TULANE FAN ZONE

Tulane Green Wave News, Schedule, Pictures and Players

Danny Bourque, The Times-PicayuneThis season has not gone as well as Tulane defensive coordinator O'Neill Gilbert planned.

Remember when Tulane defensive coordinator O'Neill Gilbert was considered a genius?

Like about a month ago?

In that span, the Green Wave's defense has fallen from the best in Conference USA and among the national leaders to the lower half of the league in conference games and into the bottom 50 percent (65th out of 119) nationally.

Michael DeMocker/The Times-PicayuneBob Toledo and Tulane are hoping for a good finish to the season.

Two more road games to go, can Tulane close out strong?

Maybe that's the question Green Wave fans are asking. If so, we'd like to know.

Join Times-Picayune beat reporter Ted Lewis for a Tulane chat today at 1 p.m.

Ted will be covering the weekly press luncheon of football coach Bob Toledo, then he'll join you to talk Green Wave.

Kevin Durant -- one and done.

D.J. Augustin -- two and through.

For Texas, not a problem.

The Associated PressFlorida's running back Chris Rainey (3) runs across the goal line for a touchdown during the second half of NCAA college football game against South Carolina in Gainesville, Fla.

OK, so there's the Associated Press, the Coaches' poll and the BCS rankings, but none have the enthusiasm, or maybe sarcasm, as the Times-Picayune rankings. We'll give you a brand of humor with these picks - usually with a crazy pick at No. 25 each week - or in our quips about a certain team. Don't get too worked up about it, though, nobody goes to a bowl or stays home from a bowl based on our poll, it's all in fun.

Tulane fans looking for solace at Fogelman Arena on Saturday night after what they saw in the Superdome in the afternoon were rewarded with a 68-62 season-opening basketball victory against McNeese State.

Michael DeMocker, The Times-PicayuneUAB defensive back Matt Taylor scores on a fourth-quarter interception in the Blazers' victory over Tulane.

Even being favored on Senior Day couldn't stop Tulane's downhill spiral Saturday. Alabama-Birmingham became the latest to add to the Green Wave's misery, winning 41-24 in a virtually empty Superdome.

Interception puts it away

Matt Taylor's 36-yard interception return with 3:34 left gives UAB a 41-24 lead.

Tulane faced fourth-and-10 from its 29 when Taylor stepped in front of a Kevin Moore passed intended for Brian King and went untouched into the end zone.

It was Moore's third interception of the game.

Times-Picayune Photo ArchiveTulane fifth-year senior Troy Kropog's brightest moment came in an upset victory over Mississippi State in 2006.

They bought into the program when others were telling them it was going to be shut down. They spent a season on the road as evacuees from Hurricane Katrina, doing what no other college football team had been required to do, "carrying the torch" for the entire university.

Michael DeMocker, The Times-PicayuneKicker Ross Thevenot's performance may be key today for the Green Wave against UAB.

Kickoff: 2 p.m., Superdome
Coaches: Tulane -- Bob Toledo (84-83 in 15 years, 6-15 at Tulane, second season); UAB -- Neal Callaway (4-17 in two years at UAB).

Radio: 690-AM

Injuries -- Tulane -- DT Julian Shives-Sams (foot), out; FB Kasey Stelly (ankle), out; QB Joe Kemp (collarbone), out; UAB -- OT Adam Hollifield (knee), out.

Michael DeMocker, The Times-PicayuneRoinson Louisme said he considered leaving Tulane after Hurricane Katrina, but decided to stay, and he begins his senior season tonight against McNeese State.

At the darkest time of his collegiate career, Tulane's Robinson Louisme had a vision. In College Station, Texas, with the rest of the Green Wave in the fall of 2005 after Hurricane Katrina chased them from New Orleans, coming off an unproductive freshman year and playing for a new coach who was more demanding than anyone he had seen,

Michael DeMocker / The Times-PicayuneReturning point guard Kevin Sims averaged 12.2 points per game last season, and may play a larger role as Tulane tries to become more of a perimeter team.

Tulane's men's basketball team might not be rebuilding, but there could be several new players getting signficant playing time. There will be some returnees, like Kevin Sims and Robinson Louisme, who will be counted on as well.

