Memphis vs. Tulane: What to know for the Thanksgiving Night showdown
Memphis Tiger running back Mario Anderson (2) celebrates a touchdown during the second half against the UAB Blazers on Nov 16, 2024, at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. (Wes Hale/Special to the Daily Memphian)
NEW ORLEANS — The Memphis Tigers will end their 2024 regular season with a Thanksgiving showdown at Tulane.
It will be the first Thanksgiving appearance for the Tigers since 1983, when Rex Dockery-coached Memphis won 45-7 at Louisville.
A win at Yulman Stadium on Thursday (6:30 p.m., ESPN) would be the Tigers’ first road win against Tulane since 2016 and would allow Memphis (9-2, 5-2 American Athletic Conference) to reach 10 wins in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history. A Tulane (9-2, 7-0 AAC) win would keep the Green Wave’s slim College Football Playoff hopes alive and would extend its regular season winning streak against conference opponents to 18.
Tigers could spoil Tulane’s College Football Playoff chances
The Tigers, No. 23 in the Coaches Poll, will enter the game with the winningest quarterback in school history, four-year starter Seth Henigan, leading their offense.
Tulane (No. 17 CFP, No. 18 AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll) has a redshirt freshman quarterback, Darian Mensah, who, in his first year as a starter, has led the Green Wave to a berth in the Dec. 6 AAC Championship against Army.
“He’s a good player,” Memphis defensive coordinator Jordon Hankins. “He’s a smart player. He doesn’t take sacks. He doesn’t put the ball on the ground. And, also, he’s got a good supporting cast around him.”
The game will also feature two 1,000-yard rushers in Tulane running back Makhi Hughes and Memphis running back Mario Anderson Jr. Both backs average more than 5 yards per carry.
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Here are three predictions for the Tigers’ final regular season game:
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Frank Bonner II
Frank Bonner is the Memphis Tigers football beat writer. He is originally from Indiana but arrived in Memphis after spending two years in Tulsa, covering Oklahoma State football and basketball. He covered high school sports in Columbus, Indiana for two years before getting his Master’s degree in Sports Journalism at IUPUI. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in journalism from Indiana University.
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