On SI Tulane Picks: Wave vs UTSA

Tulane 2026 Football Schedule

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UTSA is fast approaching, with only a couple of days remaining before the Wave kick off their third conference game.

Here are the picks from the On SI Tulane staff.

Colin Cummings' Pick

Had you asked me what I thought about this game before last week's win before Memphis, I probably would've picked the Roadrunners to win an easy one. I could not have been more mistaken.

I greatly underestimated the advantage of a Friday night in Yulman, as the defense suffocated the Tigers, and I think they can do the same thing this week.

The Roadrunner offense isn't has high flying as the Tigers, but it's like Coach Will Hall said, they're more of a traditional team.

UTSA sits around the #50-70 mark, nationally, when it comes to the rushing attack (#51) and the passing game (#68). Their total offense sits at #52.

These are rookie numbers compared to the Tigers' seventh ranked offense in the country (heading into last week), so I strongly believe that the defense can keep the momentum going, and continue to find valuable turnovers (especially in Yulman).

Flipping to the defensive side, we saw some extreme promise last week with freshman QB Trace Johnson. However, I don't think the Wave will need to lean on him as much as last week.

The Roadrunners boast the #125th rushing defense, giving up just over 200 yards per game (that's the 11th worst in the country), so I expect the Wave to really exploit that to their advantage.

Another reason I say they'll have success in the run game is not only due to the extremely talented running back room, but the maturing offensive line as well, which has really grown into a closer to complete unit.

Not to mention the recent news of UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor being rumoured to be the next head coach of the Baylor Bears, which if it isn't handled correctly, could destroy this Roadrunner team morally. Although, I'm not counting on it.

All in all, the keys to victory? Stuff the run on defense and force UTSA to abandon their traditional style of play to make them one dimensional. That'll mean that the offense has to start quick to make the Roadrunners play from behind, so the run game will need to be on point to let the Wave control the tempo.

Unlike last week's results, I think this one will be close, and I think everyone will be on the edge of their seats in Yulman, but ultimately (maybe it's just recency bias), I think every home fan is leaving that stadium happy with a win.

Tulane 34 - UTSA 27

Doug Joubert's Picks

After a rousing victory over then-top of the American Conference, Memphis, the Green Wave gets this week's top of the league, Texas-San Antonio. The Roadrunners come in to Yulman with only one loss on the year and unbeaten in conference play, 

Sound familiar? That's where the Tigers were last week when they came to Uptown. Tulane promptly manhandled Memphis, led by a TU defense that piled up six turnovers. 

Was it a perfect game? Oh, not by any stretch of the imagination. That same Wave D gave up another 100-yard-plus game to a runner. The Tulane offense is one still finding its rhythm, even though it has finally found its quarterback.

Meanwhile, there's UTSA. Fresh off a back-and-forth victory over Navy, the Roadrunners come to New Orleans with some baggage: rumors are flying that their coach, Jeff Traylor, is being chased for jobs at other schools, one in particular that we have seen is Baylor, while the latest is the new opening at Maryland.

Whether true or not is immaterial. The truth is, as of this writing, we have yet to hear anything from Traylor about the rumors and where he stands. 

If not handled correctly and quickly, this lack of information can devastate a team. 

With all that in mind, this is an easy choice for me:

Tulane 34 - UTSA 28