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. 

Houston (5-6, CUSA 4-4) at Texas Tech (6-5, Big 12 3-5)

Saturday November 27, 2010

Kick-off:   8:00 p.m. (ET)

Location:   Jones AT&T Stadium (60,454)

All-Time Series: Houston leads 18-10-1

Last Meeting: at Houston 29, Texas Tech 28 (Sept. 26, 2009)

Vegas Says:  Texas Tech -9.5

  Saturday night’s scrap with intrastate rivals Texas Tech is very simple for the Houston Cougars; beat the Red Raiders and the Coogs become bowl-eligible and may get to play one more game.  Lose on Saturday night and it’s onto an offseason of woulda, shoulda, coulda.  Better believe Houston coach Kevin Sumlin and the Cougars’ faithful are hoping for the former.

In order for that to happen, the Houston defense is going to have to find a way to plug the gaping holes that have allowed opposing quarterbacks to shred them with both their arms and feet during the Coogs’ three-game losing streak.  That will be no easy feat versus a high-powered Texas Tech offense led by quarterback Taylor Potts, who has completed 294-of-449 passes for 2,984 yards and 27 touchdowns to go along with eight interceptions on the season.  

All is not lost for Houston however, as Texas Tech has the worst passing defense in the Big XI, conceding  293.8 yards per game and having given up 25 passing touchdowns so Cougars’ frosh signal caller David Piland (169-of-284, 2,200 yards, 22 touchdowns,11 interceptions) has ample opportunity to end the season on a positive note.  Piland will seek to link-up with his favorite targets, Patrick Edwards (61 receptions, 923 yards, 13 touchdowns) and James Cleveland (57 receptions, 800 yards, 6 touchdowns).