UConn @ Tulane preview
Yulman Stadium
Tulane’s encore to its first postseason bid since 2002 and introduction to a new league has been rocky at best. The Green Wave, who eye their first-ever American Athletic Conference victory against Connecticut on Saturday, lost in the New Orleans Bowl last season to cap an 18-year run in Conference USA. But since a double-overtime setback at Tulsa in its AAC debut in late August, Tulane has lost three of four by an average of 25.3 points, with its only win coming against Southeastern Louisiana.
The hard times continued in a 31-6 defeat at Rutgers on Sept. 27, a game in which starting quarterback Tanner Lee left with a shoulder injury. "Losing Tanner really impacted our game plan. … We had to cut down on what we were trying to do and really just (weren’t) effective,” third-year coach Curtis Johnson told the school’s website following the setback. The Huskies fell to 0-2 in conference play for the third time in as many years after a 36-10 setback versus Temple on Sept. 27 and secured their only win for first-year coach Bob Diaco against FCS member Stony Brook in the second game of the season.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPNews. LINE: Tulane -3.5.
ABOUT CONNECTICUT (1-4, 0-2 American): Some of the Huskies’ woes stem from their inability to eliminate big plays by the opposing defense; Connecticut has given up four defensive touchdowns through five games. "We've got to eliminate game-changing turnovers. … Impossible to win – a pick-six, fumble recovery for a touchdown and safety," Diaco said after his team gave up 16 non-offensive points in the loss to the Owls. Geremy Davis finished with eight catches against Temple, passing Carl Bond (1995-1998) and moving into sole possession of seventh place in school history with 146 career receptions.
ABOUT TULANE (1-4, 0-1): Redshirt freshman Sherman Badie already has two 100-yard rushing efforts to his credit and recorded his second touchdown run of at least 86 yards this season in the Green Wave’s AAC debut. Junior cornerback Lorenzo Doss collected his 13th career interception in the same game, a total that ranks him third among active FBS players and on the school’s all-time list. Tulane’s defense recorded eight tackles for loss against Rutgers and has tallied at least four negative-yardage plays in each of its last 19 contests.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Connecticut has committed a turnover on the opening drive in four of its five games and all of those giveaways have led to touchdowns.
2. The Green Wave have collected at least one turnover in 14 straight games, but failed to force multiple miscues for the first time during that streak with only one takeaway versus Rutgers.
3. Davis has at least one catch in 31 consecutive games – tied for the 12th-longest streak in FBS.
PREDICTION: Tulane 20, Connecticut 17