Conference USA Quick Previews For Week 13

Tulane (4-7, 2-5) at Marshall (4-7, 3-4)

Saturday, November 27

Kick-Off: 12:00PM ET

Location: Joan C. Edwards Stadium (38,019)

All-Time Series: Marshall leads 3-0

Last Meeting: Marshall 31, at Tulane 10 (Oct. 10, 2009)

Vegas Says: Marshall -9.5

Two teams seeking to rebound from the disappointment of having their post-season dreams – however fanciful and far-fetched they may have been -  extinguished last week will meet this Saturday when the Tulane Green Wave  faces Conference USA foes Marshall.  Despite both teams harboring hopes for a bowl bid until last Saturday, the fact is the Green Wave and Thundering Herd have had very different seasons.

Coach Bob Toledo’s Green Wave has been inconsistent, as befits an inexperienced team all season.  Tulane’s pattern has been to win one game and then lose two in a row all season.  The Green Wave has been done in by a Maginot Line-esque rushing defense that has conceded 31 rushing touchdowns and is yielding 205 rushing yards per game.  Tulane has been only marginally better on the offensive side of the ball, ranking 10 th in C-USA in both scoring and total offense with 25.1 points and 369.9 yards per game.  Lively frosh running back Orleans Darkwa has been the Green Wave’s bright spot this season, rushing for nine touchdowns and 860 yards on 161 carries.

The Thundering Herd may not be going bowling, but they have shown plenty of signs that indicate postseason play is imminent.  Doc Holliday’s squad may have started the season 1-7, but they have rallied down the stretch, winning three of their last four games, with the only setback being a 31-17 defeat at Southern Methodist last Saturday.  The play of senior signal caller Brian Anderson has been the key to Marshall’s season.  When Anderson is on, as he was during the three-game winning streak when he completed 58-of-95 passes for 693 yards and seven touchdowns to go with two touchdowns, the Thundering Herd win.  When he is off, like he was in last week’s 31-17 loss to Southern Methodist, the Thundering Herd lose. 

UCF (8-3, 6-1) at Memphis (1-10, 0-7)

Saturday November 27

Kick-Off: 12:00PM ET

Location: Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium (61,737)

All-Time Series: UCF leads 5-1

Last Meeting: UCF 32, at Memphis 14 (Oct. 3, 2009)

Vegas Says: UCF -25

Two teams with drastically different things at stake square off this Saturday in Memphis when the UCF Knights face Conference USA foes Memphis.  The Knights, who are 25-point favorites entering the contest, can claim the C-USA East Division title and spot in the conference championship with a win.  Memphis’ coach Larry Porter doesn’t have such grand visions for his youthful and overmatched side.  Instead, he’s probably hoping a few lonely souls show up at the Liberty Bowl Saturday afternoon and that his Tigers do right by them.  This means not getting pole-axed to the tune of 50-14 or 57-16 like they did in their last two home games.

Unfortunately for the Tigers, merely staying competitive Saturday will be a Herculean endeavor.  For starters, Memphis has lost 16 of its last 17 games, not a good omen when a team like UCF that is chasing a division title comes calling.   Making matters worse for the home side is the fact that the Memphis offense is the worst in C-USA, scoring only 14.2 points and gaining 284.1 yards per game.  Such meager output is unlikely to cause UCF coach George O’Leary and his staff to lose any sleep, as the Knights have C-USA’s defense, conceding only 19.1 points and 320.2 yards per game.

One week after being ambushed by Southern Miss, the UCF Knights dropped 61 points on Tulane in a comprehensive 61-14 shellacking of the Green Wave.  Don’t be surprised if frosh signal caller Jeff Godfrey (114-of-173, 1,623 yards, 10 touchdowns, 6 interceptions) leads the Knights offense to a similar performance this Saturday.