game; if not I need to tweak my playcalling. This offense CAN work out of hurry-up/no-huddle, though I prefer not to play that way. I like to take time & mix up the formation look, sending out a different combo of players every few plays. That being said, if you want to run no-huddle the offense is perfectly set up to do that. I love to utilize match-ups. In the dynasty my current feature back is a Power back, but on some plays I will bring in a smaller, quicker HB. The Speed back is best fit for the 3- or 4-WR sets where I could run option, or throw a screen pass to him. When I want to go full-on power, I'll sub in a FB at RB, and perhaps substitute a bigger power QB for my typically smaller speed QB. Sometimes I'll put a WR or TE in the backfield, sometimes I'll have 2 FB's. Like I said, it's all about match-ups.
Additional Notes: Not much more to add here, everything's pretty much been explained. You can run this offense however you like, and have fun with it. I know it's a large playbook, but it's meant that way. The point is to be able to run whatever you need at any time. With this offense my Tulane team has enjoyed much success. The team won the national title this past season, and is set to defend the title this season. I try to tweak/update the playbook every offseason, so I'll update the above SimSports link as needed. The playbook will also be posted in my "arena." If you have any questions, feel free to PM me. Enjoy!
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Preview: My team has the bye this week. I'm thinking of updating my offensive playbook...
NEW THREAD!!! You can follow my dynasty on my new thread! Click on the following link: http://www.operationsports.com/forum...rst-first.html
Roll Wave!
Saturday, September 14, 2013
It's time for Season 3 of Tulane Football: From Worst to First! As the Kaelyn Willingham era enters Year 3 in New Orleans, the Tulane Green Wave enter the season with MANY questions to answer. Who starts at QB? Will the defense improve? Can they play as a COMPLETE team? How will they do in Year 1 of their new conference? Willingham hopes that all that and more will be answered in the first few weeks.
A Season Preview is available below. Enjoy!
"The New-Look Big East: American Athletic Conference"
Alright guys, I said I play on NCAA 13, so technically the Big East is still the "Big East." But to keep consistent w/ all the NCAA 14 players, I'll refer to it as "The American" in this dynasty. After using some effective Conference Realignment changes, most changes are as expected, based on what's going to happen in real life. The only difference is Marshall leaving C-USA for the MAC. Since all their C-USA rivals are now in The American, Marshall will resume an old rivalry w/ MAC member Ohio Bobcats. This move also balances the MAC at 14 teams (2 divisions X 7 teams), and gives C-USA a round-robin conference schedule at 10 teams.
Preseason Outlook for The American is posted below. "What you guys think?"
1. ECU
2. Cincinnati
3. SMU
4. Houston
5. UCF
6. Temple
7. Tulsa
8. UConn
9. USF
10. Tulane (booo!)
11. Memphis
Preseason AP Top 10
Didn't feel like writing down all 25 teams, so I'll just give out the Preseason Top 10. The Green Wave will be facing one of these teams at home on Week 3. Guess which one...
AP Top 10
1. LSU
2. Oregon (last year's Nat'l Champ)
3. Alabama
4. Washington (surprise, surprise...)
5. Michigan State
6. Clemson
7. Oklahoma
8. Auburn (huh?)
9. Wisconsin
10. TCU (Nat'l Champ dark horse)
Heisman Watch List
A few surprises make the Preseason Watch List. But all their teams did good last season.
1. QB Angel Santiago, Army
2. HB Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin
3. HB Tre Mason, Auburn
All-Americans
Tulane did not have any players make the NCAA Preseason All-America 1st & 2nd Teams. But they did have 4 players make both All-AAC teams.
1st Team AAC:
RG Corey Redwine, RS JR
CB Jordan Batiste, RS Jr (should NOT have, though)
FS Renaldo Thomas, Jr
2nd Team AAC:
CB Darion Monroe, RS Jr (should have made 1ST team)
Tulane Green Wave 2014 Schedule
Schedule includes 8 conference games & 4 non-conference. We play all AAC teams except UCF and Temple. Non-conference schedule consists of 4 rematches from last year, including the Battle for the Tiger Rag vs. LSU & the Battle for the Victory Bell @ Southern Miss. Bye weeks are Weeks 1, 6, 12.
Here's the schedule. Again, what do you guys think?
| Tulane Green Wave 2014 Schedule | ||||
| DATE | OPPONENT | RESULT | ||
| Sep 6 | at Southern Miss | |||
| Sep 13 | vs #1 LSU | |||
| Sep 20 | at BYU | |||
| Sep 27 | vs SMU | |||
| Oct 11 | at Memphis | |||
| Oct 18 | vs Houston | |||
| Oct 25 | vs UConn | |||
| Nov 1 | at USF | |||
| Nov 8 | at #22 Cincinnati | |||
| Nov 22 | vs Marshall | |||
| Nov 29 | vs Tulsa | |||
| Dec 6 | at #21 ECU | |||
Position Battles
The Green Wave enter the 2014 season with MANY positions unsolidified. Although QB Trevor Knight transferred to Tulane from Oklahoma in the off-season, the QB race will be 3-fold, with returning Sophomores Devin Thomas & Tim Ashley competing w/ true Freshman Maurice Johnson. Johnson, the #2 QB prospect in this year's class, replaces Sophomore QB Jeff Shelby, who was dismissed from the program due to academic & behavioral issues
.The HB & FB positions will likely be by committee this season, as no true front-runner emerged at these positions during spring AND fall practice. The TE position will also likely be committee this season, although this is due to the good depth at the position. Coach Willingham is likely to get creative with his offense this season!
