I'm not assuming a win against SMU because Tulane is not at the point where it can assume anything yet, but if the Wave takes care of business next Saturday, it will have to play its best road game of the Fritz era to beat Tulsa.
That's not saying a ton of course, but Tulsa, which is 3-15 since the start of 2017, is better than its record this year. It lost by only 7 at Texas. It was beating USF 24-10 in the fourth quarter last night before blowing it as I predicted to family members watching the game with me even before the comeback happened. And it was ahead of Houston by 9 on the road in the fourth quarter last week before collapsing.
One thing I noticed last night was USF's receivers could not get open, which bodes poorly for Tulane, which has two functional receivers in Mooney (very good when he holds on to the ball) and Encalade (good when he holds on to the ball) and no one else who can make a play. The Wave will need to contain Tulsa's running game, which has been effective the past two years despite the team's overall struggles, and run on a defense that looks significantly better than the sieve-like unit of recent years.
I called the Memphis game the most important of the Fritz era. Then I labeled the Cincy game the most important of the Fritz era. And I will feel the same way about the Tulsa game if Tulane beats SMU. It will be an opportunity to beat a team with a pulse on the road, and regardless of what people will say about Tulsa considering its record, that team definitely has a pulse this year.
That's not saying a ton of course, but Tulsa, which is 3-15 since the start of 2017, is better than its record this year. It lost by only 7 at Texas. It was beating USF 24-10 in the fourth quarter last night before blowing it as I predicted to family members watching the game with me even before the comeback happened. And it was ahead of Houston by 9 on the road in the fourth quarter last week before collapsing.
One thing I noticed last night was USF's receivers could not get open, which bodes poorly for Tulane, which has two functional receivers in Mooney (very good when he holds on to the ball) and Encalade (good when he holds on to the ball) and no one else who can make a play. The Wave will need to contain Tulsa's running game, which has been effective the past two years despite the team's overall struggles, and run on a defense that looks significantly better than the sieve-like unit of recent years.
I called the Memphis game the most important of the Fritz era. Then I labeled the Cincy game the most important of the Fritz era. And I will feel the same way about the Tulsa game if Tulane beats SMU. It will be an opportunity to beat a team with a pulse on the road, and regardless of what people will say about Tulsa considering its record, that team definitely has a pulse this year.
