Here's are the questions and answers:
We caught up with TheWaveReport.com publisher Guerry Smith and asked him some questions about this weeks game.
1) Has having a on campus stadium helped Tulane at all?
GS- Sure it has. The atmosphere in the Superdome was deader than dead and made home games a depressing experience for fans and players. The students had no connection to the team at all, and that has completely changed at Yulman Stadium with a terrific student turnout for the first four home games. Quarterback Tanner Lee spoke enthusiastically about how many more students were coming up to him to talk football before the season started, and his teammates have reiterated his point all year.
Will the on-campus stadium magically transform Tulane into a perennial AAC contender? No. That is a long-term process, but the Green Wave's chances are better on campus than they were in the Superdome.
2) The Green Wave got a huge win last week over Houston, have things started to turn upwards for them?
GS- Maybe. That will be determined by what happens in the next three weeks, when Tulane faces AAC leader Memphis at home, AAC favorite East Carolina on the road and Temple at home. Tulane's offense is almost freshmen at the skill positions. Lee is a redshirt freshman. Leading running back Sherman Badie, who rushed for more than 200 yards against Tulsa in the season opener, is a redshirt freshman. Dontrell Hilliard, who rushed for more than 100 yards against Cincinnati and had 192 combined rushing/receiving yards against Houston, is a true freshman. True freshmen made 19 of Tulane's 21 receptions against Cincinnati and 18 of 24 receptions against Houston. The future is bright, but the present will be determined by the play of all of those freshmen, so it is hard to predict what will happen from week to week. Tulane had not scored more than 14 points in any game since week 3 before getting 31 against Houston. The defense has underachieved a bit for most of the year, but it forced four turnovers against Houston and ranks among the nation's top 10 teams in causing turnovers.
3) Who are some players on offense that Memphis will need to keep an eye on?
GS- Lee is extremely talented with an NFL arm. He threw a nation's most nine interceptions in the first four games but has been much more careful with the ball since returning from a shoulder injury that sidelined him for two-and-half games. Coming off his three-touchdown performance at Houston, he has had his best week of practice in preparation for Memphis.
The running back trio of Badie, Lazedrick Thompson and Hilliard may be the best in the AAC. Badie and Thompson played sparingly against Houston due to ankle injuries, but Tulane did not miss a beat with Hilliard. Badie is a speed back with three runs of 73 yards or longer. Thompson is the power back. Hilliard is a combination of both and has really good vision.
The young receivers have been inconsistent, but watch true freshman tight end Charles Jones. He has good hands and has been particularly effective in the red zone.
4) Who are some players on defense that Memphis will need to watch for?
GS- Tulane's secondary is talented at every position. Redshirt freshman cornerbackParry Nickerson, the reigning AAC Defensive Player of the Week, had two interceptions against Houston to run his team-leading total to six. The other corner, junior Lorenzo Doss, has not lived up to his preseason All-America candidacy but has 14 career interceptions. One safety, Sam Scofield, leads the team in tackles, and the other, Darion Monroe, was a four-star recruit who de-committed from Texas A&M to sign with Tulane. He will be extra motivated this week after getting kicked out of the Houston game in the first half for targeting. The fifth DB, former Memphis starter Taurean Nixon, is the fastest player on the team.
The other guys to watch are linebacker Nico Marley, an energizer bunny with a nose for the ball, and tackle Tanzel Smart, a physical lineman.
5) What type of game are you expecting, any predictions?
GS- I am expecting a very close game, and I like Tulane's chances to win. The teams that have troubled the Wave the most have gotten huge plays in the passing game with speedy wide receivers who take advantage of the secondary's aggressiveness and some coverage issues in the front seven. Memphis will need to play better offensively than it did against Temple. If the Tigers win comfortably, the storyline will be their domination up front on both sides of the ball, with the conference's No. 1 rushing unit and No. 3 unit at stopping the run overpowering Tulane.
This is a gigantic game for Memphis considering the rest of the schedule. It will be interesting to see if the Tigers channel their intensity properly or come out tight. Tulane played it best game of the year by far against Houston and needs to win out to become bowl eligible. As far-fetched as that sounds with a trip to East Carolina still on the agenda, the players believe they can do it.
Tulane 24, Memphis 23.
We caught up with TheWaveReport.com publisher Guerry Smith and asked him some questions about this weeks game.
1) Has having a on campus stadium helped Tulane at all?
GS- Sure it has. The atmosphere in the Superdome was deader than dead and made home games a depressing experience for fans and players. The students had no connection to the team at all, and that has completely changed at Yulman Stadium with a terrific student turnout for the first four home games. Quarterback Tanner Lee spoke enthusiastically about how many more students were coming up to him to talk football before the season started, and his teammates have reiterated his point all year.
Will the on-campus stadium magically transform Tulane into a perennial AAC contender? No. That is a long-term process, but the Green Wave's chances are better on campus than they were in the Superdome.
2) The Green Wave got a huge win last week over Houston, have things started to turn upwards for them?
GS- Maybe. That will be determined by what happens in the next three weeks, when Tulane faces AAC leader Memphis at home, AAC favorite East Carolina on the road and Temple at home. Tulane's offense is almost freshmen at the skill positions. Lee is a redshirt freshman. Leading running back Sherman Badie, who rushed for more than 200 yards against Tulsa in the season opener, is a redshirt freshman. Dontrell Hilliard, who rushed for more than 100 yards against Cincinnati and had 192 combined rushing/receiving yards against Houston, is a true freshman. True freshmen made 19 of Tulane's 21 receptions against Cincinnati and 18 of 24 receptions against Houston. The future is bright, but the present will be determined by the play of all of those freshmen, so it is hard to predict what will happen from week to week. Tulane had not scored more than 14 points in any game since week 3 before getting 31 against Houston. The defense has underachieved a bit for most of the year, but it forced four turnovers against Houston and ranks among the nation's top 10 teams in causing turnovers.
3) Who are some players on offense that Memphis will need to keep an eye on?
GS- Lee is extremely talented with an NFL arm. He threw a nation's most nine interceptions in the first four games but has been much more careful with the ball since returning from a shoulder injury that sidelined him for two-and-half games. Coming off his three-touchdown performance at Houston, he has had his best week of practice in preparation for Memphis.
The running back trio of Badie, Lazedrick Thompson and Hilliard may be the best in the AAC. Badie and Thompson played sparingly against Houston due to ankle injuries, but Tulane did not miss a beat with Hilliard. Badie is a speed back with three runs of 73 yards or longer. Thompson is the power back. Hilliard is a combination of both and has really good vision.
The young receivers have been inconsistent, but watch true freshman tight end Charles Jones. He has good hands and has been particularly effective in the red zone.
4) Who are some players on defense that Memphis will need to watch for?
GS- Tulane's secondary is talented at every position. Redshirt freshman cornerbackParry Nickerson, the reigning AAC Defensive Player of the Week, had two interceptions against Houston to run his team-leading total to six. The other corner, junior Lorenzo Doss, has not lived up to his preseason All-America candidacy but has 14 career interceptions. One safety, Sam Scofield, leads the team in tackles, and the other, Darion Monroe, was a four-star recruit who de-committed from Texas A&M to sign with Tulane. He will be extra motivated this week after getting kicked out of the Houston game in the first half for targeting. The fifth DB, former Memphis starter Taurean Nixon, is the fastest player on the team.
The other guys to watch are linebacker Nico Marley, an energizer bunny with a nose for the ball, and tackle Tanzel Smart, a physical lineman.
5) What type of game are you expecting, any predictions?
GS- I am expecting a very close game, and I like Tulane's chances to win. The teams that have troubled the Wave the most have gotten huge plays in the passing game with speedy wide receivers who take advantage of the secondary's aggressiveness and some coverage issues in the front seven. Memphis will need to play better offensively than it did against Temple. If the Tigers win comfortably, the storyline will be their domination up front on both sides of the ball, with the conference's No. 1 rushing unit and No. 3 unit at stopping the run overpowering Tulane.
This is a gigantic game for Memphis considering the rest of the schedule. It will be interesting to see if the Tigers channel their intensity properly or come out tight. Tulane played it best game of the year by far against Houston and needs to win out to become bowl eligible. As far-fetched as that sounds with a trip to East Carolina still on the agenda, the players believe they can do it.
Tulane 24, Memphis 23.