One of the sweetest sounds a football fan can hear, especially this time of year, is the crack of helmets hitting, the grunts of men as they collide, and the whistle of a referee out there on a field.
Now, of course it’s only a collegiate spring game they’re hearing; a game that on its face means nothing. However, to the trained eye, a game such Tulane’s spring scrimmage on Saturday, is a perfect reminder of how important a spring game can really be.
Even though the quarterbacks couldn’t be touched and only 70 plays from scrimmage were ran, it would be a mistake to assume that coach Willie Fritz and his team didn’t get anything from the contest. Based on their performances Saturday, coaches and engaged fans alike caught a glimpse of what is to come for Tulane football later this fall.
Fritz’s defense highlighted the day, recording nine sacks on the afternoon along with an interception. Defensive tackle Robert Kennedy racked up eight tackles on his own; a standout performance for the redshirt sophomore. Although it was only spring play and these are young athletes, Fritz and Green Wave fans should be at least a little optimistic of the potential their guys displayed last weekend.
Running back play was solid too, as junior Dontrell Hilliard made his mark despite carrying the ball only three times. He rushed for 48 yards and recorded the game’s longest play with a 40-yard run. Sherman Badie recorded a touchdown while redshirt senior Josh Rounds piled up 44 yards of his own. This was respectable day for the running game which the Wave will rely on heavily later this year.
The passing game saw another redshirt senior, quarterback Devin Powell, go 5-of-7 for 59 yards. The receivers did their part as well with sophomore Chaz Augustini recording the game’s first touchdown. Senior Larry Dace III led the receiving corps with 30 yards.
None of these numbers are too staggering, however, when compared to any regular game they never will be. Fritz wanted to see his guys in their element, but nothing more. This was no hard-hitting, mud-slinging throwdown, but more so a glorified practice and a useful one at that.
If these medial stats are any sort of indication of what is to come, then Fritz and Tulane fans need not fret too much. When referring to Saturday’s scrimmage, Fritz said, “I saw some good things and now we can evaluate and see what we did well and see what we did poorly and create a pecking order as far as a depth chart is concerned.”
That’s exactly what a spring game is for. For fans yearning to see the ESPN Top Ten-esk plays, fall is the time for that. In Tulane this weekend, the spring game’s job was completed and now the Green Wave brain trust has something to go off of. Everyone will just have to wait and see how it pans out from here.
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