Green Wave Football Report Card at the Close to Mid Season Mark
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We've made it past the midway point of the year for the 2025 football season. Tulane is 6-1 on the year, 3-0 in American Conference play and aiming for another visit to the league championship game in December. It's time to give out the mid-term grades for the Tulane squad.
Offense
Offensive Line: B
A solid start to the year despite injuries holds high hopes for this squad. A less-than-100-yards rushing effort against East Carolina brings the grade down a bit, then back up a bit after a solid showing in the ground game against Army. Pass protection is stellar, giving up only six sacks. Though showing improvement in penalties against Army, this group must continue to minimize those mistakes.
Running Backs: B+
A great start by Tulane running backs, followed by a lull, then a solid game against Army. However, what stands out about this group is their ability to block. They pick up blitzes well (helping that only six sacks category) and aren't afraid to block for their teammates. Before the Army game, this grade would have been lower.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: A-
This very talented group of young men had a slow start. Much of that should be attributed to a new quarterback and getting in sync. They're in sync now, especially when the two-minute drill is in effect. How good are they? The star of fall camp, Tre Shackelford, didn't catch a pass until game 6. Then, he caught four. This is a fun group to watch, and they can only get better.
Quarterback: A+
This grade belongs to Jake Retzlaff AND Brendan Sullivan. You all know the story of Retzlaff coming in only 38-days before the season started and what he had to do class-wise to even be able to transfer to Tulane. He is making all the right decisions at the right time. His coaches put him in position to succeed, and he just does. The offense feeds off his enthusiasm and pace. It says a lot for Retzlaff, his coaches, and his receivers that he didn't throw his first interception until the seventh game of the season. Do not leave Brendan Sullivan out of this equation. He transferred to Tulane fully hoping to be the starting quarterback, and he was. Until he was injured before the season even began. Sullivan took his injury demotion in stride and continues to work with his fellow signal caller during games. Tulane coaches relish the idea of having two quarterbacks of this caliber in the same room.
Defense
Front Seven: B+
This is more of a gritty score than anything else. When this group lost linebackers Dickson Agu AND Sam Howard, to injury, they didn't blink an eye. The "next man up" motto consumed them, as Agu and Howard urged them on from the sidelines. They don't arm tackle, they hit hard, and they've piled up fifteen sacks for almost 100-yards in losses. There is no telling how good this group could be if those two can return.
Defensive Backs: B-
A tough game against a physically talented receiver group at Ole Miss should not be the bell cow for this group. However, some slip ups against Army did drop this grade. The young men learned a lot from that Ole Miss loss, as has been documented in stories we've done here, but giving up the big play is something that has happened a little too often.
Special Teams: A+
If a grade higher than A+ could be given, that is what this entire group deserves. The punt return offense could use some more yardage, but from top to bottom, this may be the best kicking game we've ever seen play ball at Tulane. In fact, we would say this is the best kicking game in the country.
Doug has covered a gamut of sporting events in his fifty-plus years in the field. He started doing sideline reporting for Louisiana Tech football games for the student radio station. Doug was Sports Director for KNOE-AM/FM in Monroe in the mid-80s, winning numerous awards from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association for Best Sportscast and Best Play-by-Play. High school play-by-play for teams in Monroe, Natchitoches, New Orleans, and Thibodaux, LA dot his resume. He did college play-by-play for Northwestern State University in Natchitoches for nine years. Then, moving to the Crescent City, Doug did television PBP of Tulane games and even filled in for legendary Tulane broadcaster, Ken Berthelot in the only game Kenny ever missed while doing the Green Wave games. His father was an alumnus of Tulane in the 1940s, so Doug has attended Tulane football games in old Tulane Stadium, the Superdome, and Yulman. He was one of the 86,000 plus on December 1, 1973, sitting in the North End Zone to seeTulane shutout the LSU Tigers, 14-0. He was there when the Posse ruled Fogelman and in Turchin when the Wave made it to the World Series. He currently is the public address voice of the Tulane baseball team.