But, losing David Gomez, the team's clear leader, was a blow to the team. And, there could be two or three freshmen getting significant playing time for the Green Wave.

Getting an exhibition game against Loyola behind them, Tulane opens against McNeese State at Fogelman Arena on Saturday.

What the last Senior Bowl did for Matt Forte could do the same for another Tulane player this year.

Green Wave offensive tackle Troy Kropog has been invited to the 60th edition of the all-star game Jan. 24 in Mobile, Ala.

RB//Michael Ford, Leesville//5-11//200//LSU commit

RB//Eddie Lacy, Dutchtown//6-0//225//

RB//Alex Singleton, East St. John//6-0//230//Tulsa commit

RB//DeAnte’ Triplett, Ehret//5-10//215//

WR//Kenny Bell, Rayville//6-1//170//LSU commit

WR//Abrecus Martinez, Rayville//6-3//185//

WR//Rueben Randle, Bastrop//6-3//200//

OG//Carneal Ainsworth, Baton Rouge-Parkview Baptist//6-5//285//LSU commit

OL//Joey Fontana, Brother Martin//6-3//290//SMU commit

OT//Chris Faulk, Northshore//6-6//315//LSU commit

                The jury is still out as to what position Shreveport-Fair Park quarterback Morris Claiborne might play at the collegiate level.

                Cornerback and wide receiver are the current favorites for a three-sport athlete so gifted and versatile that he earned All-State honors in basketball as a sophomore in addition to being named the Shreveport-Bossier area’s Male High School Athlete of the Year by The Shreveport Times at the end of that same school year.

                One certainty for LSU, the school to whom Claiborne verbally committed on Tuesday, is that Claiborne’s character may exceed his considerable athleticism.

“They’re getting an exceptional player, an exceptional athlete and they’re getting an exceptional young man,’’ said Fair Park Coach Lent Bursey said Wednesday in confirming Claiborne’s decision. “I call him the last of the Mohicans. His grandmother and his family have done a wonderful job in raising him. He is definitely a yes maam, yes sir kind of guy. So (LSU is) getting a true go-getter.’’

Claiborne, 6-feet, 185 pounds with 4.45 speed in the 40, is LSU’s 19^th commitment for 2009. He also is LSU’s eighth instate commitment and the eighth member of The Times Picayune Preseason Top 25 Blue Chip List to pledge his services to Coach Les Miles and the Tigers.

A four-year starter in football and three-time All-District selection as a receiver and defensive back, Claiborne also had official offers from Tulane, Nebraska, Texas A&M and Louisiana Tech, Bursey said. Claiborne, who could not be reached for comment, projects as academically qualified with a 2.5 grade-point-average and a 20 on the ACT.

After playing receiver and defensive back through his junior year, Claiborne was moved to quarterback and has accounted for 30 touchdowns in the Indians’ spread offense. He has rushed for 1,023 yards and 14 touchdowns in addition to passing for 1,009 and 16 more scores.

                “So he definitely is a player,’’ Bursey said. “I’m not sure what position he’ll play’’ in college. “I believe it will be wide receiver or defensive back.’’ Claiborne’s preference, Bursey said, is “definitely wide receiver.’’ But “I think he understands that whatever comes his way as far as playing goes is going to be what’s in LSU’s best interest.’’

                An extremely gifted and versatile athlete, Claiborne was a Class 3A All-State selection as a guard in basketball as a sophomore. He also runs sprints in track, winning a regional championship in the 200 meters and anchoring Fair Park’s 400- and 800 relays, in addition to being a 22-foot long jumper and possessing a 32-inch vertical jump.

                An ankle injury incurred while playing summer AAU basketball hampered Claiborne’s junior year in football, although “He finished the season full speed,’’ Bursey said. Claiborne averaged approximately 22 points as a junior.

                “He also would be a tremendous pitcher, but I won’t let the baseball coach have him,’’ Bursey joked.

                Claiborne’s commitment, coming approximately two weeks after LSU’s scholarship offer, extends what has proven to be a traditional ascent of Fair Park athletes to Baton Rouge such as receivers Wendell Davis and Reginald Robinson and defensive back Ronnie Prude among others.

