Any thoughts on Hou./Tulane
- Thread starter Ohwell42
- Start date
Houton is on my "play-n-hit" list, one of 14 teams I compile notes and film on.
I am having trouble locating tape on the Rice game but from what I understand this team has shown significant improvement in all positions. I tend to tred in the shadows until I add tape.
Tulane throws the 4-3 defense and most of the l-backers are nursing pain. Tulane runs a no-huddle offense featuring Mewelde Moore but both Tulane tackles on the offensive line are young and in-experianced. Houston's defensive front should match-up well and they bring some of the best lb's and db's in Conference USA. A great match-up should be between Tulane's wr Williams, and Houston's db Milligan.
Houston should be able to keep up the ground assault behind that huge offensive line. Tulane gave up an average of 5.2 ypc in 01 so in my opinion, Houston's rb Reynolds should have another 100+ day.
The Houston qb, Nealy, is some-what impressive considering last week was his first NCAA start. He was 11 of 15 for 161 yards and ran for 99 on the ground. He threw no interceptions. He is facing a true test because Tulane's db's are decent. Bogar, Sanchez, and Elpheage are very durable; THEY HIT HARD!
Tough game to cap without tape but I am leaning towards Houston.
I am having trouble locating tape on the Rice game but from what I understand this team has shown significant improvement in all positions. I tend to tred in the shadows until I add tape.
Tulane throws the 4-3 defense and most of the l-backers are nursing pain. Tulane runs a no-huddle offense featuring Mewelde Moore but both Tulane tackles on the offensive line are young and in-experianced. Houston's defensive front should match-up well and they bring some of the best lb's and db's in Conference USA. A great match-up should be between Tulane's wr Williams, and Houston's db Milligan.
Houston should be able to keep up the ground assault behind that huge offensive line. Tulane gave up an average of 5.2 ypc in 01 so in my opinion, Houston's rb Reynolds should have another 100+ day.
The Houston qb, Nealy, is some-what impressive considering last week was his first NCAA start. He was 11 of 15 for 161 yards and ran for 99 on the ground. He threw no interceptions. He is facing a true test because Tulane's db's are decent. Bogar, Sanchez, and Elpheage are very durable; THEY HIT HARD!
Tough game to cap without tape but I am leaning towards Houston.
the line looks like an over reaction to last weeks i think the books got hammered pretty good on houston last week i have tulane as a 2 pt fav myself so its not too bad i would have to either take tulane or leave it alone
Weather is fine. Actually the sun is out. Some rain may be present around game time, but the predicted 25-30 mile an hour winds are now only supposed to be 5-8. Will try to update, but as of now weather will not be a factor.
from my thread, cut and paste write-up:
The Tulane Green Wave and the Houston Cougars kick off their conference seasons this Saturday as they wage war from Robertson Stadium in a Conference USA tilt. After opening the season with a 37-19 win over Southern in the Big Easy Classic, Tulane visits Houston for the first of three straight conference road games. In six previous seasons in C-USA, the Green Wave have gone 3-3 in league openers, but has lost three straight to Southern Miss and East Carolina twice. Houston leads the all-time series with Tulane, 4-3, but the Green Wave hold a 3-2 series advantage in C-USA play. Tulane has won the past three meetings between the two teams, including a 41-23 decision in their last encounter from the Louisiana Superdome in 2000. The Cougars, however, would rather focus on the momentum they have gained by coming home with a 1-0 season record. Houston opened up on the road with a 24-10 win over cross-town rival Rice, earning the right to hold the Bayou Bucket trophy. After working hard in his recruiting since arriving in Houston, third-year head coach Dana Dimel hopes it was just the first of many wins this year for the Cougars.
Tulane head coach Chris Scelfo has created an offensive machine that is consistently among the best units in the country. In fact, the Green Wave are one of only two Division I-A teams -- along with Louisiana Tech -- that has ranked in the top 12 in passing offense and in the top 30 in total offense in each of the past three seasons. Last week, it was the running game, however, that was on display for Tulane. Mewelde Moore picked up where he left off last season by registering his record-tying 13th career 100-yard game. Moore carried the ball a career-high 26 times and amassed 147 yards. He also caught five passes for 67 yards, including a 44-yard touchdown catch that put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter. J.P. Losman made his debut as the starting quarterback for the Green Wave, connecting on 13-of-23 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns. Losman has some large shoes to fill, as he steps into a quarterback role that was recently manned by current NFL signal-callers Patrick Ramsey and Shaun King. He certainly has potential, which he proved with a 384-yard passing effort against Army last season. Finally, no discussion about the Tulane offense would be complete without mentioning kicker and punter extraordinaire, senior All-American Seth Marler. A Lou Groza Award winner last year, Marler surpassed the school record for field goals in the opener and can set the C-USA mark with his next three-pointer.
