NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Tulane polished off Alcorn State 52-0 Saturday night at Yulman Stadium. It was a chance for head coach Willie Fritz to empty the bench.
“We played 103 guys,” he said. That might be a record.”
While Tulane was winning big, Kansas State smashed Missouri 40-12. TCU transfer Patrick Jenkins knows what his teammates are up against.
“I played ’em twice in the past,” said the defensive lineman. “Lost to them both times. I have a chip on my shoulder.”
Tulane limited running back Tyjae Spears to five carries, so he will be well rested to play against the physical Wildcats front.
When he was at Ponchatoula, Spears had to choose between two schools, Tulane and Kansas State. That’s when Fritz decided to tell the family about some geography
“I always show the parents around this area how much it costs to go up there each weekend,” shared Coach Fritz. “The only trip they can pay for is the visit. You have to take your car someplace, pay for parking, fly, rent a car, and drive somewhere for a couple of nights in a hotel. do all of that on the way back.
“Sometimes people don’t take that into consideration till they do it for a year.”
Tulane won the battle for one of the best running backs in the state.
Quarterback Michael Pratt said it will take a stellar effort from everyone to win Saturday.
“It is going to be loud with lot of fans there, something we haven’t experienced since last year,” said Pratt. “Leadership has to come in. Everybody’s gotta step up, at my position, not just me, but all the quarterbacks.”
Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. in Manhattan, Kansas.