Tag: Tulane Green Wave

Bills’ Dorian Williams: ‘It’s all starting to click now’

Bills’ Dorian Williams: ‘It’s all starting to click now’

Buffalo Bills linebacker Dorian Williams has found himself in a big role in year two.

Williams, a 2023 third-rounder out of Tulane, was projected to be a top reserve linebacker for the Bills this year. A training camp injury to starting linebacker Matt Milano changed the course of Williams’ season.

Thrust into a starting role from Week 1, Williams has now had five consecutive starts to begin the year. It’s near-impossible to replace the production from the former All-Pro Milano, but Williams has shined so far.

While Williams has started to his his stride, Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott complimented him even earlier.

“I thought he did a good job,” McDermott said after Williams’ first start against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1.

He enters Week 6’s matchup against the New York Jets (2-3) tied for the league lead in tackles (54). He posted 11 solo tackles in his last game. Williams is flying around the field, using his instincts, and making solid tackles. The way he finishes plays is reminiscent of Milano.

When asked about his play this year in Thursday’s post-practice press conference, Williams was appreciative of the support around him.

“Learning every week, taking what everybody has to say into account. I think it has helped a lot, for sure,” he said.

Williams was transparent in saying he wasn’t prepared to see much time during his rookie year, but fellow linebacker and team captain Terrel Bernard reassured him that his time would come.

“Last year I did come in a little under the bar I think,” Williams said. “[Bernard told me] ‘learn every day… my first year I didn’t really know what was going on either’. Once he told me that, I understood what was expected out of me. I took the offseason to learn a lot. They let me keep my iPad so I studied all summer and it’s all starting to click now, for sure.”

In 2023, Williams started just two games for the Bills. Now, he is looking like he could be the long-term answer at weakside linebacker given Milano’s health struggles. Milano will take his job back when he’s ready to go later this season, but Williams is taking the opportunity in front of him and running with it for now.

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Oklahoma cornerback duo great against Tulane Green Wave

The Oklahoma Sooners received fantastic performances from unsung cornerback duo.

The Oklahoma Sooners defense has been the strength of the roster through three games in 2024. If there was a question heading into the season, it was at cornerback, with stars present in the front seven and at safety.

There was a good experience with Woodi Washington, and OU has a talented playmaker in Gentry Williams. However, the Sooners’ defensive staff has made a point to move Washington around this year, and Williams has been dealing with a shoulder issue for much of the last year.

On Saturday, with Williams out, Oklahoma leaned on a couple veterans to play the majority of the snaps on the outside, and they were really good.

[autotag]Kani Walker[/autotag] and [autotag]Dez Malone[/autotag] were targeted 11 times and allowed just two receptions for 14 yards, according to Pro Football Focus. Both Walker and Malone each had a pair of pass breakups. Walker’s PBU in the fourth quarter led to Billy Bowman’s first interception of the season and ultimately allowed the Sooners to pull away from the Green Wave.

Malone was Oklahma’s second-highest-graded player on defense behind R Mason Thomas and was the highest-graded player in coverage.

As the Sooners enter SEC play and face even better offenses than Tulane, they’ll need complete performances from their cornerback groups. And if Walker and Malone can continue to play at a high level, it will create more opportunities for the Sooners pass rush to get home. .

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Why Tulane should be among top targets for Pac-12 expansion

Tulane would give the Pac-12 a footprint in New Orleans and serves as an obvious travel partner with Memphis.

The Pac-12 conference went from two programs to six last week with the announcement that Boise State, San Diego State, Fresno State, and Colorado State are leaving the Mountain West to join Oregon State and Washington State starting in 2026.

That puts the Pac-12 75% of the way to forming an FBS conference, where a minimum of eight is needed. Rumors have been swirling since the moment the announcement was made, including discussion on whether Cal and Stanford could come back after joining the ACC, if the Pac-12 would consider non-football schools like Gonzaga, and if there are other Mountain West schools – namely UNLV – that could be targeted next.

Perhaps the most notable programs discussed for continued Pac-12 expansion come from the American conference, with both Memphis and Tulane cited as targets for the Pac-12 by longtime beat reporter John Canzano.

Memphis was one of the first programs we analyzed as a candidate for the new look Pac-12, and today we take a look at the Tulane Green Wave – who make a logical travel partner with Memphis if paired together.

The Pros

Big Willie Fritz put this program on the map with a stellar run as head coach from 2015-2023, with Tulane going 54-47 in that stretch and 3-1 in bowl games, including a Cotton Bowl victory after an outstanding 2022 season.

