New Orleans — Tulane is on the verge of becoming bowl eligible, if they can get a win at Memphis for the first time since 1998. A win against the Tigers could also put the Green Wave in the Top 25 rankings, after having received votes in the AP Poll the past 4 weeks.
“I think our guys know that and it is a step in the right direction for sure,” said Tulane Head Coach Willie Fritz. “A few years ago, no one would have thought it would occur. We are proud of that. We have a lot of goals we want to accomplish.”
Tulane (5-1, 2-0) is coming-off a 49-7 win at UConn last week, which marked their 4th-straight win. As for Memphis (5-1, 1-1 AAC), they won 5-straight to start the season and are coming-off a narrow 30-28 loss on the road against Temple. Now into the thick of American Athletic Conference play, Coach Fritz knows there’s no letting up.
“It is a hard division that we are in,” Fritz said. “Everybody is pretty darn good. You better buckle up for every game.”
Also of note in this game, is it will be a homecoming for Tulane’s new Offensive Coordinator Will Hall, who was the Associate Head Coach/Tight Ends Coach at Memphis just last season. In his weekly press conference, Coach Fritz addressed the connection:
“Yes, he worked last year for Memphis,” Fritz said. “He knows some, but with their defensive staff, they have a new defensive coordinator. He was not there for spring ball with them. There are also some things they know about what we are doing because he was already doing a lot of those things before he went from Memphis. I am sure he has taken some things too because Mike is a very innovative offensive coordinator. There are some similarities.”
Kick-off is set for 6:00 p.m. CT at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee.
