Tulane kicks off 2017 football season Saturday night against Grambling State

NEW ORLEANS – Tulane football opens the 2017 season in the friendly confines of Yulman Stadium against in-state foe Grambling State on Saturday, Sept. 2. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. CT on ESPN3 and WatchESPN.

THE GAME
•   Tulane (0-0, 0-0 American Athletic Conference | West) opens the 2017 campaign against a first-time opponent in Grambling State (0-0, 0-0 Southwest Athletic Conference | West).

TICKETS
•   Tickets are available, and can be purchased online at TulaneTix.com, by calling 504-861-WAVE (9283), or in person at the Tulane Athletics Ticket Office, located in the James W. Wilson Jr. Center on Ben Weiner Drive.

ABOUT TULANE
•   Tulane is vying for a win in its season opener for the first time since a 34-7 victory over Jackson State in the 2013 season opener.
•   A win over Grambling State would give Tulane wins in home openers in back-to-back seasons for the first time since defeating Southeastern Louisiana in the home openers to start the 2010 and 2011 seasons.
•   The Green posted 30 or more points in five games last season, four of which were in wins. The one loss was a 35-31 defeat vs. SMU.
•   The Green Wave enter this season having rushed for a 100 or more yards in 15 straight games, dating back to the final three games of the 2015 season.
•   Second-year head coach Willie Fritz enters the season just three wins away from reaching 200 for his coaching career. Of his 197 wins, 61 have come on the NCAA Division I level (Football Bowl Subdivision and Football Championship Subdivision).

GREEN OUT YULMAN
•   The season opener is a GREEN OUT; fans are encouraged to wear green to the game.

RED CROSS DONATIONS
•   To support the American Red Cross rescue, recovery and rebuilding efforts in Houston and southeast Texas, Tulane Athletics will provide donation and volunteer information at home events throughout the fall, beginning with Saturday’s season opener vs. Grambling State.

SERIES & NOTES=-/

•   Tulane and Grambling State are meeting for the first time on the gridiron.
•   Tulane owns a 4-0 record against teams that are current members of the Southwest Athletic Conference (1-0 vs. Jackson State and 3-0 vs. Southern)

ABOUT THE TIGERS
•   Grambling State comes into the game coming off an 11-1 season in which the Tigers won the Southwest Athletic Conference title and the Historically Black
Colleges and Universities national championship with a thrilling win in the Celebration Bowl.
•   Grambling State won 11 straight games to close the 2016 season.
•   The Tigers have 14 HBCU national championships and a conference-best 23 SWAC titles to their credit.
•   Voted the preseason pick as SWAC Offensive Player of the Year, quarterback Devante Kincade returns under center after completing 63 percent of his passes
and throwing for 3,022 yards with 31 touchdowns against just four interceptions in 2016.

A FAMILY AFFAIR
•   Tulane running backs coach Jamal Fobbs’ brother, Broderick Fobbs, is the head coach at Grambling State. The connection runs deep as their father, Lee Fobbs, serves as running backs coach at Grambling. Lee has five decades of coaching experience, including serving as wide receivers coach at Tulane from 1991-93, and has been an assistant coach at Alabama, Baylor, Minnesota, Texas A&M, Southern Miss, Kansas and Louisiana-Monroe in addition to having served as head coach at North Carolina A&T. The Fobbs brothers’ mom, Sheila, works as the career services director at Grambling.

GIVING BACK

Tulane Football to Display Support of Hurricane Relief Efforts Saturday

In a display of support for the millions of residents affected by Hurricane Harvey in Texas and the southwest Louisiana coastal region this past week, Tulane Athletics announced on Friday the Green Wave football team will make two additions to their team entrance.

As Tulane takes the field Saturday night, it will be led by flags representing the states of Texas and Louisiana, along with the No. 18 flag that traditionally leads the team onto the field. The Texas state flag will be carried by sophomore quarterback Johnathan Brantley, a Houston native, while the Louisiana flag will be carried by senior defensive lineman Sean Wilson, a native of Port Sulphur, La. Senior cornerback Parry Nickerson will carry the No. 18 flag, representing the jersey number of Devon Walker, a former Tulane football player who was injured and paralyzed during a 2012 game.

In addition, Tulane Athletics encourages fans to join the Green Wave and American Athletic Conference in supporting disaster relief efforts. Fans can give to the American Red Cross by texting HARVEY to 90999 to make a $10 donation, or donate online at https://www.crowdrise.com/o/en/team/hurricane-harvey.