Greeting from New Orleans

It’s overcast and rainy here in New Orleans. The team arrived here this afternoon, staying at a Marriott Hotel in Metairie, and is now attending the fireside at the JW Marriott on Canal Street in New Orleans. The hotel in Metairie is located along Lake Pontchartrain, which was founded by the French in the 18th-century. During Hurricane Katrina in 2005, this area was under water.

With an afternoon kickoff on Saturday, this will be a quick trip to the Bayou State for the Cougars. It’s a business trip — with their sights set on a win.

Here’s what quarterback Max Hall had to say earlier this week about the approach in preparing for Tulane.

“We’re going to prepare and get ready for these guys just like we did Oklahoma,” he said. “We’re taking one practice, one game at a time. I think they play good defense and I don’t think they do too much in their coverages. But they will mix it up on you. They have good athletes and they have guys who can fly around. I don’t think they’re better than the defense we just played, but they’re definitely athletic and can move around and make plays. We’ve still got to play sound football and execute. Coach (Robert) Anae is really pressing on us to have better ball security and not turn the ball over.”