The Memphis Tigers will take their talents to New Orleans to face off against Tulane in a prime time Friday night matchup. Memphis is coming off a nail-biting victory over South Alabama while Tulane is seeking to win their first game at home this season. The Daily Helmsman Sports staff of sports editor Joshua A. Vinson and sports reporters Frank Ramirez and Zach Thompson broke down what should be an easy victory for the Tigers.
Frank Ramirez
The Tigers (3-1) head to New Orleans to face Tulane (1-3) as they both look to earn their first American Athletic Conference win of the season. The Tigers didn’t have their best game defensively against South Alabama last week. However, Tulane wasn’t that efficient stopping the rushing or passing last game, allowing 187 yards, and 304 yards, respectively.
Giving up over 300 yards in a game will be a nuisance for this Tulane secondary against Brady White, who had 292 yards and two touchdowns last week. White should continue his strong start for the Tigers.
However, Tulane does have talent on the offensive end with quarterback Jonathan Banks, who has 792 yards, five touchdowns and only one interception, but he completes less than half of his interceptions at 49.5 percent. TJ Carter only had seven tackles last week against South Alabama, and he should be driven to perform better against Tulane’s talent.
The Tiger defense should have a better week defensively and continue their offensive dominance this Friday night. A shorter week of preparation and travel should be no bother.
Final score prediction: Memphis 35, Tulane 14
Zach Thompson
Coming off a win over South Alabama more tightly contested than many expected, the Tigers now turn their attention to Tulane. After dropping their first conference game against Navy, this game is pivotal for the Tigers’ conference title hopes. Tulane is coming off a 49-6 loss to Ohio State, and the Green Wave will certainly be hoping to notch an in-conference win at home.
Their offense features a dangerous ground attack that averages 175 yards per game, and the injury to Jackson Dillon on the Memphis defense will raise some concerns as to whether the run defense can hold up in New Orleans.
However, I expect the rushing attack of the Tigers to be too much for the Green Wave to handle, and the offense should execute well after struggling early with South Alabama last week. While Tulane typically plays tough, especially at home, I expect the Tigers to take care of business and get their first conference victory of the season with relative ease.
Final score prediction: Memphis 38, Tulane 21
Joshua A. Vinson
Tulane is struggling to put up points against opponents; you cannot win games if you cannot score. Additionally, their defense is a liability.
In the last two games, the Green Wave gave up 80 points, while the offense struggled to get a combined 30 points. In short, this team has its issues. Nevertheless, they want to give their fan base something to be proud of and that is winning at home, something they have yet to do this season. Though they are prone to giving up points, Memphis should not take this team lightly because the Tigers have issues of their own. South Alabama had Memphis in panic mode, but Brady White and company prevailed.
Yes, Memphis will improve to 4-1 for the season after defeating Tulane. However, this could be a “trap game” if they are not careful.
Final score prediction: Memphis 42, Tulane 14
Darrell Henderson
