Tulane Must Be Careful Against Potential Trap at Charlotte

The Tulane Green Wave have a weird trap game of sorts as they have a lot on the line against a Charlotte 49ers team with one win on the year.

When the schedule game out, this game always felt a little fragile and rocky based on where it was at in the year.

No matter the result of the start of the Green Wave’s conference slate, it was always going to be a bit of an exhausting one with three dominant and top conference teams off the bat in American play in the Army Black Knights, Memphis Tigers, and UTSA Roadrunners.

Now, Tulane was certainly hoping to come out of it 2-1 as well, but there’s still plenty to play for left on the year.

It doesn’t discount the fact that they were three majorly important games that there might be a bit of an emotional hangover from after.

Even if the Wave came out of it 3-0, then this game really turns into a trap game.

But now, it really means a lot to both sides, and it’s almost a blessing and a curse to be playing a team with only one win on the year who is certainly going to be playing more chaotic, unsound football than the Roadrunners did.

And while respecting the 49ers and what they’re building, their competition and talent level is just lower than the Green Wave’s. Teams have to be a bit careful about not playing down to their competition.

Simply put, if Tulane plays the brand of football they put on the field Saturday night against UTSA, a win is not remotely guaranteed.

It’s hard to win a game when you turn the ball over six times. See Memphis two weeks ago and the Green Wave last Saturday.

And Tulane still has to prove that that was an exception to who they are at this point.

The penalty issues reared their ugly heads again in critical moments.

Special teams had become a pointed strength and that reverted with turnovers in the kicking game and a crucial penalty that awarded UTSA field position that led to a touchdown.

The defense didn’t take proper leverage. The offense lost their identity again.

A team playing that brand of football can’t think to win against anyone.

But the Green Wave have to show that it was a blip on the radar and play every snap of their brand of football in order to not just win, but to show that the season is salvageable.