Speaking of records, defensive end Kenan Blackmon set one in Tulane's win over Southern by sacking Jaguars quarterback Quincy Richard in the fourth quarter. The takedown gave Blackmon 16.5 sacks for his career at Tulane, a new school record. Defensively, the Green Wave are extremely experienced with the return 12 players that spent some time in the starting lineup in 2001. In its 2002 debut, the defense kept Southern in check for the most part, though the Jaguars tallied 148 yards on the ground and 279 through the air. The unit did force three turnovers, including a fumble recovery that was returned for a 76- yard touchdown. It was a passing grade for a defense that was playing its first game under new coordinator Eric Shumann, whose SMU squad was ranked 22nd in the nation in total defense last year.
The Houston offense debuted its new quarterback on Saturday night with positive results. The first redshirt freshman to start a season opener for the Cougars, Barrick Nealy impressed with both his arm and his legs. Nealy completed 11-of-15 passes for 161 yards and rushed for another 99 yards on 14 carries. He accounted for two scores on the night: a 42-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Middleton in the second quarter, and a game-clinching score on a 23- yard, fourth-quarter run. Out of the backfield, Joffrey Reynolds had the kind of performance that people in Houston have come to expect, running for 155 yards on 28 carries for a 5.5 ypc average. His success came courtesy of a strong effort by the offensive line, which enabled a tally of 305 yards on the ground and 161 through the air, as well as a remarkable 38:43 in time of possession.
The Cougars know when they face Rice that they will have their work cut out for them on defense. The Owls can be lethal with the ball, confounding opponents with the triple option. Houston was unphased, however, holding Rice to just 188 yards rushing and 272 yards total. Furthermore, the 10 points allowed was the fewest given up by the Cougars since a 10-6 loss to Southern Miss in 2000, and the fewest in a winning effort since a 20-7 triumph over LSU in 1999. Much of the success was due to a rotating front line that stayed fresh throughout the game, but one player from beyond the line stood above everyone else. All-America candidate Hanik Milligan, who is on both the Jim Thorpe and the Bronco Nagurski Trophy Watch Lists, racked up 15 tackles from his safety position, including eight unassisted. The outstanding effort, which also included a forced fumble, was the 14th consecutive game in which Milligan compiled double-digit tackles. The whole secondary was stellar, in fact, limiting Rice to just 84 yards on 8-of-27 passing.
Tulane has gotten the better of Houston in recent meetings, but Houston has just plain gotten better. This isn't the same program that the Green Wave defeated three consecutive times, and the Cougars are out to prove it. If Nealy continues to develop as the dangerous weapon he appears to be, Houston will be a difficult team to beat. Tulane, on the other hand, has shown in recent years that it is an offensive force, but Losman has yet to step out of the shadow of his predecessors and turn in a Ramsey- or King-like performance. Losman will undoubtedly have his day, but not against this defense on Saturday. The Cougars are capable of holding the Green Wave at bay just enough to allow their playmakers to pull out a close win at home.
The Tulane Green Wave and the Houston Cougars kick off their conference seasons this Saturday as they wage war from Robertson Stadium in a Conference USA tilt. After opening the season with a 37-19 win over Southern in the Big Easy Classic, Tulane visits Houston for the first of three straight conference road games. In six previous seasons in C-USA, the Green Wave have gone 3-3 in league openers, but has lost three straight to Southern Miss and East Carolina twice. Houston leads the all-time series with Tulane, 4-3, but the Green Wave hold a 3-2 series advantage in C-USA play. Tulane has won the past three meetings between the two teams, including a 41-23 decision in their last encounter from the Louisiana Superdome in 2000. The Cougars, however, would rather focus on the momentum they have gained by coming home with a 1-0 season record. Houston opened up on the road with a 24-10 win over cross-town rival Rice, earning the right to hold the Bayou Bucket trophy. After working hard in his recruiting since arriving in Houston, third-year head coach Dana Dimel hopes it was just the first of many wins this year for the Cougars.
