INSIDE SLANT
As the frustrations and the losses continue to pile up for Tulane, the Green Wave's coaches and players are going to start showing their character.
Either they'll play harder and be competitive in games, or they'll lose their motivation and start playing like it.
Coach Bob Toledo certainly wants the former, not the latter, especially with whispers about his job status starting.
So far, the Green Wave haven't shown any signs of giving in, and RB Andre Anderson's rant after the loss to Southern Miss probably shows that they won't be giving up anytime soon.
This week will certainly test the Green Wave's mettle. With No. 9 LSU hosting Tulane, it not likely that many will believe it will be much of a contest. But playing hard, the Green Wave can make themselves -- and their fans -- proud, even without a victory.
"It's a tough time to be playing these guys," said Toledo. "They're outstanding. Just an outstanding football team. They have some great athletes -- and they're very well coached. Their defense is playing well. They play hard and don't give up many yards, don't give up many points. Offensively, they've got a lot of weapons, and they're tough to stop."
Yes, the odds are stacked against the Green Wave coming away from this week with a victory. But that doesn't mean they won't try, and that says a lot about them as well.
NOTES, QUOTES
--The Green Wave have lost 17 straight to LSU and haven't won on the road against the Tigers since 1982. A victory would give Tulane its first win against a ranked opponent since that 1982 victory when LSU was ranked No. 12.
--S Chinonso Echebelem has four games with 10 or more tackles this season, and he ranks fourth in Conference USA and 15th nationally with 10.0 tackles per game.
--RB Andre Anderson ranks fourth in Conference USA in rushing yards per game, averaging 92.29 per game.
SERIES HISTORY: LSU 66, Tulane 24, seven ties (last meeting, 2008, 35-10, LSU).
SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: The Green Wave struggled to move the ball effectively against Southern Miss, although it was QB Ryan Griffin's first game starting under center. RB Andre Anderson was the most effective part of the offensive attack, rushing for 92 yards and a touchdown. He'll need to keep that up to take some pressure off Griffin to be a passer most of the time.
SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: The defense had its troubles against Southern Miss, especially when the Eagles kept it on the ground. USM tallied 253 yards rushing and only put the ball in the air 15 times. The run defense must be better against an LSU team that has even better backs who will be handling the ball. The run support will come from the linebackers, although they can't be pulled up too close with play action and get out of position against the passing game.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "We, as coaches, have got to do a better job of coaching, and we as a football team have to play better. You practice to get better and when you get to the game, it needs to be a carryover from practice." -- Coach Bob Toledo.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
THIS WEEK'S GAME: Tulane at LSU, Oct. 31 -- The odds are against the Green Wave, with an LSU team that needs as many big wins as it can get if it wants to climb up the BCS standings. Tulane needs to try to control the ball offensively and keep it away from the Tigers' powerful offense. That's easier said than done, but Andre Anderson will likely get the chance to carry the load early for the Green Wave.
KEYS TO THE GAME: Tulane cannot be intimidated by the atmosphere at Tiger Stadium. It will likely be the biggest crowd the Green Wave has played in front of all year, but QB Ryan Griffin has to play like a veteran and not allow the crowd noise to distract him from the task at hand. Defensively, Tulane can't allow the Tigers to get the big plays that will really get the crowd going. The Green Wave can't take chances on turnovers and miss, then see an LSU player streaking down the field for an easy score.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
QB Ryan Griffin -- In just his second start collegiately, Griffin gets to play at one of the tougher venues for a visitor in college football. Griffin must be able to make quick decisions because he's not going to have a lot of time when he goes back to pass, and the LSU secondary is going to make him pay if he puts the ball in the air in their vicinity.
S Chinonso Echebelem -- The best tackler on the Green Wave needs to come up with a number of big plays if Tulane is going to keep the LSU offense in check. The Tigers can hurt a team with the run or the pass, so Echebelem has to balance where he's playing so he can be ready to make a play against either one.
RB Andre Anderson -- Tulane needs to be able to keep the ball offensively and not force its defense out on the field for long periods of time with no rest. That's where Anderson comes in. If he can get some solid runs, he can help Tulane keep the ball and not face a lot of third-and-long situations.
ROSTER REPORT:
--DT Oscar Ponce de Leon suffered a broken ankle in practice prior to the Southern Miss game and is likely lost for the season.
--C Andrew Nierman and S Corey Sonnier both suffered hamstring injuries in the loss to Southern Miss and are out for the LSU contest.
--OL Hunter Howden and CB Alex Wacha both are expected to miss the LSU game after each suffered concussions recently.
Previous Report: 10/25/2009
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