Tulane Green Wave true freshman quarterback Trace Johnson is in line for his second start of the year after helping his team pick up a big win over the Memphis Tigers last weekend. The newcomer will look to pick up a second straight win over the UTSA Roadrunners on Saturday night and bring all sorts of football excitement back to Uptown.
Though he's young, Johnson has looked the most capable of being the signal-caller for the Green Wave. He possesses a great skillset, has genuinely grown as a player over the past few months and seems to be a step ahead of most other players his age. Call it maturity, pure athleticism or unashamed confidence, it doesn't matter: Johnson seems to have an "it" factor.
There are certainly things that Johnson could've done better against the Tigers. The rookie went 11-for-21 for 165 yards with one touchdown and one interception in the win; those numbers don't quite jump off the page. Yet, he made some key plays, especially during critical make-or-break moments for the team. He seemed to have a great connection with a few of his receivers, especially Destyn Hill and Anthony Brown-Stephens. He even completed a few passes that looked improbable.
Where does Johnson go from here?
Perhaps the most important area in which Johnson could improve is his accuracy. A completion percentage of 52.4 percent isn't always going to be enough to lead the Green Wave to success, not to mention he had a tough interception that could've really changed the course of the game. However, it's going to be hard for him to make a dramatic jump against UTSA. If Johnson can complete even just an extra five percent of his passes, preferably with no turnovers, it'll be a sign that things are going in the right direction for him.
Johnson might also need to use his legs a bit more than he has so far. He's had arguably the best pocket awareness of any of Tulane's quarterbacks this year, but there's a good chance that's tested a bit more against a tough Roadrunners defense. There are more than enough running backs to put together a strong rushing attack for the Green Wave, but they won't be there to help Johnson out when things fall apart and the pocket collapses.
Otherwise, it's easy to be pleased with what Johnson has demonstrated so far, and there's no telling what kind of confidence he's gained from his big win on national television. Expect him to be a bit better in nearly every way this weekend as he settles more into his role and builds on his in-game experience.
Tulane and UTSA will face off on Saturday night at 7 p.m. CT at Yulman Stadium.