Memphis @ Tulane Week 14 Preview

Patrick Harkness • November 25, 2024

Memphis Tigers

Tulane Green Wave

By: Patrick Harkness

Spread: Tulane -13

Total: 56.5

Tulane comes into this game ranked 18 in the AP coaches' poll just followed by Memphis at 23. No matter the outcome Tulane will play in the AAC conference championship game but will need to win out in order to have a chance for the CFP. Now that Memphis is ranked this will help Tulane's playoff chances. Memphis come’s into this game at 9-2 and ranked third in the conference. They are coached by Ryan Silverfield who has an overall record of 40-20 and is in his 5th season. Memphis offense is led by QB Seth Henigan who currently has Memphis passing offense ranked 24th in the nation averaging 273 yards a game. South Carolina transfer Mario Anderson leads the rushing attack ranking the tigers at 61st in the nation with an average of 167 yards a game. The Tigers defense (3-3-5) is giving up 22 points a game which ranks 45. They are giving up 353 yards a game (4th in AAC), 245 yards a game passing (10th AAC), and 108 yards a game rushing (3rd AAC). They also know how to create turnovers going 12 for 12 on forced fumbles and recoveries and 9 interceptions.

Offense

Quarterback- Mensah

This could be a huge day for Mensah and this Tulane offense. With Memphis pass defense not playing very well Joe Craddick (OC) could be opening up the playbook all the way for the young freshman QB. Still expect Tulane to try and establish the run but I expect this to be a pass heavy game until Tulane pulls away. Like always Tulane will come out running but when the defense starts to creep up look for play action and some deep shots. Mensah has to play smart football and use his legs like the previous game when no one is open.

Ty Thompson

Expect Ty to get his usual amount of carries anywhere from 5-10 carries. I could see Tulane using him in the red zone with a RPO or play action and have him throw the ball to fake out the defense.

Memphis QB- Seth Henigan

On the season Seth is having a decent season completing 269 passes out of 422 (63.7%) with 21 touchdowns and 6 interceptions while taking 15 sacks. Seth has the ability to run the ball so the Green Wave must keep that in mind. He has 61 carries for 119 yards (2.0) with 1 touchdown.

Running Back

Makhi will be in for a battle in the ground game. Memphis run defense has been pretty solid all year and they have one of the better linebackers in the conference Chandler Martin currently sitting at 90 tackles and 6 sacks. Makhi will get used early and often but if the ground game can't get going look for Tulane to start passing the ball. I'd like to see Shadie Clayton get some use in the passing game on some screens. Look for Arnold to spell Makhi when he needs a breather. Arnold has been running very well lately.

Receiving Game

We could see a huge day for the Tulane receiving game. Memphis secondary has been lackluster this year and allowing teams to throw on them. Tulane needs to capitalize on such a weak passing defense. Memphis safety Davion Ross has been playing decently with 40 tackles, 11 pass break ups, and 2 interceptions. Greg Rubin, the only returning defensive player has 64 tackles and 8 pass break ups. I could see Tulane coming out in 4 wide receiver sets a lot this game to try and spread out the 5 defensive backs. Mario Williams, Yulkeuith Brown, Dontae Fleming, and Shazz Preston must get utilized with their speed. Alex Bauman could be the x factor in this game with the secondary trying to slow down Tulane's 4 headed monster.

Offensive Line

Memphis has three guys who can get after the QB, stud linebacker Chandler Martin (6 sacks), William Withlow Jr (4 sacks), and Elijah Herring (3.5 sacks). Tulane's offensive line is one of the best in the nation displaying 6 guys who can all play at an elite level. On the year they have only given up 14 sacks, while allowing the offense to score 40 points a game which ranks 6th in the nation, while boasting 227 yards for the run game which ranks 10th, and a passing attack of 207 yards a game ranking 88th. The success of the offensive line will determine how the game ends up.

X Factor: Alex Bauman

Defense

Defensive Line

On the year Tulane has 30 sacks and that's been a big part to the defensive line. With 9 different guys getting at least 1 sack or more. The Green Wave front needs to play lights out against this Memphis rushing attack. Memphis running back Mario Anderson has 195 carries (5.7 avg), 1,115 rushing yards, and 16 touchdowns. Tulane's defensive front must be able to slow down this rushing attack of the Tigers in order to win this game. The offensive line of Memphis has given up 15 sacks on the year, that's one more than Tulane. They have been playing very well all year keeping Seth Henigan up right.

Linebackers

Sam Howard and Tyler Grubbs will be the x factors in this game. They must be able to shed blocks in the run game and shut down the running back before he gets into space. They both have been leaders of the defense and Sam Howard is starting to play very well. Look for Dickson Agu and Chris Rodgers to come in on key passing downs. They also must keep an eye out for running back Mario Anderson and tight end Anthony Landphere in the passing game. Mario has 44 catches for 294 yards and 2 touchdowns while Anthony has 379 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Secondary

The secondary is going to have their hands full against this Memphis passing attack. Seth Henigan has been playing well of late and that's thanks to his receivers. Roc Taylor the 6-3 senior has been playing pretty well with 738 yards and 2 touchdowns, Demeer Blankumsee has 545 yards and 5 touchdowns, and Koby Drake has 471 yards and 1 touchdown. This will have to be an all-around group effort from the Green Wave secondary. Micah Robinson and Jonathan Edwards will try to slow down Roc Taylor with Javion White and Reyshawn Pleasant lining up against the other speedier receivers, with Javion lining up in the slot. I can see Caleb Ransaw helping out with the tight end and running back this game. Jack Tchienchou, Bailey Despaine, and Kevin Adams must lock down the deep end of the field and cannot bite on the play action or Seth will burn them.

