Memphis is rolling into New Orleans on Friday night with an offense that’s just flat-out ridiculous, averaging over 500 yards per game. That’s a huge number, no doubt, but they’re crashing into a Tulane team that owns Yulman Stadium with an unbelievable nine-game home winning streak. Records might scream one thing, but the vibes in the Big Easy say something completely different.
Forget the Records, Tulane’s Home Field is a Fortress
On paper, you’ve got the Memphis Tigers sitting pretty at 5-1 overall and a perfect 2-0 in American conference play after stomping UAB 38-13. Then there’s Tulane, looking a bit shaky at 2-3 after dropping their conference opener at Army on a last-second field goal. But if you think that means Memphis gets an easy ride, you haven’t been paying attention. Tulane has straight up owned their turf. They haven’t lost a game in New Orleans since the start of the 2025 season. Let that sink in. We’re talking 24 wins out of their last 27 regular-season conference matchups. Memphis head coach Charles Huff gets it, saying, “They are really good, we will have to play extremely well.” He’s not wrong. Tulane has a way of being a total buzzkill for the Tigers, like when they handed Memphis a 38-32 loss last November. That game was part of a five-game losing streak for Memphis after an 8-0 start, a real gut punch that season.
The Ultimate Coaching Grudge Match and Offensive Firepower
This isn’t just another Friday night game, though. There’s a wild coaching connection here. Memphis’s Charles Huff succeeded Will Hall at Southern Miss, then took the Memphis job after just one season. Now Hall is in his first season leading Tulane, and get this: Huff brought 17 players from his 2025 Southern Miss team with him to Memphis. It’s like a family reunion where everyone’s trying to tackle each other! Hall already beat Southern Miss earlier this season, and now he gets a crack at the coach and the Golden Eagles he essentially left behind.
When Memphis has the ball, pick your poison. Quarterback Marcus Stokes has slung 16 touchdown passes, but you cannot ignore running back Jaylin Carter. The sophomore is straight up balling out, already racking up 645 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, averaging an insane 7.2 yards per carry. Against UAB, he went off for 132 yards and two scores on 19 carries. Memphis isn’t just a pass-heavy team; they average 247 rushing yards per game, giving Stokes a ton of support. Plus, defensive lineman J’Mond Tapp, another one of those Southern Miss transfers, got a sack last week against UAB, so this team is playing hard on both sides. This Memphis squad has a completely different feel than last year’s group, with 81 newcomers on the roster. They’re trying to write a new story, but Tulane’s home record is a tough chapter to get through.
Friday night at 7:30 p.m. ET is when this goes down on ESPN. It’s a huge test for Memphis to keep their conference record spotless and to see if all those new faces can break Tulane’s home dominance. This one’s gonna be a grinder, no doubt about it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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