Memphis Tigers Football- Q and A with TheWaveReport

We caught up with Guerry Smith of TheWaveReport and asked him 5 questions about the big Tulane/Memphis AAC West match-up.

TigerSportsReport- Tulane has a dynamic quarterback in Justin McMillan, what makes this kid so special?

Guerry Smith- It's funny now that a lot of people (including me) wondered if McMillan was a good enough runner to fit in Willie Fritz's system last year. It turns out he is outstanding in that department, a wizard on ball fakes and very decisive when he decides to run, two attributes that eluded predecessor Jonathan Banks. As a passer, McMillan has been inconsistent, capable of making every throw but also capable of missing a lot of throws, particularly when he is on the move and does not get his feet set. But he does not let the bad plays affect him. When his fumble with no one around him handed Army a 7-0 lead a few weeks ago, he responded by leading Tulane on back-to-back-to-back touchdown drives. He is extremely confident in himself, and why shouldn't he be? Tulane was 2-5 when he took over as a starter last year and is 10-2 under his guidance. He is improving by the week, too. He had not taken a significant snap in college until he arrived at Tulane as a grad transfer, and he is getting more and more comfortable as he gains experience.

TSR- This Tulane team has played well all season. Who should Memphis be worried about besides McMillan?

The running backs are ridiculously good, even without 1,000-yard 2018 rusher Darius Bradwell, who will miss this game with a leg injury. Sophomore Amare Jones, an Alvin Kamara-like dual threat as a runner/receiver, will be playing in the NFL down the road. Corey Dauphine, who scored two touchdowns against Memphis last year, averages 11 yards per carry and is a threat to go the distance every time he touches the ball. Combine them with a dramatically improved offensive line behind first-year line coach Cody Kennedy, who has worked wonders with a position that struggled for more than a decade, and you get the fourth-most prolific rushing attack in the country. When you add in college football's only receiving duo with 2,100-plus career yards (Darnell Mooney and Oklahoma State grad transfer Jalen McCleskey), you get an offense that has been unstoppable for every opponent but Auburn, averaging 551 yards in the other five games.

TSR- Tulane's defense does a better job at stopping the pass than the run. Why do you think that's the case?

Those numbers are misleading. Tulane struggled in the first half against Houston because the Cougars spread out the defense and unleashed D'Eriq King, one of the best athletes to ever play the position. Tulane struggled at times against Army because nose tackle Jeffery Johnson. who is nearly impossible to move out of the way, was out with an injury. Run defense was supposed to be the defense's strength entering the year and it still can be with a healthy Johnson in the middle. The pass defense has been better than expected, with cornerbacks Thakarius Keyes and Jaylon Monroe providing tight coverage and the pass rushers affecting quarterbacks much more than the Wave's low sack total of 10 would indicate. The Wave sacked Brady White seven times last year and will come after him hard, knowing he can't hurt them with his legs like King did. If they don't get to White, the safeties can be vulnerable in coverage.

TSR- Tulane offensive coordinator Will Hall was on the Memphis staff as tight ends coach last year. Do you think Hall's familiarity with Norvell's offense will have any effect on the outcome?

Hall says no, pointing out Norvell has familiarity with him, too. The bigger issue for Memphis is simply that Hall is a really good coordinator, proving once again how Norvell has an eyes for coaching talent. Tulane's offense looks nothing like it did in the first three years of Willie Fritz, who deserves tremendous credit for making a coordinator change after clinching Tulane's first bowl bid in five years last season. So many coaches would have been content with progress, but Fritz knew he needed a new approach to compete for and win championships. Hall uses every part of the field, gets his playmakers in space and uses motion to great effect. With eight starters returning, Tulane appeared to have a championship-caliber defense entering the year. Thanks to Hall, it has a championship caliber offense as well.

TSR- Tulane broke an 11-game losing skid to Memphis last year. How do you see this game playing out and what's your score prediction?

This is the ultimate litmus test. Tulane is playing well enough to run the table in the AAC, and yes, I realize how strong a statement that is considering how tough the schedule is in the second half of the year, but Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium has been a house of horrors for the Wave over the years. Memphis presents problems for everyone with its talent at receiver and running back. The Tigers also are hopping mad after the way they lost at Temple, and they know they have to win this game to keep hopes of a West division three-peat alive. Memphis will play much better than a year ago, but I see Tulane forcing Brady White into enough mistakes to come away with a 31-27 victory.