X Factor: Stop the run and make Memphis one dimensional

Special Teams

Kicker/Punter/Return Game

K- Patrick Durkin or Jacob Barnes need to have a solid day if Tulane can't punch it in.

P-Will Karrol must have an amazing game and flip the field if Tulane stalls in their own end of the field

For more Tulane Football news, check out Wave Watch on YouTube at The Kneaux!

Roll Wave!!

This is Patrick Harkness and you can follow me on X @RollDatWave and @BeInTheKneaux everywhere.

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Preseason Guide: Rams

By Kaden Arkeder • August 22, 2026

The second preseason game is shaping up to be quite the interesting one as there is numerous position battles being waged. These position battles are being fought over depth chart positioning or for the couple of roster spots up for grabs. Here is what I am looking out for in the preseason matchup against the Rams. The battle to be the backup quarterback behind Shough. Entering training camp I didn’t see this becoming a legitimate battle but give credit to Zach Wilson for taking advantage of his opportunities while Spencer Rattler has not done enough to cement himself as the backup thus far. Zach Wilson made some good reads and throws in the previous game showing he can move the offense down the field into scoring position. Moving the offense down the field was something Spencer Rattler was not able to do and will need to in this game if he wants to keep this a competition heading into the final preseason game against the Cowboys. This battle could come down to the wire so buckle up over these next two games. Up next I am keeping an eye on is the WR depth chart battle. With Tyson injured there is a good chance another roster spot opened up for another wide receiver to make the roster. But not only that because of the injury there is increased opportunity for these young wide receiver to make a bigger impact early on in their careers than expected. I’ll be looking to see if they can take advantage of that or if the Saints might have to add a veteran to the mix to bring in some experience. Speaking of experience, it appears as though the experience Charlie Smyth got last year has not translated into consistent results quite yet which leaves the door open Tanner Brown to potentially win the kicking job should Smyth continue to miss on his opportunities. This is a position where it’s been in a flux since Will Lutz was moved the team would greatly benefit from some consistency and reliability after not having for a couple years. However, the experience Martin Emerson Jr and Jayden Price have showed up in a big way in the Jaguars game. I’m looking to see if they can make the same kind of impact in this game as they did in the last because if so I think the Saints would feel a lot better about the cornerback position heading into the season as they probably did heading into training camp. Lastly with the news of Alvin Kamara being out for a few weeks with an injury of his own I’d like to see if any of the other running backs on the roster can standout and make a case for themselves to be RB3. Last week Ty Chandler had the kickoff return which set up Audric Estime for the touchdown so I give them the lead on trying to secure a roster spot as of right now. But there is still time for someone else to make a case over these next two games to widen the competition. Looking at the game in general I’m pretty excited to see how the team looks versus the Rams. The Rams have been a Super Bowl contender for a while and will prove to be a good litmus test for the Saints to see where they are in their preparation for the regular season. It’s one thing to look good against the Jaguars but another if they look good against the Rams.

Football player in red kicks as teammate kneels on field during game, crowd blurred in background

Transfer Portal Spotlight: Jackson Courville

By Patrick Harkness • August 20, 2026

K  Jackson Courville- Ohio State  He committed on January 12, 2026 (after entering the portal January 2) and is now on Tulane’s 2026 roster as a redshirt junior (#96, 5’10”, 185 lbs) from Centerville, OH (Centerville HS).  Here’s why Courville aligns so well with the Green Wave program:  • Proven Leg Strength and Clutch MAC Production : In two seasons as Ball State’s starting kicker (2023-24), he went 26-of-34 on field goals (76.5%) and 54-of-56 on extra points. Highlights include a game-winning 52-yard FG as time expired vs. Northern Illinois (2024), his career long, plus multiple makes from 50+ yards. He was automatic inside 40 yards and showed the power and accuracy Tulane needs after the departure of standout Patrick Durkin.  • P4 Experience and Fresh Start : After battling for the job at Ohio State in 2025 (limited to just 4 XPs in one appearance), he brings valuable Big Ten reps and camp competition experience. Now at Tulane, he’s locked in a competitive spring battle with Cooper Helmke and Zach Marini.  • Immediate Depth and Competition in a Reloading Unit : Tulane aggressively addressed special teams via the portal after losing Durkin. Courville arrives as a high-upside veteran with two years of eligibility left, ready to compete for the starting job and provide reliable kicking depth right away.  In short, Jackson Courville is a smart, high-character portal pickup who brings proven production, big-leg power, and built-in chemistry with the offense to a position group that needed reinforcements. #RollWave Make sure to follow Patrick Harkness on X