Tulane Green Wave Top Offensive Stars to Watch Against Charlotte 49ers
The Tulane Green Wave seek their sixth straight victory when they travel to face the Charlotte 49ers on Thursday night in Charlotte, N.C.
The Green Wave (6-2, 4-0 in American) have put together one of the top offenses in the American Athletic Conference, thanks to a balanced mix of veteran running back Makhi Hughes and the sustained excellence of young quarterback Darian Mensah.
They're surrounded by a tremendous group of skill players and an offensive line that can pave the way for the run game and does a terrific job of protecting their young passer.
The 49ers (3-5, 2-2) have lost two straight games, have used three different quarterbacks this season but continue to put a productive offense on the field. Scoring points at the level needed to win games in this conference has been a challenge at times.
Here are the offensive players to watch for both teams entering Thursday’s game.
Tulane
RB Makhi Hughes
The Green Wave are really leaning into Hughes and for good reason — it’s winning time and Tulane, right now, needs to keep winning to get to the league title game. He’s rushed for 454 yards and four scores in the last three games and has 939 yards and nine touchdowns rushing this season. He’s closing in on another 1,000-yard season. On a short week, Tulane will lean on him again.
QB Darian Mensah
The redshirt freshman certainly could end up as the league’s newcomer or freshman of the year (depending upon how the league does that). Either way, Mensah continues to be steady for the Green Wave. He’s thrown for 1,583 yards with 15 touchdowns and three interceptions. He’s thrown under 200 yards in each of the last three games. But with Tulane’s balance offensively his efficiency and ability to avoid mistakes is key.
The Offensive Line
As Hughes puts up huge numbers it’s time to make sure the offensive line gets its props. So give it up to left tackle Derrick Graham, left guard Shadre Hurst, center Vincent Murphy, right guard Josh Remetich and right tackle Rashad Green, who set at the top of the Tulane depth chart at their respective positions. They’ve done great work the past few weeks, especially against North Texas on Saturday.
Charlotte
QB Deshawn Purdie
The 49ers have used three quarterbacks this season and Purdie got the call against Memphis on Saturday and he nearly led them to a win. He’s now thrown for 869 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions on just 93 attempts entering Thursday’s game.
RB Cartevious Norton
Charlotte has balanced out its running reps pretty evenly between North and Hahsaun Wilson. Each has more than 300 yards rushing. But he was the high-producer against Memphis with 86 yards and two touchdowns in the loss. Look for him to get the majority of the carries against Tulane.
WR O’Mega Blake
Sean Brown has more receptions, but Blake is the receiver that will stretch the field. He has 18 catches for a team-leading 419 yards as he averages 23.3 yards per catch. But he’s also the end zone threat with a team-leading five touchdowns this season.
