The Green Wave saw minimal contributions from Zeon Chriss-Gremillion and Kadin Semonza in a season-opening loss to Duke.
The Tulane Green Wave started the Will Hall era off in disappointing fashion, dropping the season-opening game to the Duke Blue Devils by a score of 17-3.
All in all, things couldn't have been much worse for the Olive Green and Sky Blue. The defense struggled with some fundamentals, and the offense couldn't maintain any momentum. It was an ugly game to watch.
However, there's one concern that's arguably much bigger than the rest: neither Tulane quarterback appeared ready for action.
Zeon Chriss-Gremillion earned the start after an intense quarterback battle that wasn't even determined until fall camp had concluded. Based on his performance against the Blue Devils, it's unclear just how much longer that starting spot will be his.
The redshirt senior completed 6-of-9 passes for 64 yards, but the majority of that yardage came on one big 44-yard gain. Otherwise, Chriss-Gremillion threw a handful of short, ineffective passes and was largely unable to make any noise downfield. His ability to tuck the ball and run -- which is arguably his biggest asset -- was missing too, as he notched just 15 yards on five carries.
Kadin Semonza eventually entered the contest, looking to provide a spark to the Green Wave offense. Though he ultimately finished with a team-high 140 passing yards, he completed just 11 of his 21 passing attempts. Accuracy proved to be a major issue for the redshirt junior, and he struggled some with pocket awareness and mobility as well.
With neither signal-caller rising to the occasion, where on earth does Tulane go from here?
At this point, it seems like the logical option is to start Semonza in the program's upcoming game against the South Alabama Jaguars. He came off the bench and provided a bit more of a spark to the slow offense, and he looks like the better true passer at this point. While he struggles on the ground, the team has a full running backs room that can offset that limited mobility. Sure, that unit of offense didn't have a great weekend, either... but standout Jamauri McClure was also sidelined from the contest due to a minor preseason injury.
If Semonza struggles, Chriss-Gremillion could still have the opportunity to enter the game off the bench. However, if these struggles persist a few weeks into the year, then it might be time to turn to the future of the program in freshman Trace Johnson. The rookie had a strong fall camp, and at some point, he might become the best option and earn some in-game experience for the future.
The Green Wave will look to turn things around as it welcomes South Alabama on to Yulman Stadium on September 12th at 6:00 p.m. CT.
