Game Week Prep For Tulane

Well the tide took care of business Saturday night and now its time to get back to work for this week. Next up: Tulane Greenwave

Here are some details about their 2008 squad ... bear in mind they lost quite a few players to graduation & this is their OPENING game so no game last week to draw info from.

Scouting The Offense:
A new quarterback and new tailback have the benefit of a veteran offensive line that returns four starters, including Lombardi Trophy watch list member Michael Parenton (6-2, 287) at center. Offensive coordinator Dan Dodd says the team has a much better understanding of his intricate West Coast package than they did when it debuted last season.

Scouting The Defense:
Seven starters return under new defensive coordinator O’Neill Gilbert. Senior FS David Skehan had 66 tackles, four interceptions and 10 pass breakups and senior DE Reggie Scott registered four sacks, nine tackles for loss and three forced fumbles last year. Tulane ranked 37th nationally against the run (132.6 yards per game) and 113th against the pass (287.7).

Quote To Note:
“The thing he’s doing, as opposed to the other guys, is he’s not getting tackled. That sounds crazy, but a lot of the young guys get hit and they go down right away. I tell them they’re not tackled until both of your feet are up above your head.”—Tulane head coach Bob Toledo on junior tailback Andre Anderson.

Strategy And Personnel

THIS WEEK’S GAME: Tulane at Alabama, Sept. 6—The Green Wave hasn’t defeated the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa since Nov. 3, 1900. Alabama owns a 26-11-3 edge in the all-time series, but the programs haven’t met since 1994. The Crimson Tide is coming off a season-opening 34-10 thumping of Clemson.

Players To Watch:
QB Kevin Moore—The 6-5 sophomore completed 30-of-54 passes for 432 yards and two touchdowns in parts of eight games last season. He secured the starting spot during the offseason when Anthony Scelfo elected to pursue a baseball career full-time.
RB Andre Anderson—The junior carried 14 times for 91 yards and one touchdown last season and has the nearly impossible task of replacing record-setting rusher Matt Forte (2,127 yards and 23 touchdowns in 2007).
CB Josh Lumar—Tulane’s most experienced defensive back faces a tough challenge in the season opener. The 5-10 senior will likely spend a lot of time opposite Alabama’s 6-4 freshman phenom Julio Jones, who caught four passes for 28 yards and a touchdown in the win against Clemson.

Roster Report:

• Head coach Bob Toledo has suspended sophomore TE Tyler Helm (two games) and sophomore WR Alan Mitchell (three games) for unspecified violations of team policies.
• In the last week of August camp, Tulane moved offensive lineman Oscar Ponce de Leon back to defensive tackle. The 6-2, 302-pound sophomore played there exclusively as a freshman in 2006 before being moved to the offensive side and taking a redshirt year in 2007.

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Seems although they have some players of the future this team is in rebuilding mode. I could be wrong of course but I think this will be just another scrimmage type game for the tide offense & perhaps julio jone's coming out party. I hope the tide doesnt look past these guys but I dont expect this to be a dangerous game.

L8ter All