Tulane Green Wave Defensive Stars to Watch vs. North Texas Mean Green
The defenses for both the Tulane Green Wave and the North Texas Mean Green have problematic matchups to deal with as they prepare for their matchup on Saturday in Denton, Texas.
Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. at DATCU Stadium in Denton, with the game to be broadcast on ESPN 2.
Both teams have high-scoring offenses coming into the game. Tulane (5-2, 3-0 in American) entered the game on a four-game winning streak and has scored 45.2 points per game in that stretch.
North Texas (5-2, 2-1) has averaged 41.2 points per game this season.
The Green Wave defense has been exceptional the last three games, as they've limited those opponents to 40 points, or 13.3 points per game. That could be a bit of a differentiator with the Mean Green who, in their last three games have given up 109 points, or 36.3 points per game.
Here are the defensive players to watch for both teams entering Saturday’s game.
Tulane
LB Tyler Grubbs
Because of the volume with which North Texas throws the football, that means anyone who can pick off a pass has to be on their game on Saturday. Grubbs is not only Tulane’s top linebacker with 32 tackles and three sacks, but he's also one of the few players on the team to have more than one interception. He has two picks for the season, one of which he's returned for a score. He'll be dropping into coverage a lot on Saturday.
DB Micah Robinson
When you consider the sheer number of big plays the Tulane defense creates, it can be easy for someone like Robinson to get overlooked. But entering this game no Green Wave player has defended more passes than Robinson's four. He also has an interception and 17 total tackles. Tulane will lean on him more on Saturday than perhaps any game this season.
DL Patrick Jenkins
Part of how you slow down a big-time passing game is to get pressure on the quarterback. That's something Tulane has done a good job of this season, and the group has only gotten better as it has gotten into conference play. There's a need for Jenkins to make a big play on Saturday. He has three sacks and 14 tackles going into the game, and he's capable of changing the game with one play.
North Texas
S Evan Jackson
When Tulane quarterback Darian Mensah has to throw the football, Jackson is the player he'll need to watch out for. The safety is the only player for North Texas that has two interceptions this season and he enters the contest with 37 tackles. So he's clearly going to help the Mean Green when it comes to stopping the run as well.
LB Jaylen Smith
Smith is tied for the team lead with 45 tackles, including 18 solo shots. He's also defended two passes on the season. North Texas likely expects that Tulane will put an emphasis on trying to get the football in the hands of their top running back, Makhi Hughes. If so, Hughes and Smith are going to be on a first-name basis by the end of this game.
DL Roderick Brown
North Texas will put the task of pressuring the quarterback on the shoulders of Brown, a defensive lineman who only has 15 tackles but leads the Mean Green with 3.5 sacks. He'll have help from linebacker Chavez Brown, who has three sacks. But Brown is the lineman that has the best chance of impacting the game.
