Tulane football rises behind kicker, coach and transfer

Eddie Timanus | USA TODAY Sports

Cairo Santos got used to making plenty of field goals for Tulane last year. But the reigning Lou Groza Award winner is getting a lot more kick out of his kicks this season.

His 42-yard overtime game winner last week against East Carolina boosted the Green Wave (5-2) to their best start since the 1998 team went 12-0. It was the second game-winning kick of Santos' career, the first coming just a week earlier against North Texas.

"It's one of the things I mentioned to the team last year," Santos says. "I had a lot of fun individually, but I told them one of my goals was to have fun celebrating with them this year. I'm just living the dream."

Though the season is only at its midpoint, the turnaround is already remarkable for a program that was 2-10 in 2012. But second-year coach Curtis Johnson — known simply as "CJ" around the program — has brought in an accomplished staff and new energy that is striking the right chords.

"I think after last year this team went back and really looked at the opportunities we left out there," says Johnson, a New Orleans native and former Saints assistant. "They began to embrace the work in the offseason. When the weightlifting started there weren't a whole lot of guys missing. When the team starts holding each other accountable, it begins to be easier and easier for us to just coach."

Johnson's first year wasn't nearly as much fun. The Green Wave suffered through their 10th consecutive losing season. That stretch includes the 2005 season, interrupted by Hurricane Katrina. The 2012 campaign was marred by a spinal injury to safety Devon Walker in game two that left him paralyzed from the neck down.

"It was just a tough, tough situation ... It took its toll on our team," Johnson says.

It was difficult on a personal level as well for Johnson, who has a family connection with Walker. "My wife's brother and his dad's brother were best friends growing up," he says.

Walker is back in school, pursuing his degree in cell and molecular biology, and he speaks to the team before most games.

"He's just the biggest inspiration," Johnson says. "He's just such a great kid and one of the smartest kids around."

Johnson says he sensed that better things were ahead as early as fall camp. Freshman linebacker Nico Marley agrees

"Camp was awesome. There was a lot of competition," says Marley, the team's third-leading tackler. "Then when we started winning games, it was nice to know all this hard work is paying off. We're not where we want to be yet, but it's great to know the work is worth it."

Nico is a grandson of the late reggae legend Bob Marley. He says he enjoys music but didn't inherit the performing gene.

One of the Green Wave's other new arrivals, however, is carrying on a family tradition. Nick Montana, son of Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Joe, came via a transfer from Washington and a year in junior college. He also moved to the top of the depth chart in the preseason and has 1,116 passing yards with 10 TDs thus far.

"Nick just gives you a calming feeling. He's just really poised out there. He's a great teammate," Johnson says. "I think he's even tougher than his dad."

Says the younger Montana: "I don't know about that. He took some pretty big hits in his day. But I utilize my dad as much as I can. He has so much knowledge of the game. He's a great resource."

The East Carolina win was perhaps the most improbable for the Green Wave. The Pirates had beaten North Carolina convincingly and given Virginia Tech all it could handle. Montana had to sit with a minor injury, as did starting tailback Orleans Darkwa. But with redshirt freshman Devin Powell at the controls and timely defensive plays, including a 99-yard interception return by Derrick Strozier, Tulane pulled out the 36-33 win in triple overtime, the longest game in school history.

The Green Wave hope to have their key starters back following a bye week heading into Saturday's home date with defending Conference USA champ Tulsa. Tulane is 0-8 in league play against the Golden Hurricane.

""They're not a team you take lightly," Montana says of Tulsa, which has had a surprising 2-4 start. "But we've set the bar high for ourselves. We don't want to set limits on what we can accomplish, but at the same time we don't want to look too far ahead."

One more victory would qualify Tulane for the postseason for the first time since 2002, when the Green Wave went 8-5 capped by a 36-28 bowl win against Hawaii in Honolulu. Meanwhile, the school is preparing for its move next year to the American Athletic Conference, with construction under way on an on-campus stadium that will open in 2014.

"All our programs are coming back," Johnson says. "This brand new stadium is taking us into the new conference, and we're preparing for the next 50 years. I think we're finally getting Katrina behind us."