                “That’s just where I always wanted to be,’’ Claiborne told TigerBait.com. “I’ve been dreaming about (going there). When the opportunity came, I had to take it. I love the atmosphere and how they play down there. I just like it all. I’ve been watching them for a long time, so it feels good.’’

“I think it came down to him talking it over with his family and seeing what was best for him in extending his athletic career,’’ Bursey said. “He chose to be a Tiger. I think it’s the dream of a lot of Louisiana players to wear the Purple and Gold and go to LSU.’’

                Claiborne’s commitment leaves eight remaining members of the TP Blue Chip List uncommitted. They are running backs Eddie Lacy of Dutchtown, Tyrone Duplessis of O. Perry Walker and DeAnte’ Triplett of Ehret, wide receivers Rueben Randle of Bastrop and Abrecus Martinez of Rayville and linebackers Lamin Barrow of Ehret, Tahj Jones of Sulphur and Barkevious Mingo of West Monroe.

AP Photo / Charlie NeibergallPenn State's loss to Iowa shakes the rankings up this week.

The biggest question in coming up with a college football top 25 this week is what to do with Penn State.

The Nittany Lions' last-second loss on the road to Iowa wasn't entirely unexpected for those paying close attention, but it also cast into doubt just how good Penn State actually is.

My take is as follows.

Danny Bourque/The Times-PicayuneTulane Coach Bob Toledo is hoping his team can finish the season on a positive note.

Tulane fans, we know it hasn't been all that much fun this season. We know you had higher expectations - especially after the way your team started the season with some good performances against ranked teams.

We know the injuries have taken a toll. We know a lot of young guys have been thrown into action.

So, let's chat about it.

Times-Picayune beat reporter Ted Lewis will be with you at 1 p.m. today to talk Green Wave. So please join us.

Houston defensive end Phillip Hunt will not be suspended for a dead-ball hit on Tulane quarterback Joe Kemp which resulted in a broken collarbone for Kemp in last Saturday's game, the Conference USA office announced on Monday.

"After sending tape of the incident to Dave Perry, the national coordinator for football officials, it was determined that no further action was necessary," league spokesman Russ Anderson said.

OK, so there's the Associated Press, the Coaches' poll and the BCS rankings, but none have the enthusiasm, or maybe sarcasm, as the Times-Picayune rankings. We'll give you a brand of humor with these picks - usually with a crazy pick at No. 25 each week - or in our quips about a certain team. Don't get too worked up about it, though, nobody goes to a bowl or stays home from a bowl based on our poll, it's all in fun.

Tony Gutierrez / The Associated PressLSU saw a golden opportunity slip through its grasp Saturday against Alabama.

The Louisiana State University Tigers went toe-to-toe with the best team in the nation and nearly came out on top, eventually losing 27-21 to the Alabama Crimson Tide Saturday evening in a game that figures to be long-remembered for all in attendance.

Of course it may have been high on the memory scale, but it definitely wasn't high on the satisfaction scale.

LSU's dramatic blocked field goal at the end of regulation was almost instantly deflated by yet another interception of Jarrett Lee (who threw four on the day) and subsequent touchdown drive by the Tide to wrap the win up.

HOUSTON - What has been increasingly evident for the last month became official Saturday - Tulane will have yet another losing season.

Houston ripped the Green Wave for 693 yards en route to a 42-14 Conference USA victory here Saturday.

Tulane trails Houston 21-7 at halftime

Tulane finally took advantage of turnover-created scoring opportunity, but the Green Wave defense, ranked No. 1 in Conference USA prior to Saturday, was otherwise shredded by the Houston offense, resulting in a 21-7 halftime lead for the Cougars.

Tulane safety Corey Sonnier's hit on Houston wide receiver Mark Haffner at the Cougars' 30, with David Skehan recovering and returning to the Houston 12. Two plays later Nathan Austin went untouched over the left side from the 11 for his first career touchdown, and Wave had tied the game at 7 five minutes into the second quarter.

