Green Wave must win to keep bowl hopes alive

Following a 42-10 thrashing of heavily favored Navy, the Green
Wave is still in contention to reach a bowl game.

The team needs to win the remainder of its games starting with
this weekend’s matchup against Conference USA opponent
 Army.

Army is 2-7 on the season and has lost two in a row after
posting two wins in consecutive weeks against Cincinnati and South
 Florida.

Much like the Houston team that beat Tulane two weeks ago,
Army’s defense has struggled this season, as the team has
allowed 30 points or more in all but two of its games.

Despite Army’s record, Head Coach Chris Scelfo is not
taking the Black Knights lightly.

“We’re going to have to hit on all cylinders on to
win on Saturday,” Scelfo said. “Army has beaten two
teams ahead of us in the standings, so we really need to execute.
Offensively our focus has been there, but we need to execute well
because we’re about to face a very strong defense.”

Whether or not the Green Wave win tomorrow (6 p.m., Superdome)
will depend on which Lester Ricard shows up. The Tulane quarterback
has been inconsistent in his rookie season, showing flashes of
brilliance against UAB and Navy but struggling against teams like
East Carolina and Houston.

Ricard completed 18-of-19 passes and threw for four touchdowns
and 323 yards in stretching out a strong Navy defense Saturday at
the Superdome. This strong effort came just one week after Ricard
threw for just 149 yards and two interceptions against Houston.

Senior Roydell Williams, Ricard’s favorite target at wide
receiver, believes his quarterback is finally ready to lead the
Green Wave offense.

“I think he’s over the hump already,” Williams
said. “He went through some growing pains in the beginning of
the season. Now that he’s comfortable with our offense
he’s ready to play. He seems to get better every
 day.”

Green Wave running back Jovon Jackson is primed for a big day
both running and receiving as Army brings the third-worst pass
defense in C-USA to the Superdome Saturday. Its rush defense is
just as porous, allowing an astonishing 240 yards per game.

Army’s most potent offensive weapon is junior running back
Carlton Jones. Jones has amassed 352 rushing yards and four
touchdowns on the season as well as 13 receptions for 152 yards.
Jones showed explosiveness in the team’s wins over Cincinnati
and South Florida, rushing for 180 yards against the Bearcats and
225 yards against the Bulls.

Junior quarterback Zac Dahman is a solid pocket passer who has
completed over 50 percent of his passes. He has thrown for five
touchdowns after missing the first three games of the season.

Dahman’s favorite target is senior Aaron Alexander who
uses his large 6-foot-6 frame to overpower smaller cornerbacks.
Alexander has 283 yards receiving and only one touchdown on the
season after recording six touchdowns in his junior season. His
size could present a matchup problem for cornerbacks Israel Route
and Sean Lucas, both listed under six feet tall.

Scelfo and his coaching staff are clearly concerned about the
size advantage Alexander has over the Green Wave corners.

“We’re hoping the wind is blowing Saturday so they
can’t throw the deep ball,” Scelfo said, in jest.

Army appears to be a favorable matchup for the Green Wave on
paper. Scelfo’s Green Wave knows that it must avoid mental
lapses in order to avoid another ugly game like the one his team
played in Houston.

Tulane also knows that every game is now a must-win to keep bowl
hopes alive.