MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Tulane looks for its fifth straight victory when it visits Memphis on Saturday for a big American Athletic Conference matchup. The Green Wave are coming off a 49-7 rout of Connecticut, while the Tigers suffered their first loss of the season last Saturday as they fell 30-28 at Temple.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2. LINE: Memphis -4.5
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Tulane is looking to become bowl eligible with a win, as it attempts to go to a bowl game in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1979 and 1980. Quarterback Justin McMillan leads the charge for the Green Wave, passing for 1,042 yards and eight touchdowns while adding a team-high six rushing scores. Memphis' Brady White has thrown for 1,526 yards and 13 touchdowns, but he's coming off a three-turnover performance in the loss to Temple. Freshman running back Kenneth Gainwell, who already has rushed for 726 yards and seven TDs, ranks second in the nation with 160.5 all-purpose yards per game.
ABOUT TULANE (5-1, 2-0 American)
The Green Wave are coming off a season-best 634 yards of total offense in the win over Connecticut, going over 300 both passing and rushing. The game showed the depth of Tulane's roster this season, as Corey Dauphine led the team with just 87 yards rushing while McMillan recorded only 231 through the air. The combination of Dauphine (364 yards) and Darius Bradwell (325) are leading a ground attack that averages 288 yards per game, good for fourth in the nation.
ABOUT MEMPHIS (5-1, 1-1)
Senior tight end Joey Magnifico is one of the top players in the country at his position, having made 12 catches for 267 yards this season. His average of 22.25 yards per reception is tops in the nation among tight ends and sixth among all players. Magnifico registered a career-high 87 yards on six receptions in the loss to Temple and is just five shy of 1,000 for his career.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Tulane is limiting opponents to just 179.3 passing yards per game, which ranks second in conference and 18th in the country.
2. Tigers sophomore DB Sanchez Blake Jr. leads the team with 42 tackles after registering a career-high 12 in the loss to Temple.
3. Memphis won 11 straight meetings between the schools before Tulane captured last season's matchup.
PREDICTION: Memphis 27, Tulane 24