Tulane’s Wide Variety of Perimeter Weapons Need to be Respected
ORLANDO - Two days from UCF’s Saturday matchup against a 1-7 Tulane team, it may be tough not to overlook the opponent with such a poor record. That does not mean the football team coming to the bounce house does not possess weapons. Further, this might be the most unique overall receiving core in the country. Here’s why.
Tulane’s offense has repeatedly proven that they are more than deserving of the Knight’s full attention. This is not an offense that represents a one-win football team. The Green Wave offense is averaging just under 30 points per game, sixth best in the American Athletic Conference.
UCF Head Coach Gus Malzahn had high praise for Tulane at his press conference Monday, and referenced their 31-12 loss against No. 2 ranked Cincinnati last weekend.
“They probably played Cincinnati as good as anybody, and Cincinnati I feel like is one of the best teams in all of college football,” Malzahn said. “This is a team that is talented.”
In an earlier article by Inside the Knights, writer Andrew Johnson detailed the one-two punch of Tyjae Spears and Cameron Carroll, the two standout running backs for Tulane. The Green Wave passing attack is much different, instead of two big guns, they have a wide receiver arsenal of capable receivers; they spread the wealth.
Tulane has nine receivers with 11 catches or more, yet no receiver has more than Tyrick James, with 24 receptions.
James is 6’2”, 245-pound tight end that leads Tulane in receptions and receiving yards, and tied for the most touchdowns with three. James is the only receiver that Tulane makes a conscious effort to throw the football.
Other than James, the rest of the Green Wave receivers are all packed right in the middle of the reception leaderboard. All nine of those aforementioned receivers, including James, average over 10 yards per grab, and all have at least one touchdown.
The Knights will have to know going into Saturday’s game that every eligible receiver on the field is just as much a target as the receiver next to him. That will make decisions regarding which coverages to run against Tulane that much more difficult.
The versatility of the Green Wave receivers has allowed quarterback Michael Pratt to complete 59.0 percent of his passes and throw for 1,598 yards thus far. During the 2021 season, Pratt also threw 16 touchdown passes. Pratt was unable to suit up against Cincinnati last week due to a concussion. Although there’s been no definitive word on his status for Saturday, Coach Malzahn said that the Knights are preparing for him and expecting him to play.
The Knights do not need to let this Tulane team hang around as they have against superior opponents like Oklahoma (lost 40-35) and Cincinnati earlier this season. Tulane already proved to be a pesky team, so UCF needs to come out and be mentally prepared to play them. The keys for the Knights defensively will be to pressure Pratt, or backup signal caller Kai Horton, and force ill-advised throws.
For the secondary, it should be able to tackle in space and prevent big plays following completions, based on the past two games for the Knights. If the Knights’ defense can tackle effectively and execute Defensive Coordinator Travis Williams’ game plan, the defense should take care of business.
Again, this is a wide receiver unit that needs to be valued as highly productive. To that end, here are the top five receivers for the Green Wave, along with a blossoming big-play threat that may need some special attention when he enters the game.
Tyrick James, TE, 24 receptions, 358 yards, 14.9 average, three touchdowns; Duece Watts, WR, 16 receptions, 253 yards, 15.8 average, two touchdowns; Jaetavian Toles, WR, 15 receptions, 229 yards, 15.3 average, two touchdowns; Shae Wyatt, WR, 17 receptions, 183 yards, 10.8 average, three touchdowns; Cameron Carroll, RB, 14 receptions, 179 yards, 12.8 average, two touchdowns. As for the rising talent, keep an eye out for wide receiver Jha’Quan Jackson.
Tulane Wide Reciver Jha'Quan Jackson
Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
He’s just 5’9”, 180 pounds, but he’s capable of producing big plays. With just two receptions versus SMU on Oct. 21, Jackson accumulated 93 receiving yards. While he may not be the priority receiver on the field, the sophomore could take a short screen pass all the way to the endzone for a score. The Knights need to be ready to see Jackson be a part of the Tulane offensive attack this Saturday.
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