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| Sunday, August 12 Updated: August 14, 8:42 AM ET Ramsay leads potent offense, but defense must step up By Eric Crawford Special to ESPN.com |
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Tulane Green Wave 2000 record: 6-5 (3-4). Coach: Chris Scelfo (3rd year, 10-13). Starters returning: 5 offense, 5 defense, 2 kickers. Outlook: Tulane can score points. QB Patrick Ramsey will replace Shaun King in the record books this season. Sophomore Mewelde Moore could lead the conference in rushing. The Green Wave will spread the field and go, and will move the ball on everybody. But will they stop anybody? Their defense ranked next to last in C-USA last season, giving up 31.4 points per game, and they have to replace their entire linebacking corps. Scelfo hopes the added size brought in with his past two recruiting classes will make a difference on the line. Tulane needs to be tougher and more physical on both sides of the ball, but its offense is dangerous enough to win any game. Keep an eye on: Patrick Ramsey. He just gets it done. He threw for 2,833 yards and 24 TDs last season, and his judgment is improving. After throwing for 24 interceptions as a junior, he cut that number to 14 last season, despite putting the ball in the air 389 times. Still, he's being pushed in practice by UCLA transfer J.P. Losman, who is a bit more mobile. Key game: The opener at LSU on Sept. 1. If Tulane comes out of Death Valley with its health and psyche still in tact, it might be prepared to do something interesting in its conference opener against East Carolina in New Orleans. It's a good year if... The Green Wave can make some defensive progress and duplicate its 6-5 winning season of a year ago. They're moving in the right direction but have a way to go on defense. A step backward (read, losing record) could stall some of that momentum. Eric Crawford covers Conference USA for the Louisville Courier-Journal. |
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