The WR position will be situational. Smaller, quicker receivers will be utilized mostly in Spread formations as a way to stretch the defense, for both the pass AND the run. Bigger, physical receivers will be used in Flexbone, Wingbone and other traditional formations to help facilitate a ground-and-pound running game. They will be used heavily in blocking.
The Defense doesn't have any major changes but will be expected to improve. Most of the starters from last year return to their positions, with higher expectations in mind.
Personally, I will NOT be afraid to use situational packages in my depth chart/playcalling this season. I actually think it makes the game more fun. That DOES include the QB position. I haven't done it before, but I am kinda looking forward to running a 2-QB system this season, with Powell & Ashley. Especially if neither one pulls away by the Week 6 bye. Here's how the "Situation Offense" would work:
QB:
Tim Ashley: used during "stretch-the-field" running, play action pass (utilize his SPEED)
Devin Powell: used during "power" running, "intentional" passing (when we have to pass); intent is to utilize his LARGE BODY & HIGH PASSING AWARENESS.
HB:
RB committee of Dante Butler, Robert Kelley & Wendell Goolsby ALL STARTING. Goolsby is a former WR w/ 88 Speed, 91 Acceleration. Kelley will also see time at FB with his 6'1" 225-lb body.
FB:
FB committee of Shaun Berry, Taylor Bullock & HB Robert Kelley; with Berry used in Power situations, Kelley used in Spread situations, and Bullock used mainly in blocking. Bullock will also be used in LIMITED receiving & rushing.
WR:
WR's will be used in either Spread formations or Power formations, depending on their size, speed & blocking ability. As explained above.
TE:
TE committee of Matt Marfisi, Marshall Brown & J.J. Thomas. Situation distribution similar to WR's.
FYI: The offense this season will go no-huddle in Spread situations, while playing ground-and-pound in Power situations.
Hope you all have enjoyed this 2014 Tulane Green Wave Preview! Remember always, Roll Wave!!!
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Signing Day!!!
So guys, I said I had a lot of big recruiting news to share. Well here it is!
To the surprise of man coaches across the country, Coach Kaelyn Willingham was able to assemble an amazing recruiting class, in just his second year with the program. The Green Wave recruiting class ranked 20th in the nation. That's right, TWENTY. This class includes FIVE 4-star players and 13 3-star players. Most notable recruit: 4-star QB Maurice Johnson, the No. 2 QB on ESPN's 150 list. He will enter what is expected to be a FOUR-way QB competition heading into the fall.
In addition to the QB, Willingham also convinced QB Tim Ashley to stay with the team. Ashley, who threatened to leave for Arkansas State due to playing time, realized that he actually did have a good shot to win the starting job due to his performance last season. With Orleans Darkwa graduating, Ashley returns as the leading rusher from last season, despite just 3 starts.
A week later, Coach finds out that former Oklahoma QB Trevor Knight has decided to transfer to Tulane. He will sit out the upcoming season, but if the QB situation continues to be unresolved, he could become a big factor going into 2015. In addition to Knight, former Tulsa WR Justin Atkinson has also decided to play for the Wave.
In addition to the QB's, Tulane's class includes 4* HB's Doug Clark and Nick Miles, 4* WR Justin Fountain, 3* TE Marshall Brown, 2 additional FB's and a solid core of offensive linemen.
While Coach Willingham added numerous pieces to his offense, he did add some notable pieces to his defense, a defense that ranked in the bottom five in the country last year in pass defense and overall defense. This includes 4* CB Shaun Powers and 3* DE Corey Walton. These guys are expected to contribute right away to ail a less-than-stellar pass defense.
Tulane's in-depth 2014 recruiting class can be found below. Enjoy!
QB
- Maurice Johnson, 4*, 71 OVR (-7 BUST)
HB
- Doug Clark, 4*, 66 OVR
- Nick Miles, 4*, 66
- Scott Moore, 3*, 62
FB
- Fred Roach, 1*, 64 OVR
- Marco Washington, 1*, 63
WR
- Justin Fountain, 4*, 69 OVR
- A.J. Wright, 3*, 63
- Randall Armstrong, 3*, 64
TE
- Marshall Brown, 3*, 72 OVR (+6 GEM)
- Kevin Hartman, 3*, 62
T
- Phil Maxwell, 3*, 65 OVR
- Antwan Harrison, 2*, 64 (+9 GEM)
G
- Jeff Smith, 3*, 67 OVR
- Nick Bradley, 3*, 66
- Charles Rogers, 2*, 61
C
- Clint West, 3*, 64
DE
- Corey Walton, 3*, 69 OVR
OLB
- Ross Fowler, 3*, 62 OVR (+6 GEM)
- Todd Carter, 2*, 62
CB
- Shaun Powers, 4*, 72 OVR
- T.J. Gray, 3*, 68
- Drew Watson (JUCO Soph), 3*, 69
Great Class! As Signing Day comes to a close, LSU, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Arkansas and Michigan all had top-5 classes. WhileNew Mexico, Louisiana-Lafayette, Western Michigan, Buffalo and Eastern Michigan all round out the BOTTOM 5.
