Game notes
- Time and date: Saturday, September 27 at 4:00 p.m. ET
- Network: ESPNU
- Location: Chapman Stadium — Tulsa, OK
- Spread: Tulane (-15.5)
- Over/under: 51.5
- All-time series: Tulsa leads, 13-7
- Last meeting: Tulane 24, Tulsa 22 — November 11, 2023
- Current streak: Tulane, 2 (2022-23)
Setting the scene
It’s the ‘Tul’ bowl (not an official rivalry name) between longtime conference opponents Tulane and Tulsa. The schools both competed in Conference USA from 2005-13 and received the invitation to the American Conference in 2014, where they have resided since.
Tulsa dominated the matchup for the first decade and change, but recently, Tulane is flipping narrative. The Green Wave have emerged victorious in five of the last seven contests and enter Saturday’s matchup at Chapman Stadium as considerable
favorites. However, Tulsa is riding momentum off a signature victory at Oklahoma State, while Tulane is in rebound mode after a lopsided defeat at Ole Miss — presenting differing trajectories heading into Week 5.
Tulane Green Wave outlook
Tulane (3-1, 0-0 American) is no longer unbeaten after a nightmare outing in Oxford, MS. The Green Wave finished 11-1 in the regular season with a lone loss to Ole Miss just two seasons ago, but last Saturday’s result in SEC country defeat certainly did no favors to a team with College Football Playoff aspirations. Tulane was eviscerated in 45-10 fashion — a larger margin of defeat than any CFP team has endured before.
The good news for the Green Wave amidst the 35-point heartbreak — they already have a strong résumé with a victory over Duke and the path to a fourth-straight American Championship Game appearance is clear. Tulane eyes plenty of improvements Saturday against Tulsa after seemingly nothing went right at Ole Miss.
One element in which Tulane eyes progress is the passing game. The Green Wave completed 10-of-29 passes for 104 yards a week ago, utilizing both Jake Retzlaff and Brendan Sullivan in the offensive struggle. Retzlaff will likely earn his fifth-straight start at quarterback and he proved the merit of his passing game in a 245-yard showing vs. Duke. But where the BYU transfer thrives the most is with his mobility, ranking 26th nationally and second among quarterbacks with 339 rushing yards.
The non-QB run game hasn’t exactly ignited for the Green Wave. After starter Maurice Turner went down in Week 1, Tulane has been in search for a premier tailback. So far it’s been a rotation between Zuberi Mobley, Arnold Barnes III, and Javin Gordon. Although Turner’s status remains unclear, Tulane will certainly be in better shape this week with the return of First Team All-AAC tackle Derrick Graham who missed the Ole Miss game.
Other notable playmakers on the offense include the wide receiver trio of Omari Hayes, Shazz Preston, and Bryce Bohanon. Tulane doesn’t offer the most pass-friendly offense, ranking 114th in the FBS in yards per game, but these three comprise of 62.4 percent of the receiving production. Tulane also looks to involve more of tight end Justyn Reid who shined in the opener vs. Northwestern but only has two catches for 12 yards in the three games following.
Tulane’s defense is an opportunist unit which created significant havoc up until the Ole Miss game. The Green Wave are tied for third nationally in takeaways with nine, and consistently winning the turnover battle is one of the team’s greatest assets. This was similarly a strength in 2024, proving the turnover generation is no fluke. Javion White, operating as a nickel corner, already has three interceptions on the season and the team is a +6 in the turnover battle.
What hasn’t been as prevalent is pressure. Tulane ranks near the basement of the FBS with 1.5 sacks per game, and it hopes its transfer-led front can cash in for some monumental plays in the backfield. Santana Hopper and Mo Westmoreland were both frequent sack generators at their previous stops, and the Green Wave will rely on those transfer defensive linemen to spearhead the effort.
Tulsa Golden Hurricane outlook
Tulsa (2-2, 0-1 American) is fresh off its most notable victory since winning the 2021 Myrtle Beach Bowl. The Golden Hurricane stormed into Oklahoma State and won a Friday night showdown in front of a sold-out Stillwater crowd, ending a 10-game win streak vs. their in-state rival. While final score read 19-12, Tulsa dominated Mike Gundy and the Cowboys to an even greater extent, leading 19-3 at one point in the fourth quarter — which ultimately led to the longtime head coach’s dismissal this week.
The vibes are high in Tulsa right now, as a signature win came to fruition under a young and fiery first-year coach in Tre Lamb. However, there is still more work to be done as the Golden Hurricane already have a pair of losses to New Mexico State and Navy and sit 0-1 in the conference standings.
One decision Lamb must make heading into the Tulane game is, who starts at quarterback? Starter Kirk Francis went down with a concussion in the New Mexico State game and returned to practice this week — missing the matchups vs. Navy and Oklahoma State. Francis is the captain and saw his breakout game occur against Tulane in 2023, firing for 345 yards and a touchdown in a narrow defeat. However, backup Baylor Hayes rides the momentum after leading the win over the Cowboys. Hayes threw for a career-high 219 yards last week in his second start, and Tulsa feels comfortable sending out either quarterback.
Regardless of the quarterback, Tulsa will rely heavily on a run game led by several notable transfer tailbacks. Dominic Richardson (Oklahoma State, Baylor), Ajay Allen (Miami (FL), Nebraska), and Braylin Presley (Oklahoma State) all offer tremendous talent in the running back room — each averaging at least 5.3 yards per carry. Richardson is the main workhorse among the trio, ranking second in the FBS with 84 rushing attempts thus far.
The receiver room is headlined by Zion Booker, who has nearly triple the amount of receptions (29) as the next closest Golden Hurricane (10). The FCS Western Carolina transfer has 6+ receptions in all four games, so Tulsa’s starting quarterback will look to establish an early connection with him against the Green Wave defense.
Moving to the other side of the ball, Tulsa’s defense produced a tremendous effort against Oklahoma State. The Golden Hurricane limited the Cowboys to 218 passing yards on 41 attempts, produced seven tackles for loss, and mustered up three fourth down stops. Standing out in the unit was inside linebacker Ray Coney, who completed his third game of the season with at least 13 tackles.
Cornerback Elijah Green is another major contributor on defense, tied with Javion White atop the American Conference with three interceptions — Tulsa’s only three of the year. While Coney and Green have thrived as bright spots on the new-look defense, there are areas for improvement. One involves shoring up tackling in the run game, and Tulsa ranks 111th in rushing yards allowed per contest.
Prediction
While Week 4 presented an inspiring moment for Tulsa and a devastating one for Tulane, Week 5 presents a fresh slate for both to move forward. Tulsa struggled mightily with the quarterback run game against Navy’s option attack, and although Tulane isn’t wing T flexbone style offense, the Green Wave incorporate elements of the option when Jake Retzlaff is under center.
When Retzlaff heats up as a runner, the Green Wave are difficult to stop. He generated over 110 yards in two games this year and averages north of seven yards per carry. Tulane gets incredibly creative on its QB run designs as well, so Tulsa must stay on its toes throughout the matchup. The run game will be Tulane’s greatest advantage on the road, but the defense will also be able to generate routine stops against the Golden Hurricane. Offense is still a work in progress for Tulsa, only notching a combined six offensive touchdowns against three FBS opponents.
Prediction: Tulane 30, Tulsa 17
