Tulane Green Wave Coach Instills Mental Challenge of Unique Navy Offense

The Tulane Green Wave face one of their biggest defensive tests with the creative stressors of the Navy Midshipmen Offense, requiring all three levels in sync.

Credit: Parker Waters - Tulane Athletics

The Tulane Green Wave defense has played complete games on all three levels, and that cohesion will be crucial against the Navy Midshipmen offense. 

Though even the most unpredictable teams exhibit certain tendencies, Navy aims to stress situational awareness to the point of wearing down teams via mental strain. 

In order to defend an option team capable of stretching the field and hitting explosive passes, Tulane safeties coach Rob Greene has focused on striking a balance between awareness and aggressiveness in his unit.

"Do your job with your eyes and communication, and make them make plays," Greene described their approach. "Don't give them layups; make them hit contested threes. That's the mindset playing against them in my mind."

Importantly—and likely without realizing it—the Green Wave defense employed the winning strategy against the Midshipmen in their win over the Temple Owls. Twenty-two defenders accounted for 35 tackles and must move again as a cohesive unit.

"The stress they put on you creates fewer overlapping players," Greene explained. "Guys don't get to be as free on plays. Everyone has a job that they have to do, and their key may be taking them to a job that's away from where the play's going. You lose some vision that you would normally have."

The importance of the game increases when a conference championship berth is at stake. There's a psychological impact to consider, and it shouldn't be exacerbated by deviating from their defensive strategy.

Greene and players, such as quarterback Darian Mensah, have acknowledged the additional film preparation the team implemented this week, but they are not attempting to reinvent the wheel.

The emphasis is on communication and guys understanding where they need to line up, how to handle unique shifts and motions that sometimes involve four players at once, and where their eyes need to be. The defensive coaching staff frequently repeated the phrase "eyes, eyes, eyes" in staccato throughout practice this week.

 The scouting term 'play speed' addresses the skill of combining athletic ability with mental processing. That's crucial for the Green Wave defense this week. Through diligent film study, the players can gain confidence in knowing where they need to look and trusting their instincts to cut loose. 

"They need to have great situational awareness. There are times they're going to need to be aggressive," Greene said of the defensive mindset. "There are times when they're going to need to drive up and tackle. It's all about understanding what that situation is, when to do it, and when you need to make the play. That's the same mindset for every game. Third down is different from first down. If you play every down like it's 1st and 10, it will always be 1st and 10."

The right scout team quarterback can often serve as a hidden asset. Freshman Dagan Bruno operated a similar option version while at John Curtis High School in New Orleans and impressively slotted in as a simulated Blake Horvath—including wearing his No. 11 jersey. 

That small detail could make the difference in a matchup with such well-operating teams in all phases. 

"It's awesome that he has experience operating it," Greene said of Bruno. "There are a couple new things we need to do that he's not used to, but a lot of it he is, which allows him to focus on those nuances. Those details are big. You've seen how we put the scout quarterback in their jersey number, but it has added significance this week taking him out of a red jersey. He's done a phenomenal job. He'll be an unsung hero for us." 

Tulane has approached this game with the mindset of a championship matchup. However, it's clear that the coaches and players have developed mutual trust and confidence, and see the path for themselves against the Navy Midshipmen.