Tulane Green Wave Have Powerful Chance To Reestablish Grit in Gasparilla Bowl

The Tulane Green Wave fell short in their toughness against the Army Black Knights and have a chance to rebuild the team's identity against the Florida Gators.

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The Tulane Green Wave resumed practice Wednesday in preparation for the Gasparilla Bowl against the Florida Gators, seeking a return to the tough, imposing nature that defined them prior to the last two losses.

The conference championship game loss to the Army Black Knights was a challenging rewatch of a performance that fell short of the Tulane football standard.

Army's dominance led to a lopsided contest. A series of unfortunate mistakes by the Green Wave largely decided the outcome. 

The conditions in West Point are unavoidable, yet college football does not allow for genuine acclimatization. Tulane, preparing for finals the next week, left for New York the morning prior.

After small delays piled up, the team plane landed later than anticipated with temperatures dropping alongside the sun.

They arrived late for the sole outdoor practice, which continued into the evening. That simply can't be considered sufficient exposure.

Teams, particularly following losses, will strongly deny the effects of extraneous factors. Plainly, the cold punched them in the face.

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As the American conference championship game progressed into the night, it became nearly impossible to provide sideline reports due to the lack of feeling or control over facial muscles. 

Some of the procedural penalties looked like potential spasms—at minimum, brain freeze that plagued the contest. Tulane did not have a turnover issue prior to this two-game stretch.

The ability to protect the football when they arguably didn't have full feelings in their extremities is not comparable to what happened against the Memphis Tigers.

Knowing they were up against the team leading the nation in time of possession, it was critical to score on the opening series. The Green Wave were driving until the false start. The following jet sweep play was sniffed out. Darian Mensah dropped the following snap. Mario Williams made his first of critical catches in the game on third down but was two yards short. 

Tulane clearly didn't anticipate a botched field goal attempt. The fourth down was one of the easiest to convert, so they may have regretted letting off the gas.

The defense provided Army 15 yards by penalty as they scored on their opening series. Momentum wasn't on Tulane's side, but the game had just started. A third down sack on Mensah led to a consecutive mishap on special teams with a missed kick. 

One explosive 72-yard run later, quarterback Bryson Daily marched his offense into the end zone. Tulane fumbled on the kick return. The defense made their first stop on fourth down. Three plays later, Mensah threw an interception, and the Black Knights put them in the same 21-0 hole they fell in against Oklahoma. 

Another crucial catch by Williams became a late touchdown that stopped the dam before halftime. 21-7 is a surmountable deficit if the psychology of a team is intact. 

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A few months ago, a discussion on social media centered around the phenomena of momentum and the falsity of it. Definitions and tangible measurables aside, the psychological effects of game flow are inarguable. 

We were taught in soccer that a 2-0 lead is worse than a single goal. It gives the winning team a false sense of security. That, and a significant number of goals are scored almost immediately after the previous one.

After over a decade in the sport, it's still unclear why that time was so vulnerable. However, the score quickly shifted from 2-0 to 2-2 on numerous occasions. We cannot dismiss momentum or the psychology of games as a general idea.

Between the mental strain of playing behind the entire time and the temperatures dropping noticeably in the fourth quarter, the fatigue showed in their urgency. Tulane's offense failed to convert on fourth down, wasting over six minutes while trailing by two scores.

It was one of only two occasions when they possessed the ball during the second half. By the time they got it back, there wasn't enough left.

Would they have been quicker with chances if they'd made both field goals rather than fighting back down 28-7? Had they scored first by going for it on fourth down in the opening series, would things look as dire? 

One could argue that the first quarter cost them the game. One could argue that Army was simply superior, and the outcome would remain the same regardless of whether it took place in New York or New Orleans.

The only ones capable of controlling their perception are those on the team with one game remaining in the season. 

The outside noise has been quelled. Tulane retained head coach Jon Sumrall and lost their starting quarterback. The team practiced Wednesday with all starters in play to face the Gators in their home state. 

This time, the Green Wave won't have any excuses involving temperatures. The rumors, and truths, have been dealt with.

Ty Thompson took first-team snaps at quarterback, backed up by freshman Kellen Tasby. Thompson declared his intent to enter the portal on Wednesday per Pete Thamel, but will make his first career start for Tulane.

Outside of the transfer portal departures, all hands appeared to be on deck. Frankly, the energy at practice was refreshingly vibrant.

Tulane is working to get their grit back. They don't need to prove a thing about their resilience as they persevere to face their SEC bowl opponent.