Tulane struggled when they initially got into the American conference, but went 15-1 combined in 2022 and 2023. New coach Jon Sumrall has big shoes to fill to keep this program among the top shelf teams in the conference, but if he’s able to do so the Green Wave will remain one of the top Group of Five teams in the country – and an ideal pickup for the Pac-12.

Tulane is also located in the heart of New Orleans, the 50th largest media market in the country and a city filled with passionate football fans thanks to the success of the Saints at the NFL level.

Adding a footprint in that kind of media market is a big win for the Pac-12, and pairing them with Memphis makes sense for both programs as well.

The Cons

Tulane has a smaller student population than the schools currently in the Pac-12, as well as other programs being targeted, with a student body of roughly 14,500 – about half the enrollment at Colorado State and Fresno State and well below enrollment numbers at UTSA and Memphis.

Plus, as previously mentioned, Tulane’s football success is relatively recent. The Green Wave appeared in just two bowl games between 1999 and 2018, a Hawaii Bowl victory in 2002 in an 8-5 season and a loss in the New Orleans Bowl in 2013 coming off a 7-6 year. It’s too early to know if coach Sumrall is going to build on the momentum started by Fritz or not, and for the Pac-12 adding this program and hoping they don’t backslide is a bit of a risk.

Additionally, Tulane adds very little to the other revenue generating sport – men’s basketball. The Green Wave have not made the NCAA Tournament since 1995, and they are the 162nd ranked program in college basketball dating back to 1997 when Ken Pomeroy’s data begins.

Tulane went 5-13 in conference play last year, finishing 136th at KenPom, although they did win 20 games the previous season. Still, this is not a team that would move the needle in men’s basketball – which could give conference leadership some pause.

The league already added a marquee basketball brand in San Diego State, and if they are considering bringing in Memphis or even non-football schools like Gonzaga or St. Mary’s, a school like Tulane would be an outlier.

Verdict

New Orleans is an appealing media market for the Pac-12, and Tulane makes an obvious travel partner with Memphis. However, the program’s lack of long term success on the gridiron, and complete inability to compete in basketball, could make Tulane a risky addition for the conference.

Plus, while New Orleans is a nice market, getting a footprint in Texas should be the Pac-12’s top priority – which could make someone like UTSA or even Rice a more appealing option.

R Mason Thomas earns Nagurski Trophy National Defensive Player of the Week award

After a strong performance against Tulane, R Mason Thomas named Bronko Nagurski Defensive Player of the Week.

The breakout was coming at some point for [autotag]R Mason Thomas[/autotag]. And it came in a big way against the Tulane Green Wave on Saturday.

It wasn’t simply that it was a three-sack day for defensive end R Mason Thomas. It was when that three-sack day occurred that was so special.

With just over six minutes to play in the Oklahoma Sooners win over Tulane, the Green Wave were attempting to mount a comeback. But on their second-to-last drive of the game, Thomas put a stop to that.

The junior edge rusher came up with two sacks and batted down a pass on third down to set up his fourth-down sack. Then, on the Green Wave’s final drive of the game, Mason closed up shop for the Tulane offense, getting to Darian Mensah, stripping the quarterback of the ball, and recovering his own forced fumble.

Thomas was named the Bronko Nagurski Trophy Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts.

It was an epic performance that showed off the ability that’s flashed over the last couple of years. During his weekly press conference, Brent Venables said of R Mason Thomas, “Been a long time coming for him from an injury standpoint.”

The Sooners needed someone to step up to create a consistent pass rush, and Thomas showed up in a big way. With Tennessee’s prolific offense coming to town Saturday night, the Sooners need more from R Mason Thomas and the rest of the defensive line to be able to slow down the Volunteers.

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3 Stars from the Oklahoma Sooners 34-19 win over Tulane

Which Sooners earned one of our 3 stars from Oklahoma’s 34-19 win over the Tulane Green Wave?

Saturday was a more significant win than it should have been for the Oklahoma Sooners, not because of the opponent or because the game had some stakes tied to it. However, internally, the Sooners had to answer a few questions.

The Sooners won 34-19 at home to wrap up this portion of their nonconference schedule. Now OU begins SEC play when they host the No. 7 Tennessee Volunteers next week.

Several players stood out from the Sooners win and here are this week’s three stars of the game.

1. R Mason Thomas, EDGE

On Saturday, the best player on the field was R Mason Thomas.

Thomas has spent his first two years in Norman, adding mass to his frame while fighting injuries. His development has impressed coaches, but we’d yet to see it come to fruition.

