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Tulane (9-3, 7-1 American Athletic Conference) will face No. 24 Army (10-1, 8-0, ranked 24th in the College Football Playoff) on Friday at 8 p.m. EST, airing on ESPN.
The odds from BetMGM have Tulane favored by 5.5 points.
In their historical matchup, Tulane leads the series 13-9-1.
What’s on the line for both teams in this matchup? Army aims to secure the AAC championship in their inaugural season in the conference. Meanwhile, Tulane is vying for its second consecutive conference title, having won against UCF in 2022 and coming up short against SMU last year.
The key aspect to watch in this game will be how both teams manage time of possession. Currently, Army ranks first in the nation, while Tulane is tied for fourth. This battle may well be decided in the trenches: will Army’s offensive line, recognized as a finalist for the prestigious Joe Moore Award awarded to the best unit in the country, be able to create running lanes for quarterback Bryson Daily and running back Kanye Udoh? On the flip side, can Tulane’s defense effectively respond against an Army offense that boasts four touchdown drives lasting more than 10 minutes this season?
Players to keep an eye on include:
Tulane’s running back Makhi Hughes, who stands as the 12th leading rusher in the nation with 1,306 yards. Despite his promising season, Hughes struggled last week against Memphis, managing just 15 yards on nine carries. He has crossed the 100-yard rushing mark seven times throughout the season.
For Army, linebacker Andon Thomas will be crucial; he is the team’s leading tackler and recorded a personal best of 15 tackles in their recent 29-24 victory over UTSA. Expect him to be heavily involved as he tries to contain Tulane’s proficient offense.
A few interesting facts to ponder:
Bryson Daily is on the verge of setting the AAC single-season rushing touchdown record; currently, he’s tied with Navy’s Will Worth (2016) for a total of 25 scores, which is also a new record for the Black Knights. Tulane has had the upper hand in recent encounters, winning their last four matchups against Army, with three of those victories decided by nine points or fewer. Army’s head coach Jeff Monken is still seeking his first win against Tulane, having faced them four times without success. Notably, Tulane’s new head coach Jon Sumrall has previously defeated Army twice while coaching at Troy in 2022 and 2023. Tulane’s quarterback, Darian Mensah, has thrown 15 touchdowns against only two interceptions in nine wins, while seeing five touchdowns and three interceptions in three losses. Over the past five seasons, the Black Knights hold an impressive record of 26-1, and they have emerged victorious in their last 16 games without committing a turnover. The Green Wave, after an impressive run, had their record-tying 17-game winning streak in AAC regular season contests snapped by Memphis last week, losing 34-24.
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