Alex Wacha Redux

Last week, Alex Wacha was named to Phil Steele’s interim 1st-team all C-USA at strong safety.

This caught me a little flat-footed. Frankly, as a huge Shakiel Smith fan, I wasn’t even sure Wacha was the best safety on the team- let alone the best safety in C-USA. Not that Wacha was "bad", but I am always a little suspect of what passes for DB play around here. I always thought Wacha could run a little bit. In fact, I always think of him more as a corner. I am almost positive he was Tulane’s top depth and nickel corner at one point. That was sort of the extent of my scouting report. So I went out of my way to watch him this past week at UTEP.

I came away pretty impressed- Wacha is a pretty good tackler. He gets to and around the ball a lot, good pursuer, good angles, got some rabbit. He looks real experienced- both of Tulane’s safeties are high football IQ guys. So I was not surprised to see that he and Smith were second and third in tackles (50 and 48 respectively) on the football team.

A lot of people fuss when presented with good tackle totals from the safeties. You can look “smart” pointing out that so many stops are happening in the second and third defensive level. I’m not one of those people. Good safety play in C-USA is about tackling.

So much of the League’s offensive philosophy is getting the ball out past the first level. The spread is predicated on de-emphasizing line play, shifting emphasis to the perimeter and defensive secondary versus off-tackle and gap rushing plays. C-USA isn’t about whipping the seven guys in the box; it is about getting match-ups on the edges and seams.

Faced with the C-USA quarterback who can successfully throw the ball 65% of the time to said seams and edges, over the heads of the DL, there are plays that need making in the secondary. All game long safeties are challenged by backs, tight ends and z-receivers catching short routes and turning up-field. Somebody has got to track those guys down. 25 short completions means a fifteen tackles that need making by safeties- tackles that cannot be missed.

Wacha and Smith did that Saturday. The raw season numbers, 100 tackles, suggest these guys are getting the perimeter attackers down. Safety might be the best position grouping on the team.

Wonking With Phil Steele

Phil Steele has his mid-season all C-USA team out. Tulane has a decent smattering of representatives: SEVEN- one more than Rice. Marshall had five, UAB four, and Memphis three. SMU had the most- thirteen.

1st team:

DT Justin Adams: no doubt the interior DL has been vastly improved early in the season. Pre-Army, Tulane was quite good against the run at times.

LB Trent Mackey: Team MVP so far.

S Alex Wacha: This surprises me. But the safety play has been strong in spots- up the middle defense has been okay for Tulane. Wacha hasn't struck me as great this year. But DB is always a weak position in C-USA- and he did have a huge interception versus Rutgers. And I don't have an obvious replacement.

2nd team:

TE Cody Sparks: Again, weak position in C-USA. Had to pick someone I guess, and the veteran gets in. I think he's been disappointing this year. He is not a great blocker and the raw numbers just aren't there.

3rd team:

WR Casey Robottom: Three wide outs make each level- and he is arguably top ten. Maybe. Veteran status helps here too.

C Andrew Nierman: Competent lineman in a League that really struggles to find interior o-lineman.

OT Pete Hendrickson: Again, a journeyman performer you can trust in a League that struggles to generate "big" players.