The Tulane football program has some serious replacing to do.
The Green Wave lost an incredible gunslinger in J.P. Losman (Buffalo) and a bruising back in Mwelde Moore (Minnesota) to the 2004 NFL draft.
Moore, a four-year starter for the Green Wave, was the school’s all-time leading rusher accumulating more than 6,500 all-purpose yards during his tenure at Tulane. Losman, who was drafted as the 22nd pick, passed for 6,754 yards, 60 touchdowns and threw just 27 interceptions in his career as a Green Wave.
“I’m glad their running back they had last year is gone. That’s not a knock on the one they have coming back,” Croom said Tuesday, “but Jovon Jackson will probably be just as effective for them as the runner they had last year.”
Jackson, a junior, will replace Moore as the Green Wave’s starting running back. The 5-foot-11, 210-pound back out of St. Petersburg, Fla., moved into the starting tailback position for the last three games last season due to an injury to Moore. In his starting debut, Jackson ran for 183 yards and two touchdowns to help Tulane beat Alabama-Birmingham 38-24. He totaled 308 yards in those games.
The receiving core is the strength of the Tulane offense, which is led by preseason all-conference receiver Roydell Williams.
The senior from Reserve, La., is a potent deep threat who has seven TD receptions of 50 yards or more and 13 catches for 40 yards or more. Williams led the team last year in touchdowns (nine) and average receiving yards a game (83).
“On any one play (the Tulane receivers) can score. Doesn’t make any difference where they are on the field,” Croom said. “They can run by you and they have a quarterback that can give them the football.”
That quarterback is LSU transfer Lester Ricard. Ricard was rated as the nation’s No. 5 quarterback by Rivals.com and earned Parade All-America honors in his senior year in high school. Ricard sat out last season as a transfer and red-shirted his freshman season at LSU.
The secondary, which includes two seniors, a junior and a sophomore, is the strongest element of the Green Wave defense. They intercepted 14 passes last year and ranked 14th in the nation with 31 fumbles gained.
“I’m real concerned about their secondary,” Croom said. “Not so much as a cover stand point, but they cause a lot of turnovers. Even if you get a big play, you complete a long pass, or you get a long run their secondary has a knack for coming up with the football downfield.”
As a whole Tulane’s defense struggled just as much as MSU’s did last year. The Green Wave defense gave up more than 460 yards a game to opposing offenses, nationally ranking them only one ahead of Mississippi State at 112th. State quarterback Omarr Conner insists that Tulane still cannot be taken lightly.
“There mostly a team that’s just physical,” Conner said. “They got a fast defense, everybody’s just got to work hard.”
Kick and punt returner Fed Smith averaged 21.8 yards a kick off return last year and racked up 105 yards returning 10 punts. On the first kickoff of his collegiate career Smith went 100 yards for a touchdown versus TCU.