Wide receiver Dontae Fleming was penalized for grabbing a face mask during a 39-yard catch and run on his first touch in Tulane’s opener, then never made a relevant play for the rest of the season.
The last time cornerback A.J. Hampton replaced Jarius Monroe for a significant stretch, he struggled mightily as North Texas rolled with four touchdowns on its first four possessions of the second half in October.
Yet, that duo figures to be prominent if 10½-point underdog Tulane (11-2) finds a way to beat Virginia Tech (6-6) in the Military Bowl on Wednesday at Navy Marine Corps Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland. Thrust into starting roles by opt outs, Fleming and Hampton know they need to capitalize.
“It’s a big opportunity,” said Fleming, a UL transfer who caught 58 passes for 693 yards with six touchdowns in three years for the Cajuns before collecting only five grabs for 73 yards and zero scores for the Green Wave. “I didn’t get the season I wanted, but I just can’t let that affect me. This game could be a little preview showing everybody what I can do.”
Hampton, a graduate transfer who started 19 times at Northwestern, was solid (21 tackles) as a backup outside of the North Texas game, but he has a real chance to prove his bona fides in his final college appearance.
“It’s huge,” he said. “I’m very passionate, I love football, and I don’t want to let my teammates down. The biggest thing for me is just going out there and having fun. We’ve been playing this game since we were little kids. There’s really nothing different. They are going to make plays. We are going to make plays. You can’t ride the emotional roller coaster.”
Fleming, who will return next season, is filling in at Tulane’s most depleted position. The Wave is without Chris Brazzell (transferring to Tennessee), Jha’Quan Jackson (preparing for the NFL draft) and Lawrence Keys (ankle injury), a starting trio that accounted for 103 of the team’s 216 catches, 1,749 of its 2,891 yards receiving and 16 of its 25 touchdown grabs.
Someone needs to step up for backup quarterbacks Kai Horton and Justin Ibieta in the absence of Tulane career passing leader Michael Pratt — another opt out — and it might be Fleming, a 6-foot-2 target with speed who looked primed for a productive year in preseason camp.
“I don’t necessarily know that something didn’t go right (for Fleming),” interim head coach and offensive coordinator Slade Nagle said. “It’s more the fact he was just behind a couple of guys that were playing well. This will be a big game for him to go out there and show what he can do. He has ability for sure.”
Hampton, replacing a back-to-back first-team All-American Athletic Conference pick in Monroe, is not a typical reserve. He was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection in 2021. He started when Northwestern beat Auburn 35-19 in the 2021 Citrus Bowl, breaking up two passes.
“I’m so excited for him to get this opportunity,” interim defensive coordinator Rob Greene said. “Obviously when you have a guy that’s played 2,000-plus snaps in college football that you can throw in there, that’s awesome. There’s not a lot he hasn’t seen. He’s had really good practices. I know he’s going to make the most of the opportunity.”
Tulane’s depth, which coaches and players alike praised all year, certainly will be tested. Safety Darius Swanson will get his first start for the Wave in his final game, replacing DJ Douglas (transfer portal) after earning All-America honors twice at Division II Nebraska-Kearney.
Swanson practiced with the first team for most of spring drills.
“He is as smart as anybody we’ve got, so I know he’s going to be in the right spot and make plays,” Greene said. “He’s played 2,500 snaps of college football, so that’s an advantage opposed to somebody who hadn’t played any snaps.”
Virginia Tech boasts a couple of big-play receivers in Da’Quan Felton, whose 84-yard touchdown against Virginia on Nov. 25 was his fourth of more than 50 yards, and Jaylin Layne. Normally, being down two starters in the secondary would not bode well, but the Wave is confident it can rebound from its AAC championship game defeat to SMU.
“We’ve got good guys, so we’re fine,” said cornerback Lance Robinson, who also is playing his final college game. “I don’t like to say ‘I’ or ‘me’ too much, but my last game here at Tulane was an L, so for me to go out there and get that W back, it would definitely feel good.”
Despite the significant personnel losses, Tulane hardly is bereft of talent. It has all but one offensive lineman and one defensive lineman available plus all of its linebackers, running backs and tight ends. Four All-AAC first-team selections (defensive tackle Patrick Jenkins, center Sincere Haynesworth, offensive tackle Cam Wire and running back Makhi Hughes) are playing, while Virginia Tech did not get a single first-team All-ACC pick.
The Wave in no way feels like it is overmatched. With a win, it can assure itself of being ranked in the final Associated Press poll in consecutive years for the first time ever.
“It’s a great opportunity,” said Haynesworth, who chose not to opt out and begin preparing for the NFL draft. “We are truly blessed. We treat every one of those opportunities like it’s sacred. It’s the only game we have left, so you have to make the most of it. We’re ready to attack it.”