The Tulane Green Wave has plenty to clean up on the defensive side of the ball following a 42-19 loss to the UTSA Roadrunners.

Tulane gave up 396 total yards to UTSA, with 223 of those coming on the ground. Additionally, the team allowed its opponent to convert 12 of its 16 third down attempts. Those numbers certainly didn't match the Green Wave standard, and it was an extra disappointing performance given how well the unit looked just two weeks ago in a win over the Memphis Tigers.

Now, Tulane must find a way to bounce back on a short week as it hits the road to face the Charlotte 49ers on Friday night. The 49ers have had their own plethora of issues this year, but though the Green Wave has fared well against them in the past, it won't be so easy this year. 

Which Olive Green and Sky Blue standouts could make the most noise in North Carolina? Here are three defensive players to keep an eye on.

Rogers had one of his best games of the year against UTSA, picking up four total tackles and hauling in two interceptions that he returned for a total of 28 yards.

As a whole, the secondary has been the strongest part of Tulane's defense, and that's not expected to change anytime soon. Though he is just a sophomore, Rogers has played a major part in that success.

Charlotte isn't having a strong season through the air, averaging just 199.9 passing yards per game. At this rate, Rogers is going to put together another strong showing as he looks to help his team bounce back.

Adams has been downright impressive this season and is easily one of the defense's best players. 

The safety had eight tackles, including six solo tackles, and one tackle-for-loss against the Roadrunners. So far this year, he's on a roll: 62 total tackles, three tackles-for-loss, two interceptions and one fumble recovery. Those are the types of numbers that the Green Wave has expected from him, and what's arguably the most impressive thing about him is his ability to get the job done on his own. 

Adams has hardly slowed down this year, so there's no reason to think he'll do so against the 49ers. 

It's time for Tchienchou to turn things up a bit.

The star safety hasn't had the season that anyone has expected him to, and there is no doubt that's frustrating. However, Tchienchou did find a bit of a groove against the Roadrunners; he had only two tackles, but he added a quarterback hurry and a forced fumble to his stat sheet. 

Everyone has been waiting for the Tchienchou from 2025 to make his return, and all it takes is one game to get things back on track. Could this be the weekend that turns things around?