Surprises: The Purdue Boilermakers brought in the 9th best recruiting class. That's right, NINTH. WTH...????? At the same time, SEC powers South Carolina & Texas A&M each had the 80th & 84th ranked classes, respectively. WOW.....
(To Be Continued)
Offseason Update (cont.)
All-Americans
The Green Wave did not have any players reach All-American status. But they did have 4 players attain All-Conference status. The following players were named to the All-Conference USA 1st & 2nd Teams:
1st Team:
Orleans Darkwa (Sr, KR)
2nd Team:
Jordan Batiste (So, CB)
Renaldo Thomas (So, FS)
Cairo Santos (RS Jr, K)
Coaching Changes
Tulane was able to keep its offensive coordinator going forward, as Eric Price signed a 2-yr extension.
Other Coaching Changes:
- Art Briles fired at Baylor (now HC at Texas Tech). IRONY...
- June Jones fired at SMU despite 9-4 record & BCS berth. WTF?????
- then-fired Tommy Tuberville (HC, Texas Tech) now HC at UConn
- Mark Richt fired at Georgia (now HC at FIU).
- After being fired at FIU, HC Mario Cristobal becomes HC at rival FAU. Haha!
- After Bill Snyder retires, both his coordinators get HC gigs: DC at Georgia, OC now at NC State.
- Mike Riley fired at Oregon State.
- Frank Beamer retires from Virginia Tech. About time... Replaced by Oregon DC Nick Aliotti.
Notable Draft Picks (School, Position, Round #)
D. Millner (Alabama, CB, 1st)
T. Boyd (Clemson, QB, 1st)
J. Jones (Georgia, OLB, 1st)
S. Montgomery (LSU, OLB, 1st)
T. Eifert (Notre Dame, TE, 1st)
K. Stills (Oklahoma, WR, 1st)
J. Randle (Oklahoma St, RB, 1st)
C. Pachall (TCU, QB, 1st)
L. Joeckel (Texas A&M, OL, 1st)
S. Redd (USC, RB, 1st)
R. Woods (USC, WR, 1st)
S. Bailey (W. Virgina, WR, 1st)
J. Abbrederis (Wisconsin, WR, 1st)
D. Hopkins (Clemson, WR, 2nd)
L. Bell (Michigan St, RB, 2nd)
L. Toilolo (Stanford, TE, 2nd)
K. Price(Washington, QB, 2nd)
A. Blue* (LSU, RB, 3rd) *Heisman Trophy winner
Z. Ertz (Stanford, TE, 3rd)
A. Murray (Georgia, QB, 4th)
A. Ogletree (Georgia, OLB, 4th)
D. Smith (Ohio St, WR, 4th)
C. Hyde (Ohio St, RB, 5th)
T. Bray (Tennessee, QB, 5th)
T. Martinez (Nebraska, QB, 6th)
Z. Mettenberger (LSU, QB, 7th)
A. Maxwell (Michigan St, QB, 7th)
(To Be Continued...)
Offseason Update
It's kswgrad2012 here, not David Sinclair. Just finished Season 2 of my Tulane dynasty. Didn't go as successful as I had hoped, but we'll improve for next year. Got some BIG news as far as recruiting is concerned, but I'll catch everyone up with some of the big news around the college football world as we ended the season.
Heisman Trophy
LSU RB Alfred Blue took home the Heisman Trophy this year.
2014 BCS National Championship
Oregon defeats Clemson, 37-31, to take home the Crystal Ball. RB DeAnthony Thomas is your Nat'l Champ MVP.
Other BCS Matchups
Rose Bowl: Utah defeats Nebraska, 39-35.
Sugar Bowl: Florida defeats SMU, 45-24.
Orange Bowl: LSU defeats Ohio State, 21-16.
Fiesta Bowl: TCU defeats ECU, 34-30.
Conference Champs
ECU wins Conference USA (def. Tulsa)
Clemson wins the ACC (def. Georgia Tech)
Florida wins the SEC (def. LSU)
Utah wins the Pac-12 (def. Stanford)
Bowling Green wins the MAC (def. Toledo)
Colorado State wins the Mountain West (def. Fresno State)
Nebraska wins the Big Ten (def. Wisconsin)
TCU wins the Big 12
SMU wins the Big East (aka "American")
Texas State wins the Sun Belt
FYI: I play my dynasty on NCAA 13 since I'm too broke to buy 14. Though the game refers to the Big East conference as "Big East", from here on out I will be consistent & refer to the new conference as "The American". You're welcome.
