Scelfo: 'SMU's going to be ready for us'

[PonyPride]

Scelfo: 'SMU's going to be ready for us'

By Fred Robinson
Staff writer
New Orleans Times-Picayune

RUSTON – After spending a week at Southern Methodist University in Dallas prior to relocating in Ruston, Tulane's football team is headed back to some familiar surroundings this week in Texas.

The Green Wave will begin Conference USA play against the Mustangs.

Although Wave players got to mingle with some of SMU's players during their brief stay in Dallas, Tulane coach Chris Scelfo said the familiarity with the area will not be an advantage for his team.

"We didn't do a whole lot while we were there,'' Scelfo said Tuesday . "We went to practice and stayed in the hotel. (The players) will at least know where the stadium is.

"The players know each other, but it's sort like high school. When you play on a Friday night in high school, you know everybody on the other team."

The difference heading into Game 2, Scelfo said, is he and his staff know a lot more about SMU than it did about Mississippi State. Still, the Mustangs won't be an easy target, he said.

"I know SMU's going to be ready for us, and I know our kids are going to be ready to play, too. It's going to be two teams that are pretty evenly matched, and the one that makes the less amount of mistakes is going to have a chance to win," Scelfo said.

"We know more about SMU, but we've got some things we have to worry about with our football team that we have to get corrected. Regardless of what we know about them, if we don't get those things corrected, it's going to be another long night for us."

LANDRY'S BACK: Junior tight end Jerome Landry, who missed Saturday's game against Mississippi State, was cleared by the Green Wave training staff and returned to practice. Landry said he hadn't received the go-ahead to play earlier because he hadn't completed therapy on his left knee. Landry sat out the 2004 season after suffering torn ligaments in the 2004 spring drills.

MCGEE TO PLAY: Left offensive tackle Chris McGee, who suffered a sprained left ankle in the first quarter of the Mississippi State game, was walking around Tuesday with the ankle heavily taped. McGee did not practice, but said he'll be ready for the SMU game. McGee missed most of the first three quarters before playing most of the fourth quarter. McGee's absence forced a pair of redshirt freshmen – Michael Parenton and Troy Kropog – to get more playing time than was planned.

With Parenton and Kropog leading the way, the Wave had 17 freshmen, including nine true freshmen, to play against Mississippi State.

UNDER THE LIGHTS: For the first time since relocating at Louisiana Tech, the Green Wave will hold a night practice. Senior strong safety Tra Boger said the evening practice will be good for the team.

"It's going to give us an opportunity to have more meeting time before we go out on the practice field," Boger said. "We'll get more preparation time and have a chance to look at more film."

The Wave's workout is scheduled for 8 p.m.

RIDING IN STYLE: It takes a little bit more than walking downstairs and out the back door to get to the practice field for Scelfo. Not to worry, though, Scelfo has found a solution. These days, Scelfo can be seen riding from the Thomas Assembly Center to the practice field in a supped-up golf cart. It's a little bit smaller than a VW Beetle, but it seats four. It doesn't have room for golf clubs.