- Paul Layne, this one is for you, buddy. I know you were watching.
- First championship in 40 years in '23, sealed with a pick by number 23 who has his own rebirth story, who was snubbed in the polls (all-conference teams) and wears the number sported by Jerry LeVias with a ton of meaning behind it. Just awesome.
- Jennings was great. Yes, the fumble and the two interceptions. As I mentioned in my preview, I thought those interceptions would come. BUT they came in the redzone, so Tulane couldn't take advantage of them. Everywhere else on the field, he didn't come close to a pick. He did a great job. Ramon Flanigan 2.0 for those old enough to remember, that is all I could think about the whole game. Ramon, but with a great set of WR, RB, and an OL.
- The OL did a great job. Tulane's DL was no joke, as we knew going in. To run for just about 200 yards against them is great. And even though there were pressures, they were controlled pressures that allowed Jennings to escape the pocket.
- I mentioned in the preview that RJ would be a focus early, and we went there early in the game and often. It forced Tulane to adjust and guard him with their best coverage safety, which opened things up for others on the field.
- The threat of Jennings running helped in both the running game and the passing game. They had to spy him with a LB. Every time we ran one direction, he would fake running in the other, and one of the LBs had to stay honest and not attack the ball. Our OL got us the first 2 yards but the threat of Jennings is what turned those into 5+ yard gains.
- Also, great job by the coaching staff of playing aggressive. At the beginning of the second half, the way it started, 90% of the coaches in the country would have gone conservative and just tried to run the ball and run clock. Tulane was ready to stop the run in the second half. Staying aggressive with Jennings in the pass and scramble game re-opened the field. Game changing strength by the staff to stay aggressive there.
- Defensively, what an amazing performance. I kept expecting Pratt to step up and do his magic, but we just beat the crap out of him the entire game. He could barely throw the ball by the end. He is a really, really good QB and we just shut him down.
- Going into the game, the Tulane OL had given up less than 20 sacks and 80 hurries on the season. We got 27 pressures, 13 hurries and 7 sacks in a single game. That is an amazing performance by the DL. Absolutely amazing. Roberts was incredible. Multiple bulldoze pancakes and he was all over the place, dominating any guard or tackle that was put in front of him. An absolutely incredible performance.
- Adding to the great DL performance, 26 carries for 31 yards? And a 1500 yard rusher has 11 carries for 44, most of it at the end of both halves when we were in prevent. That is dominant. I expected our defense to play really well against a run-first team, but they exceeded expectations.
- Just remember, the two TDs were on a fumble and a missed false start penalty where our corner fell down. Basically a shutout for the defense.
- NWO from where he started to where he is now, just awesome character. What a Dude.
- Lots of justified praise for Isaiah Smith for his sacks. But Nelson Paul also had himself a game. Best performance in his last game that counts. Great to see for him.
- Don't forget about the nose. Miller, Roberson, and Chatman drew doubles inside constantly. That is what allowed Roberts to be isolated on a guard when he lined up inside on 3rd downs. It is what allowed the DEs to be isolated the entire game on the outside and dominate the tackles. Great job from them!
Just a great culmination to the season. We are the best team in the G5. I have no idea if that will get us in a NY6 bowl. But regardless, we are going to go to a really good bowl game and play against a P5 team. I'm looking forward to the trip and celebrating with the players and their families and our fellow alumni. I hope everyone opens up their schedule and joins us, wherever it is. It will be an experience you will never forget! Just don't want the Cotton Bowl, because travelling with the team and spending time with everyone at the hotel is a ton of fun.
If you didn't shed a tear or two yesterday, you just aren't human. I'm sure everyone did. My kids gave me crap for it, but I don't care
. Enjoy this for the rest of the offseason .