With all that out of the way, here's the final AP Poll for the season:
| NCAA Football Rankings - AP Top 25 - Updated: Jan 9, 2014 | |||||
| RK | TEAM (VOTES) | W | L | POINTS | |
| 1 | Oregon (61) | 11 | 2 | ||
| 2 | TCU | 11 | 2 | ||
| 3 | Washington | 10 | 2 | ||
| 4 | LSU | 12 | 2 | ||
| 5 | Alabama | 9 | 3 | ||
| 6 | Clemson | 11 | 3 | ||
| 7 | Oklahoma | 11 | 2 | ||
| 8 | Utah | 10 | 3 | ||
| 9 | Michigan State | 9 | 3 | ||
| 10 | Wisconsin | 10 | 3 | ||
| 11 | Ohio State | 8 | 4 | ||
| 12 | ECU | 10 | 3 | ||
| 13 | Auburn | 10 | 3 | ||
| 14 | Florida | 11 | 3 | ||
| 15 | Army | 11 | 2 | ||
| 16 | Cincinnati | 11 | 2 | ||
| 17 | Nebraska | 9 | 4 | ||
| 18 | Miami (FL) | 9 | 4 | ||
| 19 | Iowa | 7 | 5 | ||
| 20 | Mississippi State | 9 | 4 | ||
| 21 | Colorado State | 12 | 2 | ||
| 22 | Northwestern | 9 | 4 | ||
| 23 | Georgia Tech | 10 | 4 | ||
| 24 | Northern Illinois | 9 | 3 | ||
| 25 | Navy | 10 | 3 | ||
(To Be Continued...)
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Staying Home for Bowl Season after Rice Flopper
by David Sinclair
Tulane's Green Wave football team entered today's game vs. the Rice Owls with one goal in mind: GET TO A BOWL GAME. Well, doesn't look like they'll be crossing that off their list this season. After today's 55-38 debacle in Houston, which left many frustrated, the Wave will reside on their living room couches this Bowl Season. Coach Kaelyn Willingham vented his frustrations after the game.
"I'm just disgusted. Not disgusted, but disappointed. I feel for this football team and this University. While our hopes for a bowl bid were sky high, THIS is not what they deserved. I'm very frustrated right now."
Tulane will finish the season with a 5-7 record including going 4-4 in Conference USA play. While they did win 50% of their conference games to finish 5th overall in the 14-team conference, by NCAA rule their seventh loss prevents them from receiving any sort of bowl invitation. As for the Rice game itself, it left more questions than answers.
"Who's the quarterback next year? That's something my assistant coaches & I will decide, as players return in February for Spring practices."
Devin Powell returned to the field for the Rice game for the first time in over a month, much to the chagrin of many Tulane faithful. They had seen Freshman QB Tim Ashley do a fine job leading the offense the past few weeks and wanted to see that streak continue. Powell played the first half and was largely ineffective. Though much of that can't be placed on his shoulders. The Wave offensive line was lackluster for much of the game, giving way to a sack-fumble that Rice would return for an early touchdown. The Owls would strike gold in the same fashion on the very next drive. Before the Wave could get a first down, Rice was in the lead, 14-0. Again, playing catch-up seemed to be Tulane's approach.
"We've gotta improve that going into next season. You can't win games consistently when you're always playing catch-up." said Coach Willingham.
The Wave wouldn't quit just yet, however. Sophomore CB Renaldo Thomas, who's been making plays all season, would intercept a Taylor McHargue pass in the endzone & return it for a 105-yd TD return. As expected, the game would be a 14-7 shootout early in the first. To everyone's surprise, all three 1st-qtr touchdowns would be on DEFENSE. The Wave would soon tie things up after RB Orleans Darkwa returned his 2nd kick return touchdown of the season.
To no surprise, Willingham would turn to Tim Ashley (dubbed "The Freshman Phenom" by students on campus) in the second half. Ashley did as expected, turning a likely blowout into a close contest. But even he would have his struggles. The Green Wave would pull the game to within three at 41-38 Rice late in the 4th quarter, but turnovers again would kill this team, a team coming into the game at -11 in turnover ratio (120th in the nation). The defense also provided no help, as Rice HB Turner Peterson gouged the Wave front seven, gaining 173 yards on just 19 carries, including two long touchdown runs. Before it was all said-and-done, Tulane knew their season was drawing to a close. Final Score: Rice 55, Tulane 38.
"We just gotta improve for next year. That's all. No doubt about it." said Willingham.
Coach Willingham also mentioned the recruits that the Wave are bringing in, which includes a number of 4-star players.
"We're excited for the players we're bringing into the program, and we're excited for our future. The future of this football team and this program. But as this season has shown us, sometimes you gotta get through grunt work before you can achieve glory."
That will be the message for this team in the offseason. "Work for Glory." It will be posted on banners across the Tulane campus as it is a good message for both athletes and students. Recruiting information on the Green Wave football team will be posted in the coming weeks.
Willingham: "We're close, we're just not their yet. We got a ways to go, but with hard work and determination, we'll get there."
The Green Wave close out their history in Conference USA in losing fashion, but there were some highlights during the team's 35-year run. Including the high-flying days of Mack Brown & Tommy Bowden of the 1990's. The Wave will embark on a new journey into a new conference, as they join many other former C-USA teams in the then-Big East, now American Athletic Conference. They'll encounter old foes such as Houston, SMU and Central Florida, but will also meet some new friends in Cincinnati, UConn and Temple. 2014 Green Wave football information will be distributed in the coming months well into the offseason. Stay tuned!
Roll Wave! See you next season!
Courtesy of the Tulane Lullapalooza, the Tulane student newspaper.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Miracle in the Dome!!!
by David Sinclair
The Tulane Green Wave came home from a deflating loss at Louisiana Tech, feeling that they had something to prove. They walked into today’s game versus UTSA with the idea that if they couldn’t get SOME bit of momentum going (at 3-4), the season would be all for nothing. But today’s game would be different. Today, they would come ready to play.
