Tulane Coach Sumrall Scouts the Ranked Memphis Tigers
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Another week, another nationally televised game for the Tulane football team, as the Green Wave travel to Memphis Friday to take on the 22nd ranked Tigers. We spoke to head coach Jon Sumrall about one of the nation's top teams.
Though Memphis has been in and around the Top-25 all season long, landing at the 22nd slot in the latest AP Poll, 23rd in the USA Today Coaches voting, the Tigers are right around the middle of almost every American Conference category. They're 5th in total offense, 5th in rushing the ball in the American, and 8th in passing.
On the defensive side, Memphis sits 2nd in the league behind East Carolina in total D, 4th in rushing defense, and 7th in defending the pass.
But don't let those statistics lie to you. The Tigers are almost doubling the scoring output of their opponents. Memphis is averaging just shy of 38-points per game on offense. The Tiger D is giving up only 19-points a contest.
"We've got a really big challenge for us (this Friday against Memphis)," Sumrall understatedly said to us week. "They're a really good football team. They're as talented as anyone in our conference, if not the most talented. Obviously not our best last week (in the loss to UTSA). We've got to respond. We've got to go play better, We've got to coach better, all the way across the board, everybody, including me."
Memphis Offense is One of the Best
"They're talented," Sumrall began. "They've got a good offensive line that's athletic and works well together. Their quarterback (Brendan Lewis), he's kind of the straw that stirs the drink, if you will. He's the guy that makes it all happen: throws it well, runs it well. He's a dual-threat guy."
The Tigers' signal caller leads the team in both rushing and passing, averaging 62-yards per game on the ground, and almost 208-yards a contest through the air.
"I have a lot of respect for how he plays," Sumrall told us.
And how good are the Memphis running backs?
"Their three backs are elite," Sumrall said. "Sutton Smith and #13 (Greg Desrosiers Jr.) are real good players, (Derosiers) was real good against us last year. (Their third stringer Frank) Peasant the transfer from Middle Tennessee State, we tried to recruit him here. He had three touchdowns last week, and he's not even listed on the depth chart (from the Memphis game notes)."
Tiger receiver Cortez Braham, Jr. can stretch the field, grabbing 39-receptions for 632-yards and seven touchdowns.
"He (Braham) has great rapport with the quarterback," Sumrall said. "They played before at Nevada together, and you can tell they have great confidence in him."
"They are one of those teams you watch and you say 'There's really no weakness (offensively).' There's a lot of strengths," Sumrall wrapped up.
Revenge for Last Year's Memphis Loss in Yulman
The 2024 regular season wrapped up with the Tigers coming to Yulman stadium. The Tigers left New Orleans with a 34-24 victory over the Tulane. Sumrall was asked if there was a revenge factor.
"Like I talked about with Army (who beat Tulane in the AAC championship game at West Point last season, then came to New Orleans earlier this year)," Sumrall said. "There's not a big revenge component. There's not many people (from last season's TU squad) who even played in that game. There's like five left that started in that game, maybe. Over half the group in the (locker) room wasn't even on that (Tulane) team last year. We'll go it a little, going over what went right and didn't go right, but don't put a lot into last year and how it affects this year's game."
Sam Howard Returns
Tulane got some good news from the training room. Linebacker Sam Howard, who hurt his leg in the fourth quarter of the East Carolina game, but came back to play in that contest nonetheless, looks like he's returning to the lineup. The senior leader found out afterwards he suffered a fractured fibula, long, thin bone located in the lower leg, parallel to the tibia or shinbone.
According to Howard, surgery was done to repair the bone, and he has been on the recovery wagon ever since. Sumrall said that injury would have knocked most athletes out for the season. Howard, though, missed two games. He practices in pads this week and, according to Sumrall, will be playing this Friday.
Howard is considered the heart and soul of this Tulane team, both for the offense and defense. His return might be considered a giantic plus for the Green Wave
Tulane plays Friday night in prime time from Liberty Bowl stadium against Memphis. Kickoff is set for 8:00 p.m. on ESPN.
Tulane Sports Network Has to Make a Radio Station Change for Friday
There is a change in which radio station in New Orleans will be broadcasting that game. Instead of the usual home for Tulane football, Cumulus Broadcasting is moving this game, and this game only, to one of their other stations, Alt 92.3.
Doug has covered a gamut of sporting events in his fifty-plus years in the field. He started doing sideline reporting for Louisiana Tech football games for the student radio station. Doug was Sports Director for KNOE-AM/FM in Monroe in the mid-80s, winning numerous awards from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association for Best Sportscast and Best Play-by-Play. High school play-by-play for teams in Monroe, Natchitoches, New Orleans, and Thibodaux, LA dot his resume. He did college play-by-play for Northwestern State University in Natchitoches for nine years. Then, moving to the Crescent City, Doug did television PBP of Tulane games and even filled in for legendary Tulane broadcaster, Ken Berthelot in the only game Kenny ever missed while doing the Green Wave games. His father was an alumnus of Tulane in the 1940s, so Doug has attended Tulane football games in old Tulane Stadium, the Superdome, and Yulman. He was one of the 86,000 plus on December 1, 1973, sitting in the North End Zone to seeTulane shutout the LSU Tigers, 14-0. He was there when the Posse ruled Fogelman and in Turchin when the Wave made it to the World Series. He currently is the public address voice of the Tulane baseball team.