Tag: Tulane

Will ‘splash shields’ actually work for the 2020 college football season?

This season will be unlike any other before it, and splash shields could play a role in stopping the spread of coronavirus.

It’s already been a rough week for college football, with the Big Ten and the PAC-12 officially cancelling their 2020 season.

But conferences like the Big 12 and SEC have made clear they plan to continue pushing forward to put teams on the field this fall.

Of course, this season will be unlike any we’ve seen before in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, and “splash shields” are one thing that’s being tried to protect players from contracting the virus.

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They haven’t exactly been well-received, though, and Tulane head coach Willie Fritz recently said his Green Wave had done away with them for the meantime.

His players won’t be wearing them unless the American Athletic Conference forces them to.

“Our players felt like their heads were in an oven,” he said in a report from The Athletic’s Brody Miller.

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Just down the road, LSU football has also been experimenting with the shields, and the players have expressed a similar disdain for them.

Tigers offensive lineman Austin Deculus said it was like “breathing in a Ziploc bag” and linebacker Soni Fonua also expressed concern about breathing in the helmet.

Medical experts have said that wearing a mask can significantly cut down the spread of the coronavirus if everyone wears then for four-to-six weeks, and the concept with the full-face shields is similar.

The question is as to if players will actually be able to make it through a game wearing them this season, especially for teams in the South that deal with high temperatures well into the fall.

The reasoning and intention behind using the shields is solid, but may simply not be reasonable in the end.

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Chargers’ Roderic Teamer suspended four games of 2020 season

The former Tulane product will be sidelined for the first four games of the 2020 season.

Chargers safety Roderic Teamer has been suspended the first four games of the 2020 season without pay for a violation of the substance abuse policy, the league announced Monday.

Teamer joined Los Angeles in 2019 as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Tulane, finishing his first season with 40 tackles, an interception and a sack.

Filling in while Derwin James and Adrian Phillips were sidelined, Teamer appeared in seven games, making six starts, last season.

With Teamer slated to miss the first four games of the regular season, sixth-round pick Alohi Gilman will likely serve as the backup strong safety in the meantime.

5 things to know about new Bears WR Darnell Mooney

Darnell Mooney, one of the fastest WRs in the draft, gives the Bears a weapon who can take the top off of the defense.

One of the questions heading into the 2020 NFL Draft was when the Chicago Bears and general manager Ryan Pace would take advantage of one of the deepest receiver classes in recent memory and select someone who can fill a need in their offense.

Their answer came about halfway through the final day as they selected Tulane WR Darnell Mooney after trading their sixth-round picks with the Philadelphia Eagles to move up and grab him.

Mooney, one of the fastest wideouts in the draft, gives the Bears a weapon who can take the top off of the defense and will fill the void left by the release of Taylor Gabriel in February.

Here are a few things to know about the newest Bears burner:

1. Mooney ran a 4.38 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine

Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Mooney’s key attribute is of course his speed, and he shouldn’t disappoint when he steps foot on the field. The former Tulane standout ran an official 4.38 40-yard dash, tied for third among all wide receivers who participated, according to Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune.

While 40 times aren’t a huge factor in whether or not a player is successful in the NFL, his speed absolutely fills a need in head coach Matt Nagy’s offense.

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Twitter reacts to Bears’ selection of WR Darnell Mooney

Chicago found their speedster at the wide receiver position, making yet another trade to draft wide-out Darnell Mooney.

The Chicago Bears found their speedster at the wide receiver position, making yet another trade to draft wide-out Darnell Mooney.

General manager Ryan Pace traded up to select Mooney with the 173rd overall pick, trading a pair of sixth-round picks (196 and 200) and seventh-round pick (233) with the Philadelphia Eagles. The Bears also received the 227th overall selection in the deal as well.

Mooney brings an element that was missing from the Bears passing attack in 2019: Speed. The former Tulane standout led the team with 48 catches for 713 yards and five touchdowns last season. He also ran a 4.38 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine.

The trade caught Twitter by surprise, but fans and experts had plenty to say about the team’s latest selection.

How are you feeling about the team’s selection of Mooney?

2020 NFL Draft: Bears select WR Darnell Mooney with 173rd overall pick

The Bears traded up to land a speedy receiver in Tulane’s Darnell Mooney in the fifth round.