BOY, DID THEY!!!
Though today’s 34-28 victory didn’t come easy, the Green Wave showed that they could be resilient, that they could create their own mojo. Their ability to feed off of their momentum remains to be seen, but they know now that they can create it. And that’s a start.
The game didn’t get interesting until late, as it looked early on that Tulane would find itself, yet again, on the losing end of a runaway blowout. But as coaches would tell you, it only takes one guy to provide a spark. QB Devin Powell would sit out his second straight game with a rib injury, and after QB Jeff Shelby had yet another struggling half of football, Coach Kaelyn Willingham would turn to his #3. True Freshman QB Tim Ashley entered the game in the third quarter and invigorated the team, finishing arguably the most electrifying game of the season thus far. Down 21-3 in the third, Ashley got the offense on a roll, scoring 3 unanswered touchdowns to take a 24-21 lead. He brought a stale ground game back to life, and the defense FINALLY began to make its contributions.
They would add a field goal to make the score 27-21. But a breakdown in the Tulane pass coverage would allow for an easy completion by UTSA QB Eric Soza to TE Jeremiah Moeller, giving UTSA the lead 28-27. But Tim Ashley would not be done yet. The 3rd string quarterback would lead yet another strike down the field, ending with an Orleans Darkwa TD. With the lead 34-28, UTSA would have to respond, and quickly. With only a minute left in regulation, the Tulane defense would rise to the occasion. Three and out, game over.
“Great win today, great win!” said Coach Willingham after the game.
Tim Ashley also had a few words after the game in his first-ever press conference.
“I’m just proud of our guys today. We didn’t give up, we worked hard, and we got the outcome we wanted.”
The Green Wave (now 4-4) head to Tulsa, Oklahoma next week to take on the Golden Hurricane. Kaelyn Willingham will now have to decide which QB he will start.
“Though Jeff [Shelby] has shown his flashes, Tim [Ashley] showed today that he is more-than-deserving of reps.”
The Tulsa game will be broadcast on regional television, and there will be many events for those traveling to the game to enjoy during this Halloween weekend. Enjoy!
Roll Wave!
Courtesy of the Tulane Lullapalooza, the Tulane student newspaper.
Monday, September 2, 2013
Wave survive shootout in Huntington
by David Sinclair
The Green Wave traveled to Huntington, WV this week to face the Marshall Thundering Herd, in a sort of redemption game following last week's tough loss to BYU. QB Devin Powell returned to the lineup after dealing with soreness following a rib injury vs. LSU. Boy, did the team need him.
"We're glad to have Devin back." said Coach Kaelyn Willingham.
"He provides an athletic ability we've been lacking the past few weeks. He also knows the playbook better than anyone."
The offense had sputtering in its wheels the past few weeks in the absence of Powell. It was also evident that true Freshman QB Jeff Shelby wasn't ready to handle the starting duties yet. In Devin's return, the offense didn't fair much better yardage-wise. The Marshall defense was unwilling to open up many running lanes for much of the game. But when they did, the Green Wave capitalized big-time, en route to a 41-34 victory. The Wave didn't have many long, productive series in the game, but they had plenty of big plays, on offense, defense and special teams. Overall, Coach Willingham was happy with the performance.
"I'm proud of our guys today. They played hard and made the plays they had to make, when they had to make them."
Tulane jumped out to a big lead early, aided by a 95-yard kick return touchdown by RB Orleans Darkwa. But the game would go to overtime, as Marshall would make a furious rally in the second half. The Wave scored first in overtime, then CB Darion Monroe would seal the W by picking off a pass by Marshall QB Rakeem Cato. It may not have been pretty, but key players made key plays when it counted. That's all that really matters.
Powell and Monroe were both interviewed after the game. They both uttered those same words.
"Big players make big plays. That's all that matters." said Powell.
"Yup." said Monroe.
Getting their first conference win, the Wave (2-2) will return home to face Mountain West member San Diego State, in their last non-conference match of the season. The Aztecs are riding a wave of their own (no pun intended) following a big win last week; they would like their momentum to continue in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Tickets can be purchased through TicketMaster and the Tulane Athletic Office. The game will also be televised on local networks.
Roll Wave!
Courtesy of the Tulane Lullapalooza, Tulane's student newspaper.
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Green Wave Drop 2nd Straight in Defensive Struggle
by David Sinclair
Coming off the rough road loss in Baton Rouge to LSU, the Green Wave returned home last week to rest & reflect on the experience.
"Like I said, we were going to learn a lot about ourselves in that game. What did we learn? We learned that we're hard fighters, but we're not yet ready to take on the big boys." said by Coach Willingham in an interview after the game.
The Wave were hoping to build on that experience in preparing for their next opponent, the BYU Cougars. Willingham knew that BYU, a big boy in its own right, would present challenges to the team on both sides of the ball. While the defense put up yet another tough performance, the offense stumbled yet again, en route to a 21-19 loss. True freshman QB Jeff Shelby got his first career start as Devin Powell continued rehabbing a rib injury suffered in the LSU game. While Powell was healthy enough to play, it was the Coach's decision that he sit. Coach Willingham also expressed interest in seeing what Shelby can bring to the offense.
