Tulane was the American Conference powerhouse program over the last four years.
The Green Wave won the title last season and went to the College Football Playoff. They lost the previous two conference title games (Army in 2024 and SMU in 2023) and won it in 2022. But new head coach Will Hall is having a hard time with the rebuild, with the 2-3 start the program’s worst since 2021.
It’s been a struggle, with the two wins coming against South Alabama and Southern Miss by a combined seven points.
Meanwhile, Charles Huff is going full Charles Huff at Memphis. He takes over programs, wins right away, and then moves up the coaching ladder – at least that’s what he did going from Marshall to Southern Miss to Memphis.
His Tigers are 5-1 overall, 2-0 in the American, with their only loss at Boise State. This is their chance to take control of the conference race.
Memphis vs Tulane: Quick Hits
- Memphis gets two home games in a row after this against East Carolina and Army.
- Tulane gets three home games in the next four weeks, with UTSA coming to New Orleans next week.
- Tulane beat Memphis 38-32 last year. The two teams are 5-5 in the last ten meetings.
How To Watch Memphis vs Tulane
Date: Friday, October 16, 2026
Game Time: 7:30 PM ET
TV: ESPN
Location: Yulman Stadium, New Orleans, LA
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Why Memphis Will Win
The offense has gone off, especially on the ground.
The passing game is more than fine, with Marcus Stokes throwing nine touchdowns over two weeks against UT Martin and Charlotte, and keeping things moving in the win over UAB.
The offense is seventh in the nation, averaging 517 yards per game, and it should keep moving against the Tulane defense that’s the fifth-worst in the nation at coming up with third down stops, allowing teams to hit 49% of their chances.
Why Tulane Will Win
What’s Tulane doing right?
Start with this – it’s not making mistakes. The penalties have slowed to a relative stop after getting flagged 15 times in the opener against Duke, and the offense has only turned it over three times.
Memphis isn’t great at controlling the clock and the tempo because the defense can be run on. Tulane got its ground attack rolling in the wins over Southern Miss and South Alabama. Get running on the Tigers, and you have a shot.
Memphis vs Tulane Prediction, Betting Lines
The Tulane run defense hasn’t even been close so far. It won’t hold up against the Memphis ground game, and the offensive line won’t keep the Tigers out of the backfield. Huff’s team will once again look the part of a team that could and should win the American Conference championship.
Memphis 35, Tulane 27
Latest Consensus Line: Memphis -7.5, o/u: 55.5
ATS Confidence (out of 5): 2.5
Must See Rating (out of 5): 3
Consensus line based on BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.