Coming into the season, it felt like now or never for him, and in this third game of the 2024 season, Thomas stepped up and provided good pressure throughout the game, coming up with three pivotal sacks and a forced fumble and fumble recovery in the most critical time of the game.

His calling card is winning with speed and he did just that on Saturday afternoon. He showed good awareness, being able to change his rush approach after the snap to go from working outside to working inside. He has added a few other tricks to his bag to win more regularly.

Thomas was Pro Football Focus highest-graded Power Four edge rusher among players with at least 15 snaps for week three.

OU has been desperate for a star-caliber pass rusher, and Thomas has the ability to fill that void.

2. Jackson Arnold, QB

When you think about Jackson Arnold,  it’s important to know his performances week in and week out will be compared (fairly or unfairly) to his predecessors.

OU’s last decade of QB play is an unreal group of players to live up to. If a guy playing that position struggles in the slightest, it feels underwhelming to the fan base. In a nutshell, that’s where parts of the OU fanbase are at with Arnold. But on Saturday, he played his best game as the Sooners’ QB to this point.

No gaudy numbers were amassed as he had under 200 yards passing, but he also carried the ball 14 times for 97. He was efficient, on target, and largely made good decisions. The one big strike against him was the pick-six he threw.

He looked comfortable out there, and even when the game got tight late in the third and into the fourth, he helped calmly orchestrate a couple of drives to ice it. His biggest test of the season and his career comes next week against OU’s first SEC foe, Tennessee.

3. Heath Ozaeta, OL

Oklahoma’s much-maligned offensive line needed to put together a solid performance as starters Branson Hickman and Jake Taylor continued to nurse injuries.

Heath Ozaeta had a good offseason dating back to the spring. With the aforementioned injuries, an opportunity for him to showcase his skills opened up, and alongside Jacob Sexton, he owned it.

There were some really encouraging moments and also some snaps where he missed a linebacker blitzing that he and offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh will have to clean up, but the run game was more productive than it was a week ago.

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3 Keys to an Oklahoma Sooners win over the Tulane Green Wave

What do the Oklahoma Sooners have to do to pick up a win over a tough Tulane team?

The Oklahoma Sooners will welcome a tough Tulane Green Wave team to town for a Saturday afternoon kickoff. Oklahoma’s hoping to remain undefeated ahead of SEC play in week four but will have to survive a test from a Tulane team that nearly knocked off Kansas State last week.

The team will have to remain focused at the task at hand but OU has the talent to come through and pick up another win. But what do they need to do to earn a victory? Here are three keys to the game for the Sooners.

1. Win First Down

The Oklahoma Sooners haven’t been efficient enough on first down through two games in the 2024 season. Against Houston, the Sooners had a first-down success rate of just 38.4%.

Success rate is defined as gaining 40% of the yards to go on first down, 60% of the yards to go on second down and 100% of the yards to go on third and fourth down.

So, Oklahoma gained four or more yards on just 10 of their 24 first downs in the game. When you aren’t doing much on first down, it’s going to make second and third down a lot more difficult.

Teams with a high success rate on first down move the ball efficiently and score points. If Oklahoma wants to get right offensively, being more successful on first down would go a long way.

Against a good Tulane offense, the Sooners’ defense will be challenged. But one way to get to true freshman quarterback Darian Mensah is to force him into some longer down and distances.

Oklahoma’s run defense has been really good to start the 2024 season and if they can contain Makhi Hughes on first down to force more second and longs, it will give them a really good chance to get off the field.

Up Next: 2 More Keys to the Game

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Sooners Wire staff predictions for No. 13 Oklahoma vs. Tulane Green Wave

Sooners Wire staff predicts another close matchup as the Oklahoma Sooners get set to take on the Tulane Green Wave.

The No. 13 Oklahoma Sooners (2-0) welcome the Tulane Green Wave (1-1) to Norman on Saturday afternoon. Both teams played Big 12 squads last week in tight ball games.

The Sooners struggled to put away Houston in a 16-12 win, and Tulane nearly pulled off an upset of Kansas State at home but threw an interception in the end zone on what would have been a game-tying touchdown drive in the final seconds.

Week three promises to provide another intriguing matchup in Norman, but who wins? Here’s a look at this week’s Sooners Wire Staff Predictions!

Sooners Wire Staff Predictions

Oklahoma stays unbeaten at 3-0 in 2024 with another tense win at home.

OU’s defense controls the game for the most part, and the Sooners win the special teams battle for the third game in a row. Field position proves to be critical again, but the OU offense has a better outing than they did against Houston.

