UCF at Tulane AAC Title Game: Staff Predictions
Who wins the American Athletic championship game? The UCF Knights will travel to the Tulane Green Wave for round two between these squads, as the Knights won 38-31 the last time it met the Green Wave.
Here’s what the Inside The Knights staff believes will happen.
Andrew Johnson - Staff Writer
UCF heads back to NOLA this weekend while seeking their fifth AAC Championship before heading to the Big 12 Conference. The Knights will face off against a Tulane Green Wave team that is well-balanced and coached on both sides of the ball. UCF has won the last five meetings, including the last two in New Orleans but none may be more important than Saturday.
If John Rhys Plumee gets the start for UCF, he must play his best game. Plumlee dashed the Green Wave defense for 176 rushing yards and two touchdowns in their regular season matchup. He has to at least provide a running threat while dealing with a hamstring issue. Tulane has struggled with running quarterbacks this season, giving up 154.6 rushing yards per game. A heavy dosage of Plumlee, R.J Harvey and Isaiah Bowser will make things easier later on in the passing game.
I think having players that already experienced the atmosphere at Tulane, especially pulling out a close win there, will be a huge benefit for UCF. The Knights have to come out strong in the first half and not leave the game up to a second half shootout. Keys to victory for UCF will be to limit turnovers, bring the energy from the start and slow down Tulane’s Tyjae Spears.
UCF 31 Tulane 30
Guilherme Leal - Staff Writer
After some ups and downs in 2022, the Knights could exit the AAC with another trophy in their case. Saturday's matchup will not only crown the conference champion but will also affect the New Year's Six as the winner gets the Group of Five bid to the Cotton Bowl. Because of all that, I expect nothing short of a battle in New Orleans.
I believe the key in this game will be how both teams perform on the ground. Should John Rhys Plumlee be healthy and ready to go, this should be a game-changer. In the previous UCF at Tulane matchup, he rushed for 176 yards and two touchdowns. Since Tulane has a solid passing defense (only allowed 102 yards against Cincinnati), Plumlee, RJ Harvey and Isaiah Bowser could be the go-to guys.
That same can be said about the Green Wave. AAC Offensive Player of the Year Tyjae Spears has been the X-factor for Tulane, rushing for over 1,000 yards and scoring a total of 16 touchdowns. He is also coming off a six-game streak of at least 120 yards. Against UCF, he had 130 before leaving the game early with an injury. If the Knights need to stop someone, Spears is the priority.
All things considered, I believe Gus Malzahn's experience could prevail. UCF took the victory in its previous contest versus Tulane this year, and it could certainly happen again. Expect a thriller just like the War on I-4 with the game being decided in the final possessions.
UCF 34 Tulane 31
Jack Edwards - Staff Writer
UCF got a taste of Tulane a few weeks back. Every win is a team effort, but John Rhys Plumlee’s legs were the difference in that game. He has been explosive in the first half of each of UCF’s last two wins, going for over 100 yards in each first half.
UCF must find a way to better contain Tyjae Spears. On just 8 carries, Spears was able to rack up 130 yards against the Knights, amounting to over 16 yards per carry. Tulane will be looking to get the ball in his hands a bit more this weekend, and UCF needs to be prepared for that.
In the end UCF should be able to slow down the impressive Tulane offense just enough to sneak by. The UCF will go out of the AAC as conference champions and lock themselves into the Cotton Bowl.
UCF 34 Tulane 31
Brian Smith - Publisher
UCF faces multiple difficulties heading into the AAC title game. First, its rushing defense is suddenly atrocious. Giving up 298 yards to USF leads one to wonder if the wear and tear of the season is causing many defenders not to play up to par because of playing through injuries. Plus, there’s this running back for Tulane that’s not easy to slow down.
It’s an awful time to go up against Tyjae Spears and Tulane. They did not play well at the beginning of the game the last time these two teams met on Nov. 12, and UCF took advantage and won 38-31. Spears is going to have a massive game.
Finally, it’s just hard to beat a quality team twice. Prove me wrong, but I believe Tulane will be locked in and ready to roll. UCF will score, but not enough.
Tulane 42 UCF 38
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