It's time for the Green Wave to put together a complete game on both sides of the ball.
Though it's been a tough start to the year for the Tulane Green Wave, the program is looking to bounce back as it takes on the Southern Miss Golden Eagles on Saturday night.
It will be a revenge game of sorts for head coach Will Hall, who was with USM up until late in the 2024 season. Not only will he be looking to prove that he's on to bigger and better things, but he also desperately needs to show that he's fit to lead the Green Wave.
Tulane has struggled to 1-2 on the year, with that win coming on a last-minute touchdown over the South Alabama Jaguars in Week Two. Meanwhile, the Golden Eagles are seemingly one of the worst FBS teams in the nation.
The Green Wave is expected to win the matchup, but that's far from a guarantee. Tulane needs to lock in now and follow these keys to success as it looks to pick up a much-needed win before American Conference play begins.
Improve offensive line play.
Tulane's offensive line was putrid in last weekend's loss to the Kansas State Wildcats, giving up 12 tackles-for-loss and six sacks on the evening.
Those numbers are ridiculous in today's day and age, especially in games between two competent FBS opponents. It was almost impossible for the Olive Green and Sky Blue to do anything on that side of the ball, because nobody had time to make big plays happen.
That type of performance is inexcusable. It's time for Tulane to step up in the trenches or risk a total shutdown of its offense.
Run the dang ball.
Southern Miss has one of the worst rushing defenses in the nation, and the Green Wave has a strong running backs room. That's a recipe for a big night on the ground.
Jaylin Lucas and Maurice Turner should be the frontrunners to pick up the majority of carries, especially with Jamauri McClure out for another week. Both players have shown that they can be explosive and get the job done when needed... they also desperately need a bit of a "boost" heading into league action. With these two standouts taking handoffs, it should be hard for the USM defense to keep up.
Limit an average Southern Miss offense.
The Golden Eagles are a middle-of-the-pack offense. Their passing attack (232.0 yards per game) is a bit better than their rushing attack (156.3 yards per game), but neither turn heads much. What's more, Southern Miss starting quarterback Ethan Hampton is expected to miss multiple weeks after suffering a hand injury against the UConn Huskies last weekend.
With the program's struggles and the shake-up with the signal-callers, there's no reason why Tulane shouldn't come out and make an immediate impact. If the defense can't find a way to finally get some stops and force a few three-and-outs, then it's just another indication of how long of a season this could be in Uptown.