Chris Granger / The Times-PicayuneLSU has its eye on beating a former coach this weekend.

Every Friday at 1 CT David Gladow hosts a sports chat for fans of New Orleans-area sports.

Want to chat about the Saints' playoff chances or the Hornets' latest outing? Want to vent your frustrations on Tulane's drop or discuss the big LSU-Alabama game? This is the place.

Just click on the chat window after the jump, and join the fray.

AP Photo / Butch DillJulio Jones offers the Tide a big-play threat in its quest for an undefeated season.

It's always nice to have one's faith (or even one's lack of faith) in a team rewarded.

Such was the case for me Saturday, as I watched my No. 1 team Alabama continue to chug along toward an undefeated season, and my No. 2 team Texas get knocked off by Texas Tech.

Of course the season hasn't transpired exactly as I have foreseen it, and Alabama will face a slightly stiffer test this weekend in the "Saban Bowl" against LSU, but I do love being right (for a change). And if the Crimson Tide win this one, watch out folks - their path to a BCS Championship Game appearance gets a whole lot easier (realistically, only the SEC Championship Game stands in their way).

Those "moral" victories that Tulane coach Bob Toledo was loathe to pocket earlier this season are beginning to look a lot more attractive these days.

Four straight losses, a 2-6 record and the prospect of finishing out the season with three of the final four games on the road, with an injury-depleted team that's winless in its previous three road games, makes them absolutely beautiful right now.

                Being too young to cast a ballot in Tuesday’s Presidential Election did not prevent Alabama offensive lineman L.J. Abrams from making an endorsement of a different kind.

                Abrams, a nationally-ranked prospect from Bob Jones High School in Madison, Ala., instead became the 14^th football commitment for Tulane’s 2009 recruiting class.

                Abrams, 6-foot-6, 320 pounds, delivered his commitment to Coach Bob Toledo via telephone Tuesday morning. The 17-year-old Abrams, who wears a size 15 shoe, chose the Green Wave after making an unofficial visit to New Orleans to attend the Rice game on Oct. 24. He also made an unofficial visit to Tulane this summer and participated in the Tulane camp.

                Abrams, whose initials stand for Lawrence Jeremiah, had other official offers from Kentucky, Alabama-Birmingham, Louisiana Tech and South Alabama. He projects as tackle at Tulane and is fully qualified with a 3.4 grade-point-average and a 24 on the ACT. Abrams was recruited by Tulane receivers coach Thomas Woods.

                “My big thing was I wanted to go somewhere where the coaches really wanted me,’’ Abrams said. “Tulane really wanted me. I’m one of the top guys they wanted. That’s really what helped me make my decision.’’

Also, Abrams said, “I like the New Orleans area. It’s coming back. I want to be a part of something special and help in building it back up.’’

Abrams is a three-year starter at left tackle for Bob Jones and was projected as a tackle by all of the schools to make official offers, although he is ranked No. 67 nationally among the Top 75 offensive guard prospects by Rivals.com. He also has played basketball for three years at Bob Jones, serving as a center and sixth man last season.

                “(Tulane coaches) want me to play left tackle,’’ Abrams said. “I’ve been playing left tackle the last four years. That’s what everybody sees me as.’’

                Abrams is the fourth offensive lineman to commit to Tulane for 2009 and the Wave’s seventh commitment from out of state. He also is the second Alabama player to pledge to this Tulane class, joining wide receiver Wilson Van Hooser from Trinity Presbyterian in Montgomery.

“I think Tulane is getting a great football player that can be an All-Conference player,’’ said Bob Jones Coach Shannon Brown, a former defensive lineman at Alabama and in the NFL with the Falcons, Rams and Jets. “He does need to get in the weight room. But he moves very well for a large man.

                “I feel like he’ll do extremely well at that level, but he’s probably going to need a redshirt year. He needs to get in the weight room and work on his flexibility. His lower body flexibility is an issue. One thing that’s going to help him is having that off year, the redshirt, it’s going to help him transform his body.’’

                 Bob Jones plays in Class 6A, Alabama’s largest classification, and is the state’s largest school with an enrollment of approximately 2,300 students, Brown said. Madison is located in north central Alabama near the Tennessee border and the city of Huntsville, Ala.

