The Green Wave was crippled with injuries throughout last season.
The Tulane football team was down to 53 players when it visited Tulsa last November.
"We were allowed to bring 70 on the road trip and we brought 53," head coach Bob Toledo said.
When the Green Wave ran onto the Chapman Stadium turf for pre-game drills, University of Tulsa head coach Todd Graham was mystified.
"Todd and I are pretty good friends, and he said, 'Coach, where's the rest of your guys?' And I said, 'This is it. We don't have any more.' We were so beat up at the time," Toledo said.
The Green Wave lost 17 men to season-ending injuries, including tailback Andr? Anderson, who led Conference USA in rushing before going down in the seventh game.
After a 2-2 start, Tulane lost its final eight games while allowing over 40 points per game. Injuries forced the Green Wave to use many young players, including 12 true freshmen.
"It was very difficult. We were a shell of a team," Toledo said.
Anderson is healthy again, and the Green Wave has renewed optimism as it prepares to host the Golden Hurricane in Friday's 2009 season opener at the Louisiana Superdome.
Redshirt sophomore Joe Kemp is ready to make his first start at quarterback, and Toledo says the Green Wave should be sounder on defense under new coordinator Steve Stanard.
"(Stanard's) had a calming effect. He's done a good job everywhere he's been. I think he'll give us an opportunity to be more competitive on that side of the ball," Toledo said.
Stanard has
18 years of defensive coaching experience. In his five years as Colorado State's defensive coordinator (2003-07), the Rams twice led the Mountain West Conference in pass defense and ranked in the league's top half four times.
Toledo said the Green Wave often seemed confused last year under former coordinator O'Neill Gilbert.
"It seemed like we were changing defenses every week," he said.
Stanard spent spring drills simplifying the scheme and re-teaching his defenders how to line up.
Despite the confusion, Tulane's defense had it moments last year. The Green Wave nearly upset Alabama in Tuscaloosa by holding the Crimson Tide to 172 yards and one offensive score in a 20-6 Alabama win.
Said Graham: "We keep pulling out the film of the Alabama-Tulane game from last year and showing our guys how hard they're going to play and how well they're coached."
Tulsa is 2-0 against coach Toledo, winning the last two years by a combined margin of 105-32. But the Green Wave didn't have Anderson in Tulsa last year. The junior running back totaled 864 yards in a little over six full games.
The Tulane football team was down to 53 players when it visited Tulsa last November.
"We were allowed to bring 70 on the road trip and we brought 53," head coach Bob Toledo said.
When the Green Wave ran onto the Chapman Stadium turf for pre-game drills, University of Tulsa head coach Todd Graham was mystified.
"Todd and I are pretty good friends, and he said, 'Coach, where's the rest of your guys?' And I said, 'This is it. We don't have any more.' We were so beat up at the time," Toledo said.
The Green Wave lost 17 men to season-ending injuries, including tailback Andr? Anderson, who led Conference USA in rushing before going down in the seventh game.
After a 2-2 start, Tulane lost its final eight games while allowing over 40 points per game. Injuries forced the Green Wave to use many young players, including 12 true freshmen.
"It was very difficult. We were a shell of a team," Toledo said.
Anderson is healthy again, and the Green Wave has renewed optimism as it prepares to host the Golden Hurricane in Friday's 2009 season opener at the Louisiana Superdome.
Redshirt sophomore Joe Kemp is ready to make his first start at quarterback, and Toledo says the Green Wave should be sounder on defense under new coordinator Steve Stanard.
"(Stanard's) had a calming effect. He's done a good job everywhere he's been. I think he'll give us an opportunity to be more competitive on that side of the ball," Toledo said.
Stanard has
18 years of defensive coaching experience. In his five years as Colorado State's defensive coordinator (2003-07), the Rams twice led the Mountain West Conference in pass defense and ranked in the league's top half four times.
Toledo said the Green Wave often seemed confused last year under former coordinator O'Neill Gilbert.
"It seemed like we were changing defenses every week," he said.
Stanard spent spring drills simplifying the scheme and re-teaching his defenders how to line up.
Despite the confusion, Tulane's defense had it moments last year. The Green Wave nearly upset Alabama in Tuscaloosa by holding the Crimson Tide to 172 yards and one offensive score in a 20-6 Alabama win.
Said Graham: "We keep pulling out the film of the Alabama-Tulane game from last year and showing our guys how hard they're going to play and how well they're coached."
Tulsa is 2-0 against coach Toledo, winning the last two years by a combined margin of 105-32. But the Green Wave didn't have Anderson in Tulsa last year. The junior running back totaled 864 yards in a little over six full games.
