Could Memphis Victory Turn Things Around for Tulane Defense?

The Tulane Green Wave picked up the biggest win of the season with a 31-17 takedown of the Memphis Tigers on Friday night, and believe it or not, it was the defense that made the most noise all night.

That group has struggled all season, consistently ranking among the worst in the nation. Yet, none of that mattered on Friday night. Tulane held a tough Tigers offense to 17 points, even while giving up 482 total yards. The visiting squad went 2-for-11 on third down and 0-for-2 on fourth down. 

The Green Wave forced six total turnovers -- the most in a game since 2003. Kevin Adams III had two interceptions, and TJ Smith had a pick of his own. Ed Smith IV, Josh Lewis and Warren Roberts Jr. each had a fumble recovery. Any time Memphis would try to get a bit of a drive going, it felt like Tulane was finding a way to get the ball back. Don't forget -- the Olive Green and Sky Blue had only forced one turnover through five games heading into the matchup.

What's more impressive than six turnovers? How about 16 takedowns behind the line of scrimmage. The team had nine tackles-for-loss and seven sacks, as well as two quarterback hurries. Those numbers were split pretty evenly among seven different players, showing just how well the entire defense played together. 

Memphis wasn't an "easy" team to takedown, either. The Tigers entered the matchup with a 5-1 overall record and a 2-0 mark in American Conference play, averaging roughly 38.5 points per game. 

Could this be a major turning point for the Tulane defense? There's always been talent on the field, as shown by the praise that many players drew ahead of the season, but the group just wasn't playing cohesively. If Friday's performance is any indication of what's to come, the unit just might have figured things out. 

It's going to be hard to replicate the video game numbers that the Green Wave put up on Friday night. However, if the team plays even half as well as it did this weekend, then it's going to find itself in some big games moving forward. 

The Green Wave still faces a difficult road ahead. The team is set to face off against the league's top team on Saturday as it welcomes the UTSA Roadrunners to Uptown. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT.