Tulane Green Wave Finding Success in One Key Area Leading to Victory on Gridiron

The Tulane Green Wave are near the top of college football in this one key stat driving their success on the field.

Sep 14, 2024; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Tulane Green Wave running back Makhi Hughes (21) runs with the ball as Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Samuel Omosigho (24) defends during the first half at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Tulane Green Wave has been playing some incredible football over the last few weeks. Entering their Week 11 contest against the Temple Owls. they are riding a six-game winning streak.

How they are picking up those wins has been very impressive.

On a few occasions, they have relied on their explosive offense to just run opponents off the field. In a two-game set against the South Florida Bulls and UAB Blazers, they won a combined 116-30.

They are capable of winning defensive-minded games as well. Look no further than the matchup against the Rice Owls, in which they faced a stiffer-than-anticipated test and came away with a 24-10 win.

That was the only game during this winning streak that the Green Wave failed to score at least 34 points in as their offense is potent.

What has aided them in finding so much success on that side of the ball?

They control tempo every week.

Entering Week 11, Tulane is second in the FBS in time of possession. They are holding onto the ball for an average of 34:21 per game, with only the Oregon State Beavers ranking ahead of them.

Already twice this season they have surpassed 42 minutes of ball control. The 45-10 blowout over the Bulls and 34-3 decimation of the Charlotte 49ers.

There are a ton of benefits to being able to control the ball in that fashion. When you have an offense that can execute, it is demoralizing for an opposing defense to not be able to get off the field.

While their own defense is well rested to get important stops late in the game, their opponent will be worn down and tired later on, which the Green Wave takes full advantage of.

“Anytime you can control the ball on offense and we’re on the field and our defense is over there resting, it’s a good for our team to make a long run in November and December,” Tulane offensive coordinator Joe Craddock said, via Guerry Smith of NOLA.com. “It’s important to keep those guys on the sideline and keep them fresh and keep rolling guys in and out because we’ve got a lot of toys to work with, and there’s not much of a drop-off when we put our backups in.”

In eight out of their nine games, Tulane has won the time of possession battle. The only time they didn’t was a loss to the Oklahoma Sooners.

What has helped the team get this edge?

Depth is one of the biggest advantages that Green Wave has. Their coaching staff isn’t afraid to sub players into the game regardless of the situation, as they know they are prepared for the task at hand.

Dominating TOP is a tried and true way to win ball games. As Smith shared, “The 16 teams that have held the ball the longest are a composite 96-38, with undefeated Miami and Army ranking right behind Tulane. Only one of the top 17 — Massachusetts — is below .500.”

With the way things are headed right now, Tulane and the Black Knights are on a collision course to play in the AAC Championship Game. It would be a battle of like-minded teams who want to set the tempo and control the clock en route to victory.