Football seeks rebound against Green Wave
Last week, Tulane battled the second-ranked University of Alabama Crimson Tide.
Though the Crimson Tide was heavily favored, the Green Wave put up a fight in foreign territory before falling 31-17.
"It looks like Tulane showed better against Alabama than [Rice] did against Ohio State," said Rice Head Coach Fred Goldsmith.
Tulane, under the leadership of second-year coach Buddy Teevans, is coming off of a sluggish 1992 season in which the Green Wave won only two games and lost nine.
On the road, Tulane was 1-5, their one victory over Southwest Conference team Southern Methodist University.
Offensively, the Green Wave returns seven starters from last season, but a new face leads Tulane's assault.
Sophomore quarterback Craig Randall, a transfer from the University of Michigan, is starting his first season in collegiate football.
Against Alabama, Randall completed a mere 33 percent of his passes, but connected on a 23-yard touchdown pass play to freshman wide receiver Derrick Franklin.
"[Randall] has an extremely strong arm and will be very dangerous," Goldsmith said.
Before the Alabama game, the running back spot appeared to be the weak point on the Green Wave offense.
Tulane lost both Chance Miller, the fifth-leading career rusher in school history, and Terrance Strickland, one of Tulane's top all-purpose backs, to graduation.
Joey Perry, the Green Wave's leading rusher in 1992, seemed to be the obvious choice for the majority of the running attack, but redshirt freshman Jerald Sowell, another back, received the most playing time against Alabama.
Sowell won the starting position with the second-best opening day performance in the school's history.
He rushed for 138 yards, including a 98-yard touchdown run that eclipsed Tulane's record for the longest play from scrimmage.
Defensively, Tulane has one of its most experienced teams in a number of years, returning nine starters from the 1992 season.
While they allowed Alabama to accumulate 371 yards of total offense in the first half, they limited the Tide's potent offense to 86 yards for the rest of the game.
Standouts include defensive back Mike Staid and linebacker Wilbert Gilmore, co-most valuable players on defense last year.
Staid, a returning AP All-South Independent Conference selection, has led the Tulane defense in tackles and interceptions the past two years and had a team-high 15 tackles against Alabama.
Gilmore was Tulane's second-leading tackler from a year ago and their top big-play man on defense. Against the Crimson Tide, Gilmore had nine tackles.
After their defeat to the Buckeyes, the Owls hope to step up their offensive intensity and plug gaping defensive holes before they face Tulane.
While the Rice passing game needs some fine tuning before tomorrow's game, the running game should kick in, relieving pressure from Bert Emanuel and the receiving corps.
Sophomore Yoncy Edmonds should get the starting nod once again and will try to shed the nerves he suffered one week ago.
"I was nervous in the beginning last week and slipped on a few plays," Edmonds said. "With the way we ran last week, Tulane will think we have no running game.
"If I can get at least 20 carries against Tulane, and get in a good groove, we will really surprise them.," he added.
The Owls will have to make the greatest improvements in defense.
Prominent holes in the Rice secondary and a weak pass rush allowed the Buckeyes to convert on many crucial third-and-long opportunities.
Ohio State, though not known for its offensive potency, gained over 450 yards in total offense against the Owls.
"The Ohio State game really woke up a lot of the guys," said Bennett. "Our pass rush must be better and we must plug up the holes. People will see a different Rice team from here on out."
Bennett went on to describe last week's game as a learning experience. He said that the younger players took a while to adjust to the speed of the game, but he feels they now know what to expect and will be ready this week.
"We're mad. We are going to come out fighting and scrapping this week," Bennett said. "There will be a sense of urgency to accomplish something in order to beat Tulane. This game will be our season."
This item appeared in the Sports section of the September 10, 1993 issue.
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