"Shelby's a special kind of guy. He can run, he can throw, he can catch. He can even play defense if he has to. His primary job is quarterback, but when you have an athletic player like [Jeff], you like to put him out there, see how he affects the game. Does make play-calling a lot more interesting."
While Shelby is athletic, he struggled yet again at the quarterback position, completing just half of his passes, and for only 80 yards. The running game struggled yet again as well, as the BYU defense clogged all the running lanes all four quarters. In many cases, the Cougars stacked the box with defenders, forcing Shelby to pass. Evidently, BYU Coach Bronco Mendenhall's gameplan worked to perfection.
On the flipside, the Green Wave defense held the Cougar offense to 352 yards. The good: the pass defense was stout, as BYU quarterback Trevor Mangum was held to less than 150 yards, as well as 2 interceptions. The bad: the Wave front seven was gouged in the running game. As a whole, the Cougars averaged 7 yards per carry, giving way to a 100-yard performance by RB Matt Alisa. The game itself was BYU's to lose early, as the would jump out to a 21-3 lead. The Wave would put up a TD late in the first half off a Jeff Shelby pass to WR Wilson Van Hooser, to make it 21-10. That score would carry into the 4th quarter in a defensive battle, before the Tulane offense would finally get moving. Then CB Ricardo Thomas would make his 2nd big play of the season, returning a fumble for a touchdown, pulling it to 21-19. But the 2-Pt attempt out of the Maryland I formation failed, and that would be all she wrote.
The Green Wave (1-2) will spend this week preparing for Marshall, as they begin Conference USA play. The game will be in Huntington, WV, and tickets are still available. For those staying home, the game will be broadcast on local networks as well as ESPN3.com and the WatchESPN app. Check your local listings.
Roll Wave!
Courtesy of the Tulane Lullapalooza, Tulane's student newspaper.
| Brigham Young Cougars at Tulane Green Wave | |||||
| Sep 14, 2013 | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| #23 Brigham Young Cougars (2-1) | 7 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| Tulane Green Wave (1-2 (0-0 C-USA)) | 3 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 19 |
| Team Stats Comparison | ||
| BYU | TULN | |
| Total Offense | 352 | 208 |
| Rushing Yards | 217 | 128 |
| Passing Yards | 135 | 80 |
| First Downs | 14 | 14 |
| Punt Return Yards | 8 | 43 |
| Kick Return Yards | 12 | 117 |
| Total Yards | 372 | 368 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 4 |
| 3rd Down Converstion | 3-7 (42%) | 7-14 (50%) |
| 4th Down Conversion | 0-0 | 2-2 (100%) |
| 2-Point Conversion | 0-0 | 0-1 (0%) |
| Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals | 4-3-0 (75%) | 3-1-1 (66%) |
| Penalties | 2-15 | 1-5 |
| Posession Time | 14:09 | 17:51 |
| Scoring Summary | |||
| FIRST QUARTER SCORING | BYU | TULN | |
| 5:52 | (BYU) A. Hine, 7 Yd pass from T. Mangum (J. Sorensen kick) | 7 | 0 |
| 2:02 | (TULN) J. Ginsburgh, 41 Yd FG | 7 | 3 |
| SECOND QUARTER SCORING | BYU | TULN | |
| 7:32 | (BYU) R. Apo, 16 Yd pass from T. Mangum (J. Sorensen kick) | 14 | 3 |
| 2:48 | (BYU) M. Alisa, 6 Yd run | 21 | 3 |
| 0:06 | (TULN) W. Van Hooser, 11 Yd pass from J. Shelby (J. Ginsburgh kick) | 21 | 10 |
| FOURTH QUARTER SCORING | BYU | TULN | |
| 6:31 | (TULN) J. Ginsburgh, 49 Yd FG | 21 | 13 |
| 1:39 | (TULN) R. Thomas, returned fumble 62 Yds (2-Pt failed) | 21 | 19 |
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Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Green Wave struggle in Death Valley
by David Sinclair
The Green Wave rode the wave of a solid win at home against UMass early this week, into the confines of Death Valley, Tiger Stadium. While they weren't mauled by the Bayou Bengals during their visit, they failed to come out on top. In an unusual Friday night game in Week 2, the Wave dropped a 21-13 decision to LSU, in a game where many felt Tulane didn't stand a chance. It was expected that LSU's stout run defense would run Tulane's still-developing Killer Option into a brick wall. Rather, the Wave put up 207 yards on 48 carries. The passing game would become a factor as the game progressed, especially after QB Devin Powell went down early with a rib injury. This promoted true Freshman Jeff Shelby into action, having only one series of action in the last game.
Shelby played well in relief, going 10 for 14 for 128 yards. But the Option game suffered. The Wave put up 65 rushing yards on the first drive with Powell, scoring on a 6-yd run by RB Orleans Darkwa. But Darkwa would too go down with an injury, and the ground game mustered only 142 yards for the remainder of the game. Shelby struggled to hit his receivers, and the pass protection was lackluster, surrendering four sacks. For Coach Kaelyn Willingham and Crew, they must now pick up the pieces and move forward, going into the Bye week.
"We didn't play a great game today on offense. My playcalling wasn't good, the execution was poor. Just an all-around bad day." said Coach Willingham after the game.