Bob Jones opens play in the Class 6A playoffs Friday with a first-round game at Oxford, Ala. The Patriots, who finished the regular season with a 6-4 overall record and a 5-3 mark in Region 8, have won three straight and outscored those opponents by a collective margin of 120-20 with Abrams serving as an integral part of that success.

“L.J. is yet to reach his full potential, which is great if you’re a college coach,’’ Brown added. “L.J’s potential is all ahead of him. L.J. is a young man you can challenge and he’s not going to back down. He’s respectful. L.J. probably is a better pass blocker right now than a run blocker. That probably is because of his flexibility.

“He’s what I call a waist-bender. Instead of bending at the ankles, knees and hips, which is what you need to do as a blocker, he bends at the waist. One thing that’s going to help him is that off year, the redshirt, it’s going to help him transform his body.’’

AP Photo / Charles Rex ArbogastMatt Forte has helped the Chicago Bears rebound from a rough 2007 campaign.

Given the state of the 2008 NFL rookie class, it's indeed saying something to proclaim former Tulane star and current Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte the best of the bunch. After all, there are rookies making big waves all over the league.

Two rookie signal-callers in Atlanta's Matt Ryan and Baltimore's Joe Flacco have their teams above .500 at the halfway point of the season. Tennessee sparkplug Chris Johnson is fourth in the league in rushing (715 yards), Philadelphia's DeSean Jackson has racked up 525 receiving yards, New Orleans Saints DT Sedrick Ellis has made waves along New Orleans' defensive front, and even the big names along the offensive line (Jake Long, Ryan Clady and Sam Baker among them) are having great seasons.

But Forte might be having the best season of all of them.

                Tulane received its 14^th commitment for the 2009 football class Tuesday when Alabama offensive lineman L.J. Abrams verbally committed to Coach Bob Toledo and the Green Wave.

                Abrams, a nationally-ranked prospect from Madison, Ala., Bob Jones, decided on Tulane over the weekend, his coach, Shannon Brown, said Tuesday morning.

                Abrams, 6-foot-6, 320 pounds, chose the Green Wave after making a visit to New Orleans two weeks ago to take in Tulane’s Oct. 24 contest against Rice. Abrams had other official offers from Alabama-Birmingham, Louisiana Tech and South Alabama.

                “He just felt like it was a better fit for him both academically and athletically,’’ Brown said. “He liked the coaching staff, he liked the campus and he liked the facilities.’’

                Abrams, whose first name is Lawrence, is a three-year starter at left tackle for Bob Jones and projects as a tackle at Tulane, although he is ranked No. 67 nationally among the Top 75 offensive guard prospects by Rivals.com. He was recruited by Tulane receivers coach Thomas Woods.

                “I think Tulane is getting a great football player that can be an All-Conference player,’’ said Brown, a former defensive lineman at Alabama and in the NFL with the Falcons, Rams and Jets. “He does need to get in the weight room. But he moves very well for a large man.

                “I feel like he’ll do extremely well at that level, but he’s probably going to need a redshirt year,’’ Brown added. “He needs to get in the weight room and work on his flexibility. His lower body flexibility is an issue. But I think he’s going to be a good football player for Tulane. One thing that’s going to help him is having that off year, the redshirt, it’s going to help him transform his body.

                Abrams is the fourth offensive lineman to commit to Tulane for 2009 and seventh commitment  from out of state. He also is the second Alabama player to pledge to Tulane's 2009 class, joining wide receiver Wilson Van Hooser from Trinity Presbyterian in Montgomery.

                “L.J. is yet to reach his full potential, which is great if you’re a college coach,’’ Brown added. “L.J’s potential is all ahead of him. L.J. is a young man you can challenge and he’s not going to back down. He’s respectful. L.J. probably is a better pass blocker right now than a run blocker. That probably is because of his flexibility.

“He’s what I call a waist-bender. Instead of bending at the ankles, knees and hips, which is what you need to do as a blocker, he bends at the waist. One thing that’s going to help him is that off year, the redshirt, it’s going to help him transform his body.’’