Black Friday in the Big Easy

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On November 9, 2013 the Tulane Green Wave visited UTSA at the Alamodome. Both schools were members of Conference USA, although at different points in their membership. Tulane would depart the conference for the American prior to the 2014 season while UTSA was in just its first season as a member.

Now 10 years later UTSA will make the return trip to New Orleans with both schools on level ground in the American Conference. UTSA is 7-0 in its first season as a member of the conference. Tulane is the defending conference champion with a 7-0 record. The winner will move on to the conference championship game. The loser will have to root for Navy to beat SMU on Saturday.

UTSA needs to win Friday and then win either the conference championship game or bowl game to finish with its third straight 10-win season in its 13th season of football. Tulane just got to 10 wins in back to back seasons for the first time in a program history that goes back to 1893.

Tulane as a school goes back farther than the Republic of Texas. In 1834, the school was founded as the Medical College of Louisiana. Texas joined the union as the 28th state in 1845. Two years later in 1847, the Medical College added more programs and became the University of Louisiana. Tulane served as a public school from 1834 until 1884 when it was transferred to the Tulane Education Foundation and became a private university known as the Tulane University of Louisiana.

In 1893 Tulane fielded its first football team. At the time the team was known as the Olive and Blue for the school colors. In 1920 the team adopted the moniker of Green Wave that it keeps to this day. Tulane was part of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association off and on from 1896 to 1921 before joining the Southern Conference in 1922. The Green Wave won one SIAA championship and four SoCon championships. Tulane then became a founding member of the Southeastern Conference in 1932.

The Green Wave played in the SEC from 1932-1965 in which time they won the conference three times. Despite not being a member for nearly 60 years now, Tulane still has more SEC championships than half of the current membership of that conference, including fellow charter members Kentucky, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt and later additions Arkansas, South Carolina, Missouri and Texas A&M.

Tulane was an independent from 1966-1995 before joining Conference USA in 1996. The Green Wave have an all-time record of 563-672-38. Since the 2011 season the Green Wave have gone 70-91.

In addition to one SIAA, four SoCon and three SEC championships, Tulane also has a Conference USA championship in 1998 and the American championship last year. UTSA arrives in New Orleans this Friday having won back-to-back Conference USA Championships before departing that league.

While UTSA had a rough non-conference schedule, going 1-3, Tulane went 3-1 with its only loss in non-conference coming to long-time rival Ole Miss. In American Conference play both schools have gone 7-0 and kept up with SMU who also has gone 7-0 while avoiding both UTSA and Tulane thanks to the schedule.

The winner of UTSA and Tulane will clinch a spot in the conference championship game next Saturday. The loser will hope Navy is able to sink SMU on Saturday and then have the conference tiebreakers go their way.

UTSA is riding high coming into the game against Tulane after beating South Florida 49-21 with a school record 643 yards of offense. Tulane had their largest margin of victory in a conference game this season with a 24-8 win over Florida Atlantic last week.

The Roadrunners have outscored opponents 364-267 through the first 11 games (33.09-24.27 per game). Tulane has outscored opponents 306-204 in the first 11 games (27.82-18.55 per game). In Conference games UTSA has outscored opponents 287-155 (41-22.14 per game) and Tulane has outscored opponents 192-140 (27.43-20 per game)

UTSA's offense is now up to 4,720 yards this season (429.1 per game). The Roadrunners have thrown for 2,799 yards (254.5 per game) and run for 1,921 yards (174.6 per game). Tulane's defense will present quite a challenge for the Roadrunners. Opponents of the Green Wave have combined for 3,563 yards of offense this season (323.9 per game). Opponents of Tulane have thrown for 2,708 yards (246.18 per game) and run for 855 yards (77.7 per game).

Tulane's offense had 4,308 yards this season (391.6 per game). The Green Wave have thrown for 2,528 yards (229.82 per game) and run for 1,780 yards (161.8 per game). UTSA's defense has allowed 4,079 yards to opposing offenses this season (370.8 per game). Opponents of the Roadrunners have thrown for 2,654 yards (241.3 per game) and run for 1,425 yards (129.5 per game).

After trying to overcome an early deficit UTSA has finally gotten to plus territory in terms of turnovers. The Roadrunners have a plus one turnover differential with 15 takeaways on defense (six fumble recoveries, nine interceptions) to 14 turnovers on offense (five fumbles lost, nine interceptions).

Tulane has a plus-two turnover differential with 17 takeaways on defense (five fumble recoveries, 12 interceptions) to 15 turnovers on offense (nine fumbles lost, six interceptions).

NOTABLE PLAYERS

This one could be about the quarterbacks. UTSA's Frank Harris and Tulane's Michael Pratt have been leading their teams through the conference season to keep alive their chances at a conference championship game berth.

Harris has played in nine of the 11 games for UTSA and completed 193 of his 298 pass attempts for 2,308 yards and 17 touchdowns. Pratt has also played in nine of the 11 games for Tulane this season. He has completed 155 of his 225 pass attempts for 2,043 yards and 19 touchdowns.

The leading receiver for UTSA this season has been Joshua Cephus. Cephus has 76 catches for 966 yards and nine touchdowns. Tykee Ogle-Kellogg has 514 yards and seven touchdowns on 29 catches. Devin McCuin has caught 36 passes for 489 yards and three touchdowns.

Tulane's receiving corps is led by the duo of Lawerence Keys III and Chris Brazell II. Keys has caught 33 passes for 599 yards and seven touchdowns. Brazell has caught 36 passes for 577 yards and three touchdowns. Jha'Quan Jackson is another notable Tulane receiver with 421 yards and four touchdowns on 24 catches.

In the running game UTSA has four key contributors now that Harris is running like his old ways. Kevorian Barnes leads the Roadrunners with 127 carries for 606 yards and has scored six touchdowns. Robert Henry leads the team in rushing touchdowns with eight to go with 482 yards on 89 carries. Rocko Griffin has carried the ball 76 times for 415 yards and four touchdowns. Harris has 73 carries for 295 yards and four touchdowns.

Leading the Green Wave ground game is running back Makhi Hughes with 206 carries for 1,080 yards and six touchdowns. Pratt is the second highest Green Wave runner with 271 yards and four touchdowns on 78 carries.

UTSA is 0-12 against ranked opponents at the FBS level and 0-13 when the loss at then-FCS ranked Sam Houston in 2011 is counted. The Roadrunners lost at ranked Tennessee this season. Someday the Roadrunners will put a "1" next to their name on the record against ranked opponents.

Why can't that first win come on Friday. Tulane is the defending conference champion and are worthy of their 7-0 record in conference play but they have looked vulnerable at times this season. UTSA has rolled through the first seven games of conference play, against some of the same teams that Tulane has been tested against.

It is possible that UTSA will be able to go into Yulman Stadium and pick up the upset. The Roadrunners will need to try and get the running game going against a Tulane run defense that has been quite stingy this season. If the game turns into a shootout that might bode well for the Roadrunners.

This will be a closely contested game that should provide an entertaining game for the national audience on ABC. The team that wins the game will probably be the team that wins the turnover battle.

I believe the Roadrunners will pull out the win. I also think it will be on the foot of Chase Allen.

PREDICTION: UTSA 34 Tulane 31

FORUMS: UTSA Boulevard | Roadrunner Way