The defense, surprisingly put up a good performance. In a game where LSU was predicted to win by 30, the Wave defense held the Tiger offense to just over 300 yards and only three touchdowns, helping LSU fail to cover the spread. Sorry odds-makers. LSU QB Zach Mettenberger had a decent day in the air, throwing for two TD's. But the run game, LSU's bread-and-butter, failed to garner any big plays.
"Not a great day running the ball. For either team." said Coach Les Miles after the game. "We'll have to improve on that for next week. Thankfully it's only Week One."
While Week One was a success for the Tigers, Week Two for the Green Wave was a disappointment.
Coach Willingham: "While expectations for us winning today were rather low, we practiced what we preach every day of the week. Practice hard, play hard. Our guys played hard today and that's all that really matters. We'll learn from this, study the tape, and get ready for BYU."
While LSU will spend the week preparing to play TCU in Dallas, the Green Wave will have the week off, then prepare to face BYU in the Superdome. The Athletic Department expects the game to be a sellout, but tickets are still available.
The BYU game will be an evening kickoff, starting at 7:00 CST (8:00 EST). Tickets are available through TicketMaster and the Tulane Athletic Office. Just call (504)212-0234.
See you at the game!
Courtesy of NOLA.com.
| Tulane Green Wave at LSU Tigers | |||||
| Aug 27, 2013 | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Tulane Green Wave (1-1 (0-0 C-USA)) | 7 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
| #11 LSU Tigers (1-0 (0-0 SEC)) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
| Team Stats Comparison | ||
| TULN | LSU | |
| Total Offense | 335 | 305 |
| Rushing Yards | 207 | 87 |
| Passing Yards | 128 | 218 |
| First Downs | 20 | 15 |
| Punt Return Yards | 26 | 17 |
| Kick Return Yards | 55 | 0 |
| Total Yards | 416 | 322 |
| Turnovers | 4 | 0 |
| 3rd Down Converstion | 4-12 (33%) | 6-11 (54%) |
| 4th Down Conversion | 4-4 (100%) | 0-0 |
| 2-Point Conversion | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals | 3-1-0 (33%) | 1-1-0 (100%) |
| Penalties | 3-25 | 1-10 |
| Posession Time | 16:48 | 15:12 |
| Scoring Summary | |||
| FIRST QUARTER SCORING | TULN | LSU | |
| 4:25 | (TULN) O. Darkwa, 6 Yd run (C. Santos kick) | 7 | 0 |
| 0:13 | (LSU) K. Boone, 30 Yd pass from Z. Mettenberger (J. Hairston kick) | 7 | 7 |
| SECOND QUARTER SCORING | TULN | LSU | |
| 4:27 | (LSU) J. Landry, 45 Yd pass from Z. Mettenberger (J. Hairston kick) | 7 | 14 |
| 0:21 | (TULN) J. Ginsburgh, 49 Yd FG | 10 | 14 |
| THIRD QUARTER SCORING | TULN | LSU | |
| 0:19 | (LSU) M. Ford, 3 Yd run (J. Hairston kick) | 10 | 21 |
| FOURTH QUARTER SCORING | TULN | LSU | |
| 4:51 | (TULN) J. Ginsburgh, 41 Yd FG | 13 | 21 |
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Monday, August 26, 2013
Wild One in the Bayou!!!
No, we're not talking about Les Miles's Bayou Bengals. But Kaelyn Willingham's Tulane Green Wave.
The Green Wave got their season off to a great start in the dome this week with a 48-27 victory over new FBS member UMass. The Green Wave (1-0, 0-0 C-USA) had many questions going into the game, but by the end of the game much of them had been answered. Coach Willingham unveiled his new "Killer Option offense" in the game. He creatively calls it that due to its multiple ways of executing the Option game: a combination of the Power Option sets commonly used by Army, Navy, and Air Force; the Spread Option sets made famous by Urban Meyer & Tim Tebow at Florida; and the Pistol Option invented by Nevada's Chris Ault. The diverse offense worked to great success.
"You know, it was great execution today by the offense. Devin [Powell], [Orleans] Darkwa, [Shaun] Berry, they all played great today." said Coach Willingham after the game.
Redshirt Freshman QB Devin Powell may have answered the quarterback questions as he put up a great performance.
"I just did what Coach asked me to do. While I ran more of a pro-style offense in high school, the Triple Option wasn't that bad to run. I'm athletic, you know? I think I'm gonna do good in it."
Tulane QB Devin Powell celebrating with TE Matt Marfisi during a big lead. The Green Wave won, 48-27.
Powell had pedestrian passing numbers, going 11 for 13 for 142 yards, but he did add two touchdowns in the air. As well as adding a long touchdown on the ground, gaining 74 yards on 12 carries. The backs also contributed in their own ways. Senior RB Orleans Darkwa carried the rock most of the way, while Freshman FB Shaun Berry provided an important punch up the middle. Both had 10 or more carries. The receivers & tight ends didn't have the ball come their ways much, but they did have an impact with effective blocking, important in running the Option.
"I didn't get to catch a pass today, but I got to run some people over. That was fun." said Senior WR Justyn Shackleford after the game.
The defense put up a stout performance in the first half, but struggled in the second as UMass QB Kellen Pagel got into a rhythm with his receivers. He finished the game with 335 yards on 24 for 42 passing and 2 TDs. While UMass did spread the ball around and stretch the defense apart, the Green Wave did get a big play from Sophomore CB Ricardo Thomas. Thomas intercepted a Pagel pass and returned it 48 yards to give the Green Wave a big lead early.
