UH football receiver Marquez Stevenson tries to speed past an SMU defender during the 2019 season. | Trevor Nolley/The Cougar
UPDATED: The UH football team enters October with zero losses on its record, which during a regular year, would be one stellar accomplishment. On the flip side, it could also be a dreadful benchmark since the team also has zero wins. But in 2020, it means that it has had five games postponed or flat-out canceled.
Houston leads the all-time series against Tulane 17-7, however, the last meeting was a loss for the Cougars. A contest in which UH led 28-7.
This Thursday, the Cougars look to finally get a kickoff on their ledger as they host the Tulane Green Wave (2-1, 0-1 American Athletic Conference) at TDECU Stadium.
Here is a first look at Houston’s opponent:
Tulane’s season so far
The Green Wave are coming off a blowout, 66-24 win against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles on Sept. 26.
Freshman quarterback Michael Pratt came off the bench in the win and threw for 142 yards and two touchdowns.
Sophomore running back Cameron Carroll rushed for a career-high 163 yards and three rushing touchdowns, while also adding in a 16-yard touchdown reception.
Before the matchup against the Golden Eagles, the Green Wave played against the Navy Midshipmen on Sept. 19. A game in which Tulane held a 24-0 advantage but allowed Navy to score 27 straight unanswered points.
In the loss, the Green Wave were led by senior quarterback Keon Howard, who threw zero touchdowns, 108 yards and one interception. Freshman running back Tyjae Spears led the team rushing with 119 yards. Carroll added in 62 yards and two touchdowns.
What to watch for
The Green Wave are led in rushing by Spears with 274 yards (91.3 per game), however his season is over after Tulane confirmed on Thursday that he suffered a torn ACL in their win against the Golden Eagles.
Their second-leading back, Carroll, is not that far behind with 251 on the young season (83.7 per contest), and the 6-foot sophomore leads the team with seven rushing touchdowns.
The Cougars will have their hands full on defense trying to stop the Green Wave’s rushing attack. While Tulane is led by its Spears-Carroll rushing combo, the team also has two more running backs, senior Stephen Hunderaon and junior Amare Jones, who have rushed for over 100 yards in 2020.
While the Green Wave’s aerial attack has been its weak spot early in the year, sophomore wideout Jha’Quan Jackson has emerged as their lead receiving threat. He has 92 receiving yards and a touchdown in 2020.
Where and how to watch
TDECU Stadium will be at 25 percent capacity when it opens its gates on Thursday evening.
For those not planning on attending the game in person, it will air on ESPN and will be able to be heard on KPRC 950 AM at 6:30 p.m.
While Houston leads the all-time series against Tulane, the last meeting was a loss for the Cougars. A contest in which UH led 28-7.
