2011 Predictions & Game Story
Week 8 - Memphis at Tulane
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Oct. 22 Memphis 33 … at Tulane 17
CFN Analysis: COMING
(AP) NEW ORLEANS -- Taylor Reed passed for two touchdowns and ran for another as Memphis rallied in the second half to beat Tulane 33-17 on Saturday.
The Tigers (2-6, 1/3 Conference USA) trailed 17-14 before scoring 19 unanswered points in the second half to pull away. A 79-yard interception return for a touchdown by Bobby McCain gave Memphis the lead for good at 20-17 with 8:51 to play in the third quarter. Reed, who passed for 213 yards, scored on a 1-yard run minutes later for the Tigers, who beat Tulane for the sixth straight time.
It was the most points scored by the Tigers, who snapped a four-game losing streak, since they had 35 on Oct. 10, 2009, against Texas-El Paso.
Ryan Griffin passed for 377 yards and a touchdown for Tulane, which lost in the debut of interim head coach Mark Hutson. He is replacing Bob Toledo, who resigned on Tuesday.
Memphis (1-6) at Tulane (2-5) Oct. 22, 3:30, Fox College Sports
Here’s The Deal … After four-plus years of dreadful results, the Bob Toledo era has ended at Tulane. Toledo resigned from his head coaching post earlier in the week, paving the way for offensive line coach Mark Hutson to take over on an interim basis. After going 15-40 during his tenure, including a telling 44-7 home loss to UTEP last week, the move by the coach was hardly unexpected, on campus or around the country. Hutson might not have to wait very long for his first victory. Lowly Memphis visits the Superdome this weekend. The Tigers have spent their seven games staking a claim to being the worst program in the Football Bowl Subdivision. After falling to East Carolina a week ago, 35-17, they’re winless against fellow FBS teams, claiming their only victory of the year at the expense of Austin Peay.
Why Memphis Might Win: The Tigers’ best chance for delivering the upset will occur on offense. Sure, they’ve sputtered with the ball, but the Tulane D has been every bit as ineffective. The Green Wave ranks 110th nationally in points allowed, giving up no fewer than 37 in any of the last four games. Memphis gets QB Taylor Reed back from an injury that shelved him for part of last week’s loss. The rookie has been getting more comfortable with his role, forming a pitch-and-catch bond with veteran Tannar Rehrer and fellow freshmen Kevin Wright and Keiwone Malone. RB Artaves Gibson will once again get the bulk of the carries as Billy Foster and Jerrell Rhodes continue to rehab injuries.
Why Tulane Might Win: The Green Wave D is flimsy, but Memphis’ unit is noticeably worse. The Tigers rank 117th nationally, routinely getting bullied on the ground and through the air. Plus, Tulane has a few more reliable weapons on offense than this week’s visitor. For starters, it hopes that QB Ryan Griffin’s hip injury allows him to play, keeping erratic backup D.J. Ponder holding a clipboard on the sidelines. Regardless of the situation at quarterback, RB Orleans Darkwa should get at least 20 chances to soften the vulnerable Memphis front seven. The sophomore is still looking to recapture the 2010 form that helped carry him to five 100-yard games in the second half of the year.
What To Watch Out For: While it’s going to get lost in an otherwise rough year for the team, Tulane LB Trent Mackey continues to author an all-star junior year in the Big Easy. First to make contact on most plays, the former Duke transfer ranks second in the league with 87 tackles. He’s also had six stops behind the line and a pick six, flashing outstanding field awareness. He and DE Dezman Moses will be a handful for a Memphis line that’s doing a poor job of protecting the pocket.
What Will Happen: Losing Toledo won’t be too much of a disruption for a Green Wave team that maintains some semblance of continuity with Hutson at the helm. Tulane will actually delight in an opportunity to flex its muscles at the expense of a weaker opponent for a change. It’ll ride the shoulders of Darkwa, who’ll reward the coaching staff with 125 yards and a couple of touchdowns on the ground. If Griffin is able to perform at full strength, the outcome won’t be in doubt by the end of the third quarter.
CFN Prediction: Tulane 36 … Memphis 20
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Tulane -12.5 O/U: 50.5
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