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace is no stranger to trading in the NFL Draft. After trading a 2021 fourth round pick to the Minnesota Vikings to draft pass rusher Trevis Gipson, Pace traded up to grab a speedy receiver for whichever quarterback lines up under center this season.

The Bears selected Tulane wide receiver Darnell Mooney with the 173rd overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. It was Chicago’s third fifth-round selection after starting the day with one fifth-rounder.

Chicago found their speedy receiver in Mooney, who ran a 4.38 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. He’s an explosive player that wracks up yards after the catch. Mooney combined for 96 catches, 1,706 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns with Tulane.

The Bears traded picks 19, 200 and 233 to the Philadelphia Eagles for picks 173 and 227. Chicago has two selections left in this draft in the seventh round with picks 226 and 227.

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Two former Alabama MBB players announce transfer destinations

Two former members of the Alabama Crimson Tide men’s basketball team, Jaylen Forbes and Raymond Hawkins, have announced where they will…

Two former members of the Alabama Crimson Tide men’s basketball team, Jaylen Forbes and Raymond Hawkins, have announced where they will be playing for the 2020 season.

Smith, a guard who just finished his freshman season, was a player Alabama fans were familiar with in his lone year with the program. He stood at 6 feet 4 inches tall. In his time with the Crimson Tide, Forbes averaged just over 10 minutes a game and a field goal percentage of 32%.

Forbes will be transferring to Tulane for his final year of eligibility.

Hawkins, a center who originally committed to the University of Buffalo, followed Nate Oats to Alabama and did not see much playing time, in his one season with the Crimson Tide, Hawkins played in six games.

The California native announced via Twitter that he will be transferring to Long Beach State.

These are the first two commits of Oats to leave Alabama during is time as head coach. However, he, nor the fans, seem to be worried as they look ahead to the top-20 recruiting class he has put together for the 2020 season.

Roll Tide Wire will keep you updated on all things Alabama basketball as the offseason continues!

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2020 American Athletic Conference College Basketball Tournament odds and betting futures

Analyzing the 2020 American Athletic Conference Tournament odds and futures, with sports betting picks, tips and best bets.

The 2020 American Athletic Conference (AAC) Tournament kicks off Thursday at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Tex. There are a few teams from the AAC which should be shoe-ins for an NCAA Tournament at-large bid, should they come up short for a championship bid. A few others are on the bubble, and need impressive showings, and help in other tourneys, to catch the eye of the selection committee. Below, we look at the futures odds to win the AAC tournament.

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Wednsday, March 11 at 11 a.m. ET.

2020 AAC odds: Houston Cougars (+200)

Regular-season record: (23-8, 13-5 AAC)

The Cougars will have a lot less pressure than some of the teams below them, as they’re a lock for a bid to the dance. They’re simply playing for seeding at this point and could use a couple of wins to bump them up. They could be on the 8-line right now, which would give them a coin-flip game in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Get some action on this event or others by placing a bet at BetMGM.

Houston scratched out a win and non-cover against a solid Memphis side over the weekend in the regular-season finale. The Cougars have the defense to make at least an Elite Eight run if they’re on top of their game. They ranked 12th in the nation in points allowed (62.1 points per game), and they ranked seventh in defensive field-goal percentage (38.3). While Houston isn’t the best scoring team, posting just 72.3 PPG on offense, checking in a middling 135th, it creates plenty of second chances, ranking second in the country in offensive rebounding.

The FAVORITE IS WORTH A BET AT +200, as the Cougars are the class of the AAC.

2020 AAC odds: Cincinnati Bearcats (+350)

Regular-season record: (20-10, 13-5 AAC)

The Bearcats stumbled down the stretch, going just 5-3 straight up and 1-7 against the spread across their final eight games. File that away if you bet their games individually going forward. As far as winning the AAC Tournament, the Bearcats are a talented team, especially defensively. While not as tenacious as Houston, Cincy did rank 31st in the country in defensive FG% (39.8). G Jarron Cumberland (15.5 points, 4.9 assists) is a talented scorer, and 7-foot-1 C Chris Vogt had 1.6 blocked shots per outing with F Tre Scott cleaning the glass to the tune of 10.5 rebounds per game with 1.5 steals per outing. CINCINNATI IS WORTH A SMALL-UNIT BET AT +350, but don’t get ridiculous.