Someone from the running back room turns in a solid performance, and the duo of Jackson Arnold and Deion Burks connects enough times to get the job done. The offense is aided by a touchdown from either the special teams or the defense, and OU beats a good Tulane team by 10.

However, there’s still plenty of room for improvement and healing to do during the week before Tennessee comes into Oklahoma riding high on three impressive victories to open the season.

Sooners 24, Green Wave 14

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Up Next: More Sooners Wire Staff Predictions

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3 Green Wave to know ahead of Oklahoma vs. Tulane

The Oklahoma Sooners welcome the Tulane Green Wave to town this weekend and here are three key players to know ahead of their nonconference showdown.

Oklahoma’s performance against Houston rocked the foundation of the fan base. Many expected Oklahoma to flat-out dominate the Cougars.

Instead, they found themselves sweating out a 16-12 win that needed a late safety and a big third down conversion to make it out of the 4th quarter with the win.

This week, the Sooners get the opportunity for course correction, but their most challenging opponent to date looms large as they get set to host a dark horse playoff candidate out of the AAC in the Tulane Green Wave.

Tulane has dominated the AAC over the last few years. Tulane had 23 wins over the last two seasons under Willie Fritz, who is now at Houston, which included back-to-back conference title game appearances.

This year’s team has a new coach and features some players that could cause trouble for the Sooners on Saturday.

Makhi Hughes, RB

Malik Hughes resides at the heart of the Tulane offensive plan. He’s not getting as much love as some other running backs but make no mistake, he’s a really good player.

Hughes made a name for himself last year as a workhorse running back, ranking ninth in the country with 1,378 yards and earning 20+ carries in eight of his 14 outings. Oklahoma would be wise to expect a full dose of Hughes come Saturday.

Mario Williams, WR

If the name looks familiar, it should be. That is indeed Mario Williams, a former Sooner who started his career in Norman before transferring to USC along with Caleb Williams when Lincoln Riley defected to Southern California. Williams may have finally found his groove as a collegiate wide receiver. He entered Oklahoma as a consensus four-star and showcased the ability to be a threat at times in his only season wearing the Crimson and Cream.

For Tulane, he’s already leading them in receiving yards through two games with 252. He’s clearly a favorite target of new Green Wave quarterback Darian Mensah. Expect Williams to be targeted early and often with the quick screen game and other quick hitters.

Patrick Jenkins, DT

Former TCU transfer Patrick Jenkins has found a home anchoring the middle of Jon Sumrall’s Green Wave defense. He is Tulane’s best defensive player and with the instability along OU’s offensive line, he could have a day disrupting an already inept Oklahoma run game. Jenkins is cerebral yet very powerful despite staying under 300 pounds.

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Last time Oklahoma faced Tulane, the Sooners barely escaped

The Oklahoma Sooners were nearly upset by the Tulane Green Wave in their 2021 matchup. Can they avoid a similar fate this week?

The Oklahoma Sooners are 2-0 to begin the 2024 season. Year 3 under head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] started off with a 51-3 win over the Temple Owls and a 16-12 win over the Houston Cougars.

OU plays its third straight home game to open up the year on Saturday when they host the Tulane Green Wave in Norman. It’s the third of four non-conference matchups for Oklahoma, with the finale coming in November.

After a mostly encouraging 48-point win on a Friday opener against Temple, the Sooners struggled mightily on offense, escaping with the four-point win over Houston on Saturday. Oklahoma had just one full offensive drive that was productive, and they relied heavily on their defense and special teams to get the job done.

Tulane presents a much tougher test after the Green Wave almost defeated Kansas State last week. But Sooner Nation will likely have another near-upset on their minds as well as they watch this game.

Oklahoma and Tulane have met twice in their history, and both games have been played in Norman. The first meeting came in 2017, when the Sooners won in decisive fashion, 56-14. Oklahoma was on its way to a third straight Big 12 title that year during their run of six in a row.

The Sooners also made the College Football Playoff for the second time in three years (and the first of three in a row in the midst of four out of five) that year. One of the best offenses in college football history overwhelmed a Green Wave team that went 5-7.

However, the most recent matchup between these two programs was almost a disaster for OU.

In 2021, the season opener was supposed to be played in New Orleans, but it was moved to Norman due to Hurricane Ida. In the first sign of trouble in [autotag]Lincoln Riley[/autotag]’s final season at OU, the highly-ranked Sooners couldn’t put the Green Wave away, barely hanging on for a 40-35 victory.

The game opened with a Spencer Rattler interception down the left sideline before the Sooners found their footing to jump out to a 37-14 halftime lead.