As a whole, the Green Wave jumped out early with two quick touchdowns. After Thomas returned the interception, the lead was 31-3. But the UMass Minutemen roared back into the game to make it 31-20. A Devin Powell 49-yd TD run out of Read Option made it 38-20, and from there the Wave had the game in the bag.
"I'm proud of our players today, for getting this big win. Though it's only Week 1, any win is a big win, as we try to set the tone for the season. We still have some things to work out, but overall I'm excited. Excited for this team and this season." said Coach Kaelyn Willingham.
The Green Wave will have a few days off before battling in the Bayou again. This time we ARE talking about Les Miles. The Wave travel to Baton Rouge to play the arch-rival LSU Tigers in hostile Death Valley. While the Wave haven't won there in years, Willingham is excited for the opportunity.
"Time to show our stuff. Show what we're made of. This team's gonna learn a lot about itself in that game. What a better way to do it than against LSU."
The Tulane-LSU game will be broadcast on ESPN at 12:30 EST (11:30 CST). Preview to come later this week.
Courtesy of NOLA.com.
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Tulane Dynasty: The Beginning
Decided to sim Season 1 w/ Tulane. The starters didn't fit my offense quite well, so I simmed games & did recruiting. Kept it fairly realistic. Held up to my recruiting standard: ONLY recruit players w/ high Academic interest. Man, was it tough...
I created myself as the Head Coach. Coach Kaelyn Willingham's first year with the Green Wave was a good one.
Here are the results:[*]Finished the year 7-6 (5-3 C-USA). Played Colorado State in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl and lost 37-14.[*]Got a 2-year contract extension for going 7-6. Shows you how low the standards at Tulane are.[*]Won 6 straight games at one point (1st time in a while Tulane's done that).[*]RB Orleans Darkwa had a 1300-yd rushing season. My FIRST EVER 1000-yd rusher, since I run the Option & distribute the ball a lot.
Got some good recruits. More people like Academics than I thought.
Some Key Recruits:[*]QB Jeff Shelby (3* Scrambler, 72 OVR)[*]QB Tim Ashley (2* Scrambler, GEM, 70 OVR)[*]FB Shaun Berry (2* Blocking, 66 OVR)[*]FB J.J. Thomas (2* Blocking, GEM, 67 OVR)[*]MLB Jamie Baker (3* Run Stopper, 62 OVR)
Shelby & Ashley will battle w/ returning QB Devin Powell (RS Fr) for the starting job. J.J. Thomas will be converted to TE so Berry can start at FB. Berry will make a good Option fullback, while Thomas will play the H-Back role. Jamie Baker will start at MLB for the season.
Things lookin' good so far. Here's our 2013 schedule. Remember, I'm playing on NCAA 13.
| Tulane Green Wave 2013 Schedule | ||||
| DATE | OPPONENT | RESULT | ||
| Aug 24 | vs UMass | |||
| Aug 27 | at LSU | |||
| Sep 14 | vs BYU | |||
| Sep 21 | at Marshall | |||
| Sep 28 | vs San Diego State | |||
| Oct 5 | vs Southern Miss | |||
| Oct 12 | at Louisiana Tech | |||
| Oct 26 | vs UTSA | |||
| Nov 2 | at Tulsa | |||
| Nov 9 | vs North Texas | |||
| Nov 16 | vs UTEP | |||
| Nov 23 | at Rice | |||
What do you guys think? Gonna be a great season!
Tulane Dynasty: From Worst to First
So I FINALLY figured out how to post on these forums. Haha. Anyway, gonna do a Tulane dynasty on NCAA 13 (don't have the cash for 14 yet), keep it true & realistic. Gonna stay for the long haul. Build them up from "Worst to First".
Styles:
Offense: run the "Killer Option" (Option playbook I created)
Defense: likely a 4-3 (I don't have much success w/ anything else)
Play Difficulty: Heisman
Recruiting Difficulty: Heisman (any lower on 13 & it's too easy)
Plan:
1. Start off simple, just try to get bowl-eligible.
2. Move to Big East (now American), continue to improve.
3. Win a few BCS games, then move to Power conference.
4. Move to either SEC or ACC. I could return Tulane to their former SEC stomping grounds, or move to the ACC (the "All-Academic Conference") since my school has A-rated academics.
5. Eventually win some NC's.
How I'm Gonna Make It Interesting:
1. Only recruit players w/ high interest in Academics. Automatically look at players w/ "High", "Very High", or "Most" interest in Academic Prestige. If they are "Average" or "Above Average", I'll attempt to sway their interest. If I consistently fail, they'll be removed from the Recruiting Board.
2. Play LSU every year (except Year 1). Bring back the "Battle for the Tiger Rag".
3. Heisman sliders for everything. FINALLY I have a challenge...
4. Play as many "academic power" schools in non-conf as possible (Stanford, Northwestern, Rice, etc.)
5. Maybe form a new rivalry w/ Alabama. Crimson Tide vs. Green Wave. Call it "Battle of the Waters". Haha.
6. NO FCS opponents.
I'm gonna post my results on the thread, maybe create a new one. I like posting my dynasty stuff on here.
Hope it's a challenge!!! Stay tuned!
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