2020 AAC odds: Wichita State Shockers (+400)

Regular-season record: (23-8, 11-7 AAC)

The Shockers certainly made plenty of waves, rising from mid-major power in the Missouri Valley Conference to an invitation to the AAC. After a brief adjustment period, the Shockers are doing what we’ve come to expect from them – win a lot of games. While they lost two road games to Cincinnati and Memphis down the stretch, a 22-point win in the final over a good Tulsa team snapped them back on track. WICHITA STATE IS A GOOD VALUE BET AT +400.

2020 AAC odds: Tulsa Golden Hurricane (+600)

Regular-season record: (21-10, 13-5 AAC)

The Golden Hurricane were humbled by 22 points at Wichita in the finale. Tulsa beat the teams they were supposed to beat, and were hammered by the good teams. A 33-point loss in Houston Feb. 19 was also alarming. They’ll be a good NIT team, and a loss Friday in their first game, potentially against Memphis, wouldn’t be surprising. AVOID.

2020 AAC odds: Memphis Tigers (+600)

Regular-season record: (21-10, 10-8 AAC)

The Tigers had a chance to get off the bubble with a win in Houston in the finale. While they covered, they faltered, and covers do not impress the committee. Memphis likely needs at least two wins, perhaps three, to feel comfortable on selection Saturday. If the Tigers still had James Weisman in the middle, their chances of winning here would be better. They’re a good defensive team, but offensively they’re rather bland. A SMALL-UNIT PLAY TO WIN THE AAC AT +600 is OK, as their defense is good enough, but they’re a better bet in individual games against the spread and on Under plays.

2020 AAC odds: UConn Huskies (+1500)

Regular-season record: (19-12, 10-8 AAC)

UConn is on the bubble, and likely needs at least a run to the final to have a chance at an NCAA bid. The Huskies are matched up with Tulane in the 5-12 matchup, a team they scraped by 80-76 in the regular-season finale. They won both meetings with Tulane, but went 0-2 ATS. The good news is UConn enters this tournament on a five-game winning streak. Still, the Huskies are a mediocre team, and their odds are rather inflated based upon that. Not a good value, so AVOID.

2020 AAC odds: SMU Mustangs (+2500)

Regular-season record: (19-11, 9-9 AAC)

The Mustangs looked like a certain NCAA team, but they ended the regular season on a 1-5 SU/ATS slide, including shocking road losses to Tulane, UCF and South Florida. There’s a reason UConn is a 19-win team and just +600, and SMU has a better record but are long shots. What have you done for me lately? AVOID.

2020 AAC odds: Temple Owls (+5000)

Regular-season record: (14-17, 6-12 AAC)

The Owls could spring a mild upset over a skidding SMU in the first round, but that’s as far as they go. They enter on their own five-game slide. It seems like regular-season wins over USC, Texas A&M and Wichita State were in another century. AVOID.

2020 AAC odds: UCF Knights (+5000)

Regular-season record: (16-14, 7-11 AAC)

The Knights won their final two regular-season games, and they won at Cincinnati Feb. 19. They split with first-round opponent South Florida, so they could win one game, but they’re not going far. AVOID.

2020 AAC odds: South Florida Bulls (+8000)

Regular-season record: (14-17, 7-11 AAC)

The Bulls won’t be on parade. They did top SMU in the regular-season finale and won in Memphis Feb. 8, but their opening game vs. UCF is a toss-up. If they win that one, they go no further. AVOID.

2020 AAC odds: East Carolina Pirates (+10000)

Regular-season record: (11-20, 5-13 AAC)

The Pirates lost their final three games of the regular season, and are the only 20-loss team in the AAC. They beat SMU Jan. 11 but also lost by 20 to the Mustangs. That’s a microcosm of their season, and how inconsistent, and awful, they can be. AVOID.