However, the Sooners took the foot off the gas in the second half and were outscored 21-3, as OU’s defense couldn’t contain Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt. After cutting the lead to five, the Green Wave recovered an onside kick with just over two minutes left, but Pratt’s run on 4th and 13 was stopped a yard short, and Oklahoma survived with the five-point win.

Fast forward to 2024, the Sooners don’t seem to have a defense that would surrender 35 points at home against Tulane. However, they certainly don’t resemble a team on offense that can put 40 points on the board, either.

A total of nine players from that 2021 team remain on the roster in 2024, and key leaders on this year’s team (especially on defense) certainly remember that afternoon three years ago and what Tulane is capable of as a program.

Even as Jon Sumrall takes over in New Orleans for the departed Willie Fritz (now the head coach at Houston), the Green Wave will be the best team the Sooners have faced so far this season.

Oklahoma has to get more production from their offense if they want to stay unbeaten heading into the final nine games of the regular season, eight of which will come against conference opponents.

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Where are the Oklahoma Sooners in the US LBM Coaches Poll after Week 2?

The Oklahoma Sooners survived their matchup with Houston, did it change where they stand in the US LBM Coaches Poll?

It wasn’t the performance anyone was expecting as the Oklahoma Sooners needed a safety in the final two minutes to seal a 16-12 win over the Houston Cougars. But they came away with the win to move to 2-0 on the season.

After their win, the Sooners remained steady in the US LBM Coaches Poll at No. 13 in the nation. Issues abound, but the Sooners have little time to address them as they get ready for the Tulane Green Wave on Saturday.

The Green Wave are coming off a near upset of the 15th-ranked Kansas State Wildcats. After receiving votes in the poll last week, Tulane fell out of the receiving votes after the loss.

There were no changes at the top of the poll. The top six stayed the same as it was a week ago. Georgia received 48 out of a possible 52 first-place votes, followed by Ohio State, Texas, Alabama and Ole Miss in the top five.

Texas is coming off an impressive 31-12 win over the Michigan Wolverines, which established it as a serious national title contender.

In addition to the Crimson Tide and Rebels, Missouri and Tennessee moved up in the polls to No. 7 and No. 9 in the nation, respectively, after their wins on Saturday. That makes four teams in the top nine that the Sooners are slated to play in 2024.

Just outside of the top 10, the Sooners are behind No. 11 USC and No. 12 Miami. Both teams have significant wins to start the season. The Trojans knocked off LSU in Week 1, and Miami beat Florida to open the year.

More important than their ranking, the Oklahoma Sooners have much to prove to themselves as they get ready for their final nonconference showdown before SEC play begins on Sept. 21.

Here’s a look at the full US LBM Coaches Poll.

Week 2 US LBM Coaches Poll

Ranking Team Record Points
1 Georgia Bulldogs 2-0 1,346 (50)
2 Ohio State Buckeyes 2-0 1,281 (3)
3 Texas Longhorns 2-0 1,259 (1)
4 Alabama Crimson Tide 2-0 1,157
5 Ole Miss Rebels 2-0 1,136
6 Oregon Ducks 2-0 987
7 Penn State Nittany Lions 2-0 956
8 Missouri Tigers 2-0 955
9 Tennessee Volunteers 2-0 930
10 Utah Utes 2-0 871
11 USC Trojans 2-0 803
12 Miami Hurricanes 2-0 798
13 Oklahoma Sooners 2-0 700
14 Oklahoma State Cowboys 2-0 588
15 Kansas State Wildcats 2-0 578
16 Michigan Wolverines 1-1 501
17 LSU Tigers 1-1 410
18 Arizona Wildcats 2-0 399
19 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 1-1 388
20 Clemson Tigers 1-1 326
21 Louisville Cardinals 2-0 288
22 Washington Huskies 2-0 176
23 Iowa State Cyclones 2-0 157
24 Nebraska Cornhuskers 2-0 91
25 Memphis Tigers 2-0 85

Schools Dropped Out

No. 20 Kansas; No. 21 Iowa; No. 23 North Carolina State

Others Receiving Votes:

Texas A&M 68; Boston College 36; Syracuse 33; Illinois 33; Northern Illinois 30; Wisconsin 28; South Carolina 25; UNLV 19; Boise State 18; Iowa 17; Kansas 10; North Carolina State 9; UCF 7; Texas State 7; TCU 6; North Carolina 5; California 5; Liberty 4; Pittsburgh 2; Michigan State 2; BYU 2; Tulane 1; James Madison 1; Indiana 1

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