Oct. 15, 2007

NEW ORLEANS, La. - Senior running back Matt Forté and senior strong safety Joe Goosby were named the Tulane University football team's Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively, Tulane head coach Bob Toledo announced Monday.

The weekly honors are the sixth of the year for Tulane as the Green Wave dropped a hard-fought 26-21 Conference USA contest at UAB over the weekend in Birmingham, Ala. Forté's selection was his third of the 2007 season and fifth of his career, while Goosby earned the first weekly honor of his career.

A native of Slidell, La., and 2004 graduate of Slidell High School, Forté ran for 209 yards and a touchdown on 32 carries while hauling in a four passes for 36 yards Saturday at Army. His rushing total was the second consecutive 200-plus yard effort, his third of the season and fourth of his career.

Forté's four 200-plus yard games is a Tulane record, and he holds four of the top eight single-game performances in school history - including a record 303 yards and five touchdowns against Southeastern Louisiana back on Sept. 22. The game was his 10th career 100-yard contest, which ranks third in Green Wave history.

Against the Blazers, Forté had 60 yards on 11 carries in the first quarter, 54 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries in the second, 55 yards on eight carries in the third, and 43 yards on three carries in the fourth quarter. He averaged 6.5 yards per carry and had catches of two, six, 11 and 17 yards. Three of his receptions came in the fourth quarter when he tallied 34 yards through the air.

Goosby, meanwhile, earned the team's defensive honor after posting five tackles (three solo, two assists), forcing a fumble and breaking up a pass Saturday at UAB. His forced fumble thwarted a scoring opportunity for the Blazers as Goosby dislodged the ball from UAB running back Rashaud Slaughter, which was recovered by teammate Frank Morton at the Tulane three yard line.

Goosby tallied a tackle and forced fumble in the first quarter and sandwiched an assisted tackle in the second and fourth quarters around a two-tackle, one-pass-break-up performance in the third.

Forté, Goosby and the Green Wave return to action on Saturday, Oct. 20, when they travel to Dallas, Texas, to take on C-USA foe SMU at 7 p.m. The game from Gerald Ford Stadium caps a three-game road swing for Tulane and will be aired regionally on Fox Sports Net-Southwest.

Tulane's next home game will be on Saturday, Oct. 27, when it celebrates Homecoming 2007 with a 2 p.m. showdown against Memphis. Single-game tickets for the 2007 Green Wave season remain on sale through the Tulane Athletics Ticket Office. Tickets can be purchased in person, over the telephone at (504) 861-WAVE or via the internet at www.TulaneGreenWave.com.