Keep an Eye on Tulane Green Wave Running Back Makhi Hughes in Gasparilla Bowl
The Tulane Green Wave are entering the Gasparilla Bowl against the Florida Gators, and a lot of things are working against them.
Momentum isn’t on their side, as they have lost two games in a row. Just three weeks ago they had legitimate College Football Playoff aspirations before losing to the Memphis Tigers on Thanksgiving night in the regular season finale and Army West Point Black Knights in the American Athletic Conference Championship Game the following week.
Florida, on the other hand, is entering the game on a three-game winning streak, saving head coach Billy Napier’s job and showing what the future could hold for a young roster returning a lot of talent.
The Green Wave is going to face some challenges with its roster as well.
Starting quarterback Darian Mensah, who was brilliant in his first season as a starter, opted to enter the transfer portal and landed with the Duke Blue Devils. His backup, Ty Thompson, will also be entering the transfer portal but will be the starter against the Gators in a showcase.
This will be the former five-star recruit’s first collegiate start before hitting the transfer portal and selecting a third school to attend.
While the passing game is assuredly going to have some obstacles to overcome, at least Tulane knows they have a stud player in the backfield they can rely on to carry the load on the ground.
Running back Mahki Hughes isn’t going anywhere and will be the focal point of the offensive attack against Florida. He was named the player to watch for the Green Wave in the matchup, and with good reason, over at ESPN.
“The sophomore running back has put together outstanding back-to-back seasons, rushing for more than 1,000 yards in each of his first two years and earning first-team All-AAC honors those two seasons as well. Hughes ranked second in the AAC in the regular season in rushing and third in rushing touchdowns (15). He ran for 100 or more yards on the ground in five of the team's eight regular-season conference games.”
Throughout the campaign opposing defenses knew he would be a huge part of the gameplan and they were just never able to slow him down. It will be interesting to see how he performs against a power conference team with all eyes on him given the quarterback situation.
In matchups against the Kansas State Wildcats and Oklahoma Sooners, hailing from the Big 12 and SEC, earlier this season he more than held his own.
Hughes handled 40 carries, rushing for 199 yards and a touchdown. He added seven receptions for 50 yards and another score, proving that even a step up in competition isn’t going to slow him down.
Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.