The Tulane University Green Wave will host the University of South Florida Bulls on Saturday. This matchup will feature two teams who are out of bowl contention. The 1-9 (0-6) Green Wave have not beaten a single FBS opponent this season, while the 2-8 (1-5) Bulls have just one FBS win over Temple. This game marks just the third matchup between the programs, with each team owning a single victory over the other. Tulane owns the most recent victory, a 41-15 blowout of the Bulls back in 2018.
USF Offense
USF’s offense has been one of the worst in the country this season, but has been seeing improvement as the season progresses. True freshman quarterback, Timmy McClain, leads the 106th ranked passing offense, which has averaged 191 yards per game. For his part, McClain has passed for 1,534 yards and 5 touchdowns with six interceptions. Four of his touchdowns have been completed in the past three games. He has also rushed for 276 yards this season.
McClain is assisted in the running game by bruiser running back, Jaren Mangham, who has 560 rushing yards and the nation’s 6th best 15 rushing touchdowns. Sharing the load at running back are Kelle Joiner (377 yds, 1 TD) and Brian Battie (297 yds, 1 TD). The USF rushing offense ranks 64th in the nation.
Xavier Weaver remains the top receiver, with 640 yards receiving and two touchdowns. Jimmy Horn Jr. has been coming on strong lately, hooking up with his high school teammate, McClain, for 325 yards of catches and one receiving touchdown. Omarion Dollison () and Demarcus Gregory round out the top four of a talented receiving corps. Tight end, Mitchell Brinkman, and slot receiver, Bryce Miller, also have made big impacts this season.
The Bulls rank 97th in total offense and 90th in scoring offense.
Tulane Defense
The Green Wave’s struggling defense ranks 113th in total defense, allowing 447 yards per game, and rank 119th in scoring defense, giving up an average of 36 points per game.
Safety, Macon Clark, and linebacker, Dorian Williams lead the team in tackles, with 61 apiece. Clark leads the team in interceptions, with three takeaways, while Kevin Henry and Jadon Canady have a pair, each. Canady is third in tackles with 47 and Henry is fifth with 45. Clark is tied for 20th in the nation in interceptions.
Defensive lineman, JoJo Dorceus, has a team-high 4.5 sacks and seven tackles for loss. Joker, Darius Hodges, is second in sacks (4) and leads the team with 13.5 tackles for loss. Hodges is tied for 13th, nationally, in tackles for loss. He has been dealing with injuries and may not play against the Bulls.
The Tulane defense is a little better against the run (96, 172 ypg) than the pass (119th, 275 ypg).
Tulane Offense
Tulane quarterback, Michael Pratt, has amassed 1,923 passing yards with 17 touchdowns and just five interceptions. Pratt passed for a season high (tie) of 296 yards against then #12 Oklahoma in the season opener. He has also rushed for 100 yards and four touchdowns.
Tyrick James, the top receiver with 380 yards, is one of three receivers with three touchdowns so far this year. Receiver, Shae Wyatt, and tight end, Will Wallace are the other two. Duece Watts is the number two receiver with 273 yards and two touchdowns. Watts is trailed closely by Jaetavian Toles, who has 263 yards and a pair of scores. Tulane’s passing offense ranks 72nd, 220 yards per game.
The running game for the Green Wave is a one-two punch of Cameron Carroll (492 yds, 2 TDs) and Tyjae Spears (488 yds, 5 TDs). Spears has rushed for 200 of his yards in the past three games. Tulane is 76th in the nation in rushing, averaging 148 yards per game.
USF Defense
The Bulls’ defense has become the Antonio Grier show as of late. Grier is leading the team in tackles (79), tackles for loss (7.5), sacks (3), and interceptions (2). Fellow linebacker, Dwayne Boyles, is second in tackles (65) and safety, Vincent Davis, rounds out the top three (56). Defensive tackle, Blake Green, is second in sacks (2), Boyles is second in tackles for loss (4.5) and in a three-way tie with Grier and Mekhi LaPointe for picks (2).
USF ranks 115th in scoring defense (35 ppg) and 126th in total defense (487 ypg). They gave up 99 points and more than 1,100 yards in their past two games. They have struggled most by giving up big plays, ranking 126th (tie) out of 130 teams, allowing 178 plays for ten yards of gain or more
Expectations
Two teams with a combined three wins may not seem like an interesting game on paper, but this should be a competitive game. While both teams have come up short against better competition, they have also both played good teams in close games. Expect USF’s offense to shine, especially at the quarterback position, where Tulane will have to choose to spy McClain or allow him to close gaps with his feet. Expect the Bulls’ to run the ball at will, possibly to season high, and expect Mangham to add to his touchdown total. Similar expectations can come from the Green Wave, who have a very efficient quarterback in Pratt, who doesn’t give up a lot of turnovers. However, expect some turnovers. The Bulls may be thin on defense, but they have enough hands on the secondary and even in the linebacking corps that they will keep the quarterback honest by taking some passes away. Also, expect Tulane to have success running the football. The Bulls’ have had mixed success in stopping the run, and those times they could not, they gave up big rushing numbers. Expect a pretty high scoring game with two teams who will not quit.
Summary
Tulane is favored by almost six points at home. Game coverage will be available on ESPN+, with kickoff set for noon, eastern.
