Stats and notes of interest ahead of Tulane-Memphis showdown

The marquee matchup in the American Athletic Conference this week if the primetime Friday matchup between Tulane and Memphis at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.

Featuring the top AAC scoring offense, the Memphis Tigers will tussle with the league’s top rated defensive scoring unit.

Memphis has won nine of the past 12 encounters with Tulane. More notably, the Green Wave hasn’t won in Memphis since 1998 but entered the week as a 3.5 point favorite with an total of 56.5. Tulane won the last meeting at Yulman Stadium on October 22, 2022 by a 38-28 score.

Both squads have identical 4-1 records. The numbers may provided insight heading into the contest:

Tulane / Memphis (category)

– Points per game (#7 in AAC at 29.8 / #1 at 36.6)
– Points allowed per game (#1 in AAC at 17.4 / #3 at 21.4)
– Rushing yards (159 / 162)
– Rushing yards allowed (84.2 / 152)
– Passing yards (230.6 / 277)
– Passing yards allowed (235.6 / 210.8)
– Total touchdowns scored (18 / 24)
– 3rd down conversions (39.6% / 36.6%)
– 3rd down conversion allowed (#2 in AAC at 31.8% / #1 in AAC at 23.8%)
– Redzone success 22 attempts, 6 touchdowns 23 attempts, 18 touchdowns
– Redzone defense (6 TDs in 15 trips / 8 TDs in 17 trips)
– Sacks allowed (11 / 10)
– Defensive sacks (17 / 11)
– Defensive interceptions (#1 in AAC at 7 / 2)

• Memphis ranks fourth in total offense in the American Athletic Conference at 439 yards per game while Tulane checks in at eighth with 389.6 yards per outing.
• The Green Wave own the No. two rated total defense, surrendering 319. 8 yards each game. Memphis has the No. 4 total defense (362.8).
• Tulane’s defense allows 84.2 yards rushing. Memphis gives up 152 yards on the ground.
• The Green Wave boasts the second best kick return and the third rated punt return unit in the conference.

Of course, the games are played on the field, not in charts. Here are the key figures in the game on both sides:

Tulane

– The Wave’s most important player is senior quarterback Michael Pratt, who has completed 75.4% of his throws for 668 yards, eight touchdowns and one interception.
– Running back Mekhi Hughes, a redshirt freshman, has seized the “lead dog” position among the ground gainers with 368 yards (5.1 yard average) and three scores.
– Pratt has three targets who have produced this year. Lawrence Keys has 20 grabs for 399 yards and 4 touchdowns and fellow senior Jha’Quan Jackson with 11 catches for 259 yards and four touchdowns. Redshirt freshman Chris Brazzell has tallied 179 yards on 13 grabs for two scores.
– Center Sincere Haynesworth and left guard Prince Pines are All-AAC candidates on the offensive line.
– Junior linebacker Jesus Machado entered the season with 52 career stops during his previous three seasons. He leads the Green Wave (second leading tackler in the AAC) with 42 tackles.
– Sophomore safety Bailey Despanie, a Carencro product, has been a pleasant surprise, contributing 29 tackles on the season.
– LSU transfer linebacker Jared Small out Catholic-Baton Rouge recorded only two tackles for the Tigers, but he has chipped in 20 stops, 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack for the Wave.
Interior defensive linemen Devean Deal (sophomore) and Patrick Jenkins (junior) have terrorized opponents. Collectively, they have 12 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks.
– Lance Robinson, the conerback out of De La Salle, paces the conference with three interceptions.

Memphis

– Junior quarterback Seth Henigan (6-3, 210) is the AAC’s fourth best passer, completing 68.5% for 1,376 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions.
– Senior running back Blake Watson, who spent four seasons at Old Dominion, is the second leading ground gainer in the conference with 455 yards (5.9 yard average) and 6 touchdowns. The 5-foot-9, 195 product of Queens, New York has added 26 catches for 233 yards and one score.
– Roc Taylor (6-3, 215) is the fourth ranked receiver in the conference with 27 grabs for 399 yards and a pair of scores.
– Defensive tackle Josh Ellison (6-3, 300, senior) hunkers down the interior. The Oklahoma transfer has 15 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and one sack.
– Former LSU tackle Xavier Hill, a redshirt sophomore, starts at right tackle for Memphis.
– The linebacking unit is the backbone of the Tigers defense. The trio all arrived via the transfer portal:
—Will linebacker Chandler Martin (6-0, 215, sophomore), 35 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, one sack
—Mike linebacker Geoffrey Cantin-Arku (6-3, 240, senior), 26 stops, one tackle for loss
—Sam linebacker Cincir Evans (6-4, 240, senior), 19 tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack

FYI, there are eight Pelican state products on the Memphis roster:
– Running back Ke’Travion Hargrove, Ruston HS, has 43 yards rushing and a touchdown (jersey #9).
– Nose tackle Keveion’ta Spears, McKinley HS, has 6 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and one sack (#40).
– Strong safety Joel Williams, Madison Prep, is a transfer from Kentucky (#13).
– Place kicker Landon Carter, Catholic-Baton Rouge (#47)
– Defensive back Marjayvious Moss, Northwood-Shreveport (#23)
– Running back Walter Samuel, East Ascension (#28)
– Running back Raydrain McKneeley, Denham Springs (#30)
– Defensive tackle Jalen Thomas, Pope John Paul II (#93)

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