Video: For Tulane, a different kind of halftime adjustment is coming

NEW ORLEANS – You hear all the time about coaches making halftime adjustments.

But when your team has been outscored 49-17 in the second half of the last two games, Tulane coach Willie Fritz is going to make adjustments to his halftime beginning with the No. 21 Green Wave’s Saturday visit to East Carolina.

“We’re looking at doing some things differently,” Fritz said Tuesday. “More of a real warm-up, like you do before the game.

“I’m going to have the coaches involved instead of just the strength staff, maybe running a few plays like we do before the game. We do a nice job starting the game.”

Against North Texas two Saturdays ago, Tulane jumped to a 21-0 halftime lead before North Texas rallied with four second-half touchdowns to eventually tie the game. It took a Michael Pratt 19-yard touchdown run with 2:34 remaining for the Green Wave to escape with a 35-28 victory.

Last Saturday at Rice, the Wave led 27-7 at the break, but the Owls got within striking distance with touchdowns on the first two possessions of the second half. It took a time-consuming final drive led by Pratt to run out all but the final few seconds as Tulane came away with a 30-28 win.

For the season, Tulane has outscored opponents 147-68 in the first half – an average of nearly 10 points per game – but after halftime, it’s effectively been a push, with a margin of 98-96 for the Wave.

East Carolina may be just what Tulane needs to buck the trend. The Pirates have been outscored 44-17 in the third quarter this season and last scored a point in the third quarter on Sept. 25.

Fritz said wide receiver Jha’Quan Jackson, who left Saturday’s game and was placed in concussion protocol, “feels much, much better and we anticipate he’s going to be able to play Saturday,” but added he has not cleared protocol yet.

Kickoff on Saturday is at 2:30 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on ESPNU.