Aug. 11, 2007

Link To NCAAFootball.com Article

NCAAFootball.com
With Assistance From The Associated Press

Any time a new coach has to find a new starting quarterback, the results can vary widely.

At Tulane, Bob Toledo will hedge against the unknowns by relying on the Green Wave's undisputed best and most experienced ball carrier.

Senior Matt Forté will be the key to Tulane's offense this season as Toledo shifts the emphasis from the quarterback to the tailback.

For more than 10 years, the Green Wave ran a prostyle offense built around passers Lester Ricard, J.P. Losman, Patrick Ramsey and Shaun King. But Toledo prefers a more balanced attack and Forte appears to be his best weapon, even though he's coming off major knee surgery.

"The quarterback is the guy who manages the game and keeps us out of bad plays ... and tries to keep us from getting beat as opposed to trying to win it for us," Toledo said. "But the tailback is the guy that we feature and he's going to get the football."

He's also going to find a fullback and tight end blocking for him far more regularly, a change from former coach Chris Scelfo, who usually employed wide receivers instead of those positions.

"It's a little more comfortable because you know you've got a guy there who can open some holes for you besides the offensive line," Forté said. "You can be a little more patient with your running."

Forté rushed for 859 yards and caught 40 passes for 360 yards before tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in the ninth game last season. He underwent surgery and was limited in spring practice, but said he was 100 percent for the start of fall practice.

This is Toledo's first fall as a head coach since 2002, when UCLA fired him, ending his third tenure as a head coach. He also led the programs at Cal Riverside and University of the Pacific.

He stayed out of football for three seasons before resurfacing as New Mexico's offensive coordinator. The Green Wave brought in Toledo, 61, to replace Scelfo, who was fired after Tulane finished 4-8 and 2-6 in Conference USA last season, bringing his eight-year record to 37-57.

"I'm anxious to see what's going to happen in this conference," Toledo said. "I don't really know the conference. Until you've gone through it for a year it's hard to really know."

Junior Scott Elliott is the most experienced quarterback and entered fall camp as the likely starter. He has played in 13 games with three starts, and most of that experience came two years ago as a true freshman.

Wide receiver is one of the deepest positions, led by sophomore Jeremy Williams, who had 40 catches for 484 yards and two scores.

The Green Wave returns three starters on the offensive line _ senior center Aryan Barto and juniors Michael Parenton (left guard) and Troy Kropog (left tackle).

Last season, Tulane was last in C-USA in scoring offense (18.7).

They did no better in scoring defense (33.3).

Eight lettermen return on the defensive line, including three seniors - end Antonio Harris and tackles Frank Morton and Avery Williams - who have a combined 71 starts.

Juniors Evan Lee (middle) and James Dillard (weakside) and sophomore Cody Sparks (strongside) were thrust into the lineup as linebackers last season when a series of injuries hit that area.

Junior David Skehan, a former walk-on who was third-team all-conference last season, and senior Joe Goosby will start at free and strong safety, respectively.

The cornerbacks - senior Carlis Jackson (left) and junior Josh Lumar - are both first-time starters.

Tulane also must find more consistency from place kicker Ross Thevenot after a shaky freshman season in which he made 9-of-15 field goal attempts and 23-of-28 point-after attempts.

Another area needing improvement is turnover margin. Tulane was among the worst teams in the country in that department last season at minus-11.

The Green Wave plays its first four games at home, but they won't be easy. Two are against Southeastern Conference teams (LSU and Mississippi State) and one is against defending C-USA champion Houston.