Tulane Back To Drawing Board Ahead of Season-Defining Memphis Matchup

New Orleans, La. – For the first time this season, the Tulane Green Wave conducted their Monday practice outside at Yulman Stadium rather than inside the air-conditioned bubble.

Perhaps there’s a strategic reason for that, or perhaps they needed a full practice field and can’t afford to do a truncated indoor practice on a short week following a major conference loss to open league play.

It now puts the game against the Memphis Tigers with much higher stakes; it all but feels like the season hinges on a win over a conference rival this Friday evening.

Not just a conference rival, but the leading member of the American Conference heading into Week 6 of play. The Tigers are now 5-1 on the year with a 2-0 record in league play with wins over the Charlotte 49ers and UAB Blazers.

Sure, the 49ers aren’t much competition, but they’re one of just two teams Tulane is above in conference standings with a 2-3 record and 0-1 in conference play, losing their first league opener since 2021.

And they’re one of the few teams you can point to on the schedule as an all but guaranteed win for the Green Wave.

If the Army Black Knights were a mountain too tall for them, Memphis is going to look like Mount Everest if the team doesn’t have a real come together moment on a short week of practice.

The Tigers lead the conference in sacks with 15 through six games. Tulane is second from last with five through five contests.

In Week 0 where they dismantled the UNLV Rebels, Memphis’ pass rush looked really ferocious.

It will be a tall task for this Green Wave offensive line who have gone through more combinations than anticipated this season.

To open the season, Dom Steward was at left tackle, Greshman Perry at left guard, Gavin Marks at center, Reese Baker at right guard, and Ryan Mickow at right tackle.

An injury to Steward moved Mickow over to left tackle, and Darion Reed replaced Mickow. John Bock also returned to the center role after an injury kept him out of the opener.

Against the Black Knights, they debuted an entirely new line due to injuries to Steward and then Reed.

Mickow was at left tackle next to Perry, but Marks was back at center, Bock moved to right guard, and Baker moved to right tackle.

Frankly, the combination worked well. But it’s a green group of guys together who have shuffled around a lot through five weeks of play.

They won’t have a breather this weekend against Memphis.

Neither will any phase of this team.

But the offense must find a way to give the defense a fighting chance to be in this one.