Tulane Green Wave Football

Tulane is 3-4 (1-2 AAC) after a frustrating stretch that includes the 20-17 loss at Army and the 42-19 home loss to UTSA. The roster still has talent and competitive pieces. The issue remains decision-making at the top, from the portal and Week 1 depth chart through in-game choices that have kept this team from maximizing what it has.

The pattern from September has carried into October

Army was there for the taking until the late call

At West Point, Tulane was tied late and had a chance to take control. Tied at 17, the Wave drove into Army territory and faced 4th-and-8 from the Army 33 with roughly four minutes left.

Instead of letting Cooper Helmke attempt a field goal (roughly 51 yards, well within the range he showed earlier in the season, including long makes at Kansas State), Will Hall went for it. 4th and 4 sure I get it but 4th and 8 with two guys running go routes, what are we doing.

The pass was incomplete. Army took over, controlled the clock, and Dawson Jones hit the game-winning FG as time expired.

Hall later explained he felt that if they converted the first down they would win the game given the flow and Army's kicker.

Reasonable in theory.

In practice, it handed Army the ball with time and field position to finish the job. That decision may have cost Tulane a conference opener win they were in position to take.

It fits the larger theme: caution or overthinking in the moment instead of the highest-percentage play available.

Russ Callaway still has not found an identity or creativity

Callaway remains the offensive coordinator, which is insane. I'm not saying fire the guy but you see top programs like Oregon making mid season changes.

It's time to stop being the nice guy, there's a reason why they finish last.

The offense has not meaningfully improved. Scoring stays low (hovering around 20 ppg), the passing game is inefficient (drops), and the operation still feels a series or two behind when the run is contained.

There is little creativity or adaptability. Protection, tempo, second-and-medium calls, and finding ways to free skill players remain issues.

Freshman Trace Johnson (The Future) has gotten opportunities (including starts), which is progress, but the structure around him has not elevated the unit. Hall is an offensive coach by background. The headset has stayed with a coordinator who has not unlocked this roster. The result is an offense that can occasionally run the ball but lacks the play-calling punch or inventiveness to consistently move the chains or score when it matters most.

Tayler Polk and the defense have shown incremental improvement

Credit where it's due: the defense under Polk has trended slightly better week to week in stretches.

They largely contained Army's option for much of the game before wearing down late.

Against Memphis they generated real pressure (multiple sacks) and turnovers. Red-zone and fourth-down metrics have looked respectable at times, and young players have flashed.

It is not a finished product, run defense remains a vulnerability, yards allowed are still high, and the UTSA game showed the group can still get gashed. But the trajectory is upward compared to the early-season struggles. Polk has the pieces (returning talent plus developing depth) and has made schematic adjustments that have produced better results in spots. The defense is closer to being an asset than the offense is right now.

Also leave @GreenWaveMan alone, at least he's holding people accountable!

What is still true

The talent is there. Skill players can make plays. The locker room competes. A 3-4 record in a transition year is not fatal if the remaining schedule (Charlotte, Tulsa, Rice, North Texas, USF) produces better decisions.

The original issues persist: the portal approach left the room unfinished, the Week 1 QB call was the wrong one, and the offense still lacks a clear identity under Callaway. The Army late-game choice added another concrete example of a decision that may have cost a winnable game.

Hall needs to take more ownership of the offense! The fact he hasn't already makes me question his ability of a leader for Tulane.

As you can tell I have one pinkie toe still in the room.

Whether that means calling plays or forcing clearer creativity and structure. Trace Johnson (or whoever is under center) needs a real plan that matches the talent, not just snaps. The defense's gradual improvement under Polk gives a foundation.

South Alabama and Memphis showed what this roster can look like when things are simplified and the staff puts players in position.

That version is still available.

The rest of the season will show whether the people making the choices are done being careful.

You may not agree with every part of this, but this is the honest read on where things stand in my mind.

Like I said before I want nothing more than success for the players, the coaches, and Tulane.

Nothing would make me happier than looking back in January and being wrong and everyone can call me an idiot.

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