Tulane head coach Chris Scelfo has created an offensive machine that is consistently among the best units in the country. In fact, the Green Wave are one of only two Division I-A teams -- along with Louisiana Tech -- that has ranked in the top 12 in passing offense and in the top 30 in total offense in each of the past three seasons. Last week, it was the running game, however, that was on display for Tulane. Mewelde Moore picked up where he left off last season by registering his record-tying 13th career 100-yard game. Moore carried the ball a career-high 26 times and amassed 147 yards. He also caught five passes for 67 yards, including a 44-yard touchdown catch that put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter. J.P. Losman made his debut as the starting quarterback for the Green Wave, connecting on 13-of-23 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns. Losman has some large shoes to fill, as he steps into a quarterback role that was recently manned by current NFL signal-callers Patrick Ramsey and Shaun King. He certainly has potential, which he proved with a 384-yard passing effort against Army last season. Finally, no discussion about the Tulane offense would be complete without mentioning kicker and punter extraordinaire, senior All-American Seth Marler. A Lou Groza Award winner last year, Marler surpassed the school record for field goals in the opener and can set the C-USA mark with his next three-pointer.
Speaking of records, defensive end Kenan Blackmon set one in Tulane's win over Southern by sacking Jaguars quarterback Quincy Richard in the fourth quarter. The takedown gave Blackmon 16.5 sacks for his career at Tulane, a new school record. Defensively, the Green Wave are extremely experienced with the return 12 players that spent some time in the starting lineup in 2001. In its 2002 debut, the defense kept Southern in check for the most part, though the Jaguars tallied 148 yards on the ground and 279 through the air. The unit did force three turnovers, including a fumble recovery that was returned for a 76- yard touchdown. It was a passing grade for a defense that was playing its first game under new coordinator Eric Shumann, whose SMU squad was ranked 22nd in the nation in total defense last year.
The Houston offense debuted its new quarterback on Saturday night with positive results. The first redshirt freshman to start a season opener for the Cougars, Barrick Nealy impressed with both his arm and his legs. Nealy completed 11-of-15 passes for 161 yards and rushed for another 99 yards on 14 carries. He accounted for two scores on the night: a 42-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Middleton in the second quarter, and a game-clinching score on a 23- yard, fourth-quarter run. Out of the backfield, Joffrey Reynolds had the kind of performance that people in Houston have come to expect, running for 155 yards on 28 carries for a 5.5 ypc average. His success came courtesy of a strong effort by the offensive line, which enabled a tally of 305 yards on the ground and 161 through the air, as well as a remarkable 38:43 in time of possession.
The Cougars know when they face Rice that they will have their work cut out for them on defense. The Owls can be lethal with the ball, confounding opponents with the triple option. Houston was unphased, however, holding Rice to just 188 yards rushing and 272 yards total. Furthermore, the 10 points allowed was the fewest given up by the Cougars since a 10-6 loss to Southern Miss in 2000, and the fewest in a winning effort since a 20-7 triumph over LSU in 1999. Much of the success was due to a rotating front line that stayed fresh throughout the game, but one player from beyond the line stood above everyone else. All-America candidate Hanik Milligan, who is on both the Jim Thorpe and the Bronco Nagurski Trophy Watch Lists, racked up 15 tackles from his safety position, including eight unassisted. The outstanding effort, which also included a forced fumble, was the 14th consecutive game in which Milligan compiled double-digit tackles. The whole secondary was stellar, in fact, limiting Rice to just 84 yards on 8-of-27 passing.
Tulane has gotten the better of Houston in recent meetings, but Houston has just plain gotten better. This isn't the same program that the Green Wave defeated three consecutive times, and the Cougars are out to prove it. If Nealy continues to develop as the dangerous weapon he appears to be, Houston will be a difficult team to beat. Tulane, on the other hand, has shown in recent years that it is an offensive force, but Losman has yet to step out of the shadow of his predecessors and turn in a Ramsey- or King-like performance. Losman will undoubtedly have his day, but not against this defense on Saturday. The Cougars are capable of holding the Green Wave at bay just enough to allow their playmakers to pull out a close win at home.
Currently raining, but won't last, however wind is pretty strong and gusty. Wind may be a factor for game.
