TheWaveReport.com - Column: What's behind the lopsided losses?

October 30, 2009

Scott Kushner
TheWaveReport.com Senior Editor

Look past the scoreboard.

That's the message Bob Toledo is sending to fans who can't see progress in Tulane's football program.

Because seven weeks into the season, there's none to be found in the only indisputable stat - points.

I've repeated the numbers often in this space and they're not getting any better. Against FBS schools (games not including a 42-32 victory over McNeese State), the totalboard reads: Tulane 65, Opponents 225.

For those who don't have time to do division (we know you're at work), that's an average of 37.5 to 10.8 - a nearly 27 point margin of defeat for the Green Wave against teams who play under the same set of rules. (That's it for numbers and parentheses, I promise)

During last season's swoon down the stretch, Tulane was outscored in similar fashion. Toledo later referred to that dwindling unit as a "shell of a team" with its 17 season-ending injuries and splintered locker-room factions.

It's easy to sympathize with those screaming out for better results. Nobody feels their anger more than Tulane's own coaching staff which may need collective jaw surgery following the season, after watching in amazement as critical mistakes push competitive games into laughers on a weekly basis.

And that's the difference.

Last year, Tulane knew why it wasn't performing. The negatives were obvious, tangible yet inescapable.

Right now, it's a morass of confusion.

"It's not even close to what it was last year," Toledo said. "And again, it might look the same, but it's not close. Our team is much closer together. They have said that to me publicly, they have said that to me in meetings."

So let's dissect where things have gone wrong to discover the origin behind a string of lopsided losses.

Is it talent level? Hard to believe Tulane isn't within three scores of their Conference USA foes on ability alone. While it may be overmatched at times, the overwhelming defeats are about more than speed, size and strength.

A loss is sometimes acceptable based purely on talent. A blowout is occasionally understandable. But five times? That's baffling.

Is it scheme? On occasion, play-calling has ranged from head-scratching to stomach-churning to vomit-inducing for Wave fans.

But running the ball from inside the 1-yard line shouldn't be sports talk fodder. It should be points. Blocked kicks aren't a matter of telling which guy where to block, it's a matter of hitting someone.

Blame trick plays if you wish, but costly fumbles, dropped balls and missed assignments aren't about what's lined up on the Xs and Os.

Is it effort? Not according to Toledo, who staunchly defended his players heart and desire during his Tuesday press conference.

"They haven't given up," Toledo said. "They haven't quit. And they played hard. We're playing hard until the end. Maybe we're pressing too much. We want to win so bad that maybe the kids are trying so hard."

That seems unlikely.

We also know it's not the quarterback. Or the defensive coordinator. Or the fans.

So what is it?

It's execution. It's swagger. It's pride.

Don't confuse those with effort. This team hasn't given up.

But the costly errors - week in and week out - have crippled Tulane. Once crippled, it's not long before a collapse.

Toledo often speaks about "learning to win", but for now, Tulane needs learn how to fight. When things go wrong, there's a faction of players who are so used to losing, when a game seems out of reach the fire gets extinguished.

So rather than punching back, the Wave make more errors. Then everything implodes and scoreboard explodes.

This team isn't much better than 2-5 against the schedule its played. But not being competitive is getting under everyone's skin.

Saturday night at Tiger Stadium, the Wave will probably find itself in a familiar scenario. Tulane will likely be down, in the second half, against a more talented team.

If this group can retain its execution, swagger and pride by avoiding mistakes and staying within themselves, this season can pivot from lost to found on the strength of a competitive contest.

Because sometimes, it really is just about the scoreboard.

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