PFF Grades Improve, Stagnate for Tulane vs. Kansas State
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Against a tougher team, a mostly better outing, especially on defense for the Tulane football team according to PFF, even though it ended up a 31-20 defeat versus Kansas State.
Using Pro Football Focus (PFF) as one source of data, we are able to compare the Tulane football team's progress. PFF has analysts watch and chart every player on every single snap of every game, giving them a grade from 0 to 100 based on how well they execute their assignment. Here is how PFF breaks down their scale:
- 90+: Elite
- 80–89: Good
- 70–79: Above average
- 60–69: Average
- 50–59: Below average / bad
- 40–49: Poor
- 39 or lower: Very poor / terrible
Though we are more specific when we cover professional teams, we do not refer to individual players for Tulane. We believe an 18 or 19-year old shouldn't be put on the spot in this way.
Wave Offense Slips vs K-State
The Tulane offense showed a drop in its PFF grades for the most part against Kansas State. The overall grade for the O was set at 65.4 after Week 3's game, a collective drop of 12-points from the South Alabama game a week ago. Though you'd immediately think this was not good, PFF does not factor in the quality of an opponent, only the results of a team against them.
The Green Wave offense hit a 73.4 vs K-State. The lowest grade given was for run blocking, which dropped 11-points from the USA contest to a 55.6 against the Wildcats. The running game itself has improved week-by-week, according to PFF, which gave Tulane a 72.3 against Kansas State. Tulane has improved in the PFF grades in the run game every week, going from a 63 against Duke, to a 68.8 versus South Alabama to that 72.3.
Tulane D Moving Up on the Grading
The Tulane defense continues to show improvement in every area but one. The overall defensive grade against Kansas State hit 78.2, the highest so far this year. As a reminder, the D was a low 56.8 against Duke, improved to a 66.2 vs. USA and improved five more points to this past week's game. The tackling, which PFF, the coaches, and On SI Tulane complained about after Week 1, jumped from an abysmal 28.8 to begin the year in Durham to an impressive 79.2 against the best team the Wave has faced this year. The lowest number for the D is pass rushing, which has dropped each week. Starting at a 64.3 grade in week one, the pass rush grade dropped to a 58.5 against South Alabama, and to a 56.2 versus K-State.
Special Teams Looking for Consistency
Despite breaking a Tulane record for the longest field goal, the Tulane special teams are a little bit of a roller coaster. In week one, the group scored 56.7, then, vs. Duke, their season high of 66, but last week, a drop off to 60.8
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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.