Overtime

Ed Daniels

Not since Dec. 1, 1973, when Tulane ended 25 years of misery at the hands of LSU was there this much unabashed joy surrounding Green Wave football.

A few hundred yards from where Green Wave nose tackle Mark Olivari had his famous sack of LSU quarterback Mike Miley, fans rushed the field at Yulman Stadium and surrounded star Tulane linebacker Nick Anderson.

Anderson’s reaction was priceless. As students pounded his shoulder pads, Anderson just watched and smiled, taking in the moment.

His August declaration had come true.

“Conference championship is the standard,” said Anderson after a sultry practice on an August morning.

One day later, Tulane officially accepted a bid to the Cotton Bowl.

University President Michael Fitts, who has greatly enhanced the athletics budget since arriving on campus, was thoroughly enjoying the moment. As Fitts and a reporter chatted, the reporter told Fitts the following.

“Let do this again.”

It has been a generation since the football program had this type of momentum.

It is time to seize the day.

Director of Athletics Troy Dannen said plans are in the works to extend the contract of head coach Willie Fritz.

And, then sometime later this month, he and Fritz will discuss the next steps for the Tulane football program.

Football badly needs an operations center with a state of the art weight room.

Many of the schools in the American Athletic Conference have indoor facilities, including many of the six new schools who will enter the league in the fall of 2023.

Several of the big plays made in Saturday’s win over Central Florida were made by local stars.

Running back Tyjae Spears (Ponchatoula) rushed for 199 yards and a touchdown.

Four rushed the ball for the Green Wave in the American Athletic Conference championship game. Three were from metro New Orleans, including Shaadie Clayton-Johnson (Warren Easton), and Iverson Celestine (Fontainebleau).

Wide receiver Jha’Quan Jackson (Hahnville) and Lawrence Keys (McDonogh 35) combined for six receptions for 100 yards.

Jackson had one of the biggest plays of the game.

With Tulane holding a 31-28 lead, his 13-yard reception on 3rd and 8 at the Tulane 27 kept a drive alive.

On the next play, quarterback Michael Pratt threw to Shae Wyatt for 60 yards and a touchdown.

On defense, safety Macon Clark (Destrehan), and defensive tackle Patrick Jenkins (John Ehret), made a host of big plays.

Clayton-Johnson, Keys and Jenkins also began their college football careers elsewhere, but came home.

On the night of Dec. 3, before an overflow crowd at Yulman Stadium, they were rewarded.

Many in the crowd Saturday night were New Orleanians who were getting another taste of Tulane football after a prolonged absence.

That’s what winning a conference championship and going to a New Year’s Six Bowl does. It brings the fans back.

And, it puts the wind at your back.

And, that is clearly the case with Tulane football, right now.

The next level was reached, but additional commitment is needed to make it stick. BC

Unabashed joy surrounds Tulane football

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