2020 AAC odds: Tulane Green Wave (+10000)

Regular-season record: (12-18, 4-14 AAC)

The Green Wave opened 7-1 SU/6-2 ATS, and looked like they were in line for a big season, including a win in Utah. They also beat Cincinnati and SMU at home, but this game isn’t in New Orleans, and they dropped five of their last six away from their home floor. The Green Wave will crash early in this tourney. AVOID.

Want some action on this tournament? Place a bet at BetMGM. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Texans had an informal meeting with Tulane DB Bopete Keyes

The Houston Texans have met informally with Tulane Green Wave defensive back Bopete Keyes at the NFL Scouting Combine.

The Houston Texans are in a predicament with their cornerback group. Starters Johnathan Joseph and Bradley Roby are currently without a contract and are set to hit free agency on March 18.

The Texans are looking to the 2020 NFL Draft for depth, and one of the defensive backs they met with informally was Tulane’s Bopete Keyes.

Informal meetings include the position coach, in this case, Texans secondary coach D’Anton Lynn. Teams are not limited to the number of informals they can hold with the 337 attendees. The only limitation is they can only have 45 formal interviews, and those meetings are limited to 18 minutes.

Keyes stands at 6-1, 200 pounds and would be more along the lines of Lonnie Johnson, who the Texans took in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

The senior from Laurel, Miss., says that he looks up to a former Texans safety both on and off the field in Tyrann Mathieu, who made All-Pro with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019 as part of their Super Bowl run.

If the Texans could get Keyes and he produces Mathieu-level production on his rookie contract, Houston would have made a nice transition from the Joseph era to a younger one.

LSU Tigers reportedly hire another former Saints assistant coach

LSU Tigers coach Ed Orgeron reportedly hired Carter Sheridan as an offensive analyst. Sheridan previously worked with the Saints and Tulane.

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It’s not often you see someone go from an assistant coaching job to an offensive coordinator gig in less than a year, but that’s what Joe Brady pulled off when he left the New Orleans Saints for a larger role with the LSU Tigers. His success brought LSU a National Championship Game victory, and earned him a spot on the rebuilding Carolina Panthers staff with first-year head coach Matt Rhule. So it makes sense that LSU coach Ed Orgeron would look for a similar spark from other ex-Saints coaches.

Per a report from Garland Gillen of FOX 8 New Orleans, former Saints assistant Carter Sheridan has joined Orgeron’s squad as an offensive analyst. However, Tigers fans shouldn’t expect the same impact Brady brought to their team. NCAA rules stipulate that analysts cannot directly coach players; their responsibilities are usually limited to film study and game planning, working alongside the coaching staff but not within it. So Sheridan’s influence will be felt behind the scenes rather than seen on the sidelines during LSU games.

But who is Sheridan? He previously assisted Saints wide receivers coach Curtis Johnson before leaving in 2015, following Johnson to Tulane and taking on the wide receivers coach job. But when Johnson’s tenure ended at Tulane a few years later, Sheridan returned to his alma mater, St. Augustine High School, and worked as an assistant coach until Orgeron called him up.

Time will tell how important this hire will be for LSU, but as we said, Sheridan’s direct influence may be hard to see. Still, it’s just another branch (however far-flung) growing out from the Sean Payton coaching tree. For now, the biggest concern for Saints fans is how significant Brady’s presence will be with the NFC South-rival Panthers.

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Armed Forces Bowl: Tulane player pulls off the most ridiculous flop

My man deserves some acting accolades after this one.

Flopping in sports is generally a bad thing. It’s dishonest. Even when it gives your team an edge in competition, it never really feels great to get away with one.

But every once in a while, there’s a flop that’s so brazen that you just have to respect it. The performance is just that good. That happened in Tulane’s game against Southern Miss on Saturday.

Southern Miss was charged with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after quarterback Tate Whatley had his pass intercepted by defensive back Larry Brooks.

There was a bit of a scuffle after the play and running back Trivenskey Mosley ended up with a penalty after he tapped a defensive back who then proceeded to drop into a trust fall with his Tulane brethren.

Give my man an Oscar — he deserves it after that acting job. It’s already in slow motion from the replay. All we have to do now is pull out the music from the Titanic and we’ve got ourselves a masterpiece. This is too good.

Flopping should never be condoned, but if you’re going to flop this is the way to do it. Just lean all the way in — literally.

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