Guerry Smith's three thoughts on Tulane's suppression of UAB | Tulane

Here are the takeaways from Tulane's decimation of UAB on Saturday:

WHAT WE LEARNED

Tulane is a giant of the American Athletic Conference. Yes, UAB went into turmoil and backup quarterback Jalen Kitna played for proven talent Jacob Zeno. But dominant teams do exactly what the Green Wave did: they dismantle a demoralized opponent. Since losing to UCF in 2022, the Wave is 13-1 in the league and has outscored its first two opponents 116-36 under new coach Jon Sumrall. Playmakers exist at all levels – quarterback, running back, wideout, defensive line, linebacker, secondary and special teams. The talent is also great. This will travel.

TRENDING NOW

Cruise control. Tulane enters the opener with high confidence and will have time to rest for its planned run to a third straight AAC championship game. The Wave will be heavily favored over the next four games, with only a trip to pass-happy North Texas on October 19th a concern before a huge game against undefeated Navy on November 16th. With the league bloated at 14 teams, it will be difficult for the loser of this game to reach the championship game. Also check out the Undefeated Army cake plan.

FINAL THOUGHTS

UAB got what it deserved when it hired Super Bowl winner Trent Dilfer, whose only winning record came in high school. He's a smart guy who has won two state championships, but experience counts. Notre Dame learned that lesson during its embarrassing five years under Gerry Faust in the 1980s, and Faust had far more credibility than Dilfer. Celebrity recruiting almost never works, no matter how well-intentioned it is. They saw on Saturday the difference between a coach (Sumrall) who earned his chance and one (Dilfer) who was given it.