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The Tulane Green Wave are 0-7 against the SMU Mustangs since November of 2015, but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. Tulane and SMU will face off in an American Athletic battle at 7:30 p.m. ET at Benson Field at Yulman Stadium. The Mustangs will be strutting in after a win while the Green Wave will be stumbling in from a loss.
Tulane came up short against the UCF Knights on Saturday, falling 38-31. Despite the defeat, Tulane had strong showings from QB Michael Pratt, who passed for three TDs and 236 yards on 39 attempts in addition to punching in one rushing touchdown, and RB Tyjae Spears, who picked up 130 yards on the ground on eight carries. Spears' longest run was for 70 yards in the first quarter.
Meanwhile, it was all tied up 17-17 at the half for SMU and the South Florida Bulls on Saturday, but SMU stepped up in the second half for a 41-23 victory. The Mustangs' RB Camar Wheaton looked sharp as he rushed for two TDs and 112 yards on 14 carries. That nimble footwork stands out as the first time Wheaton has hit the 100-yard rushing mark this season. Wheaton's sharp performance also set his single-game rushing touchdown high for the season.
This next matchup is expected to be close, with the Green Wave going off at just a 3-point favorite. They have been consistent moneymakers against the spread when favored (5-1), so they might be worth a quick bet.
Tulane is now 8-2 while SMU sits at 6-4. A couple stats to keep an eye on: Tulane enters the contest with only 175.5 passing yards allowed per game on average, good for 13th best in the nation. But SMU comes into the game boasting the seventh most passing yards per game in the nation at 325.9. These opposing strengths should make for an exciting matchup.
