Tulane Green Wave Top Offensive Stars to Watch Against Navy Midshipmen
Tulane hopes to continue its incredible offensive production when it faces Navy in its second to last game of the season on Saturday.
The game is set for 11 a.m. central on ESPN2 at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium in Annapolis, Md.
Tulane (8-2, 6-0 in American) hasn't lost a game since September when it fell to Oklahoma in its third game of the season. Since then, the Green Wave has scored at least 30 points in all but one game of its seven game-winning streak. Tulane is also coming off a 52-6 shellacking of Temple last week.
The Green Wave has a berth in the American Athletic Conference title game in sight, but this upcoming opponent won't be a pushover like Temple.
Navy (7-2, 5-1) enters this game having lost two of its last three contests, but the Midshipmen are always trouble. Navy runs the same offense and it has a set of players more than capable of executing it to perfection.
But with the expansion of its passing game, the Midshipmen have become just a bit more dangerous.
Here are the offensive players to watch for both teams entering Saturday’s game.
Tulane
RB Makhi Hughes
Hughes is in a groove and there's no stopping him. He's rushed for more than 100 yards in each of his last six games with eight touchdowns in that span. He's coming off another two-touchdown performance against Temple, one in which he rushed for 153 yards on 19 carries.
With 1,209 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns, Hughes is on track to be a prime candidate for the conference’s offensive player of the year award. A couple more big games from Hughes should put Tulane in the league title game, too.
TE Alex Bauman
Bauman hasn’t caught more than two passes in a game this season and has just 12 receptions for 142 yards. But when it matters, when the Green Wave needs a passing touchdown, Bauman is a player in the loop.
He has a team-leading five touchdowns, including a score in each of the last two games. In short-yardage situations and in the red zone, Bauman is going to make a difference.
QB Darian Mensah
Making the redshirt freshman the starter for the opener was the signature decision of coach Jon Sumrall’s first year with the Green Wave.
It couldn't have worked out much better. Mensah has thrown for 2,059 yards and 16 touchdowns. He’s also completed mor than 70% of his passes.
Key to his success is avoiding mistakes. He has thrown just four interceptions, though two of them have come in the last three games. There’s no one Sumrall wants under center than Mensah.
Navy
QB Blake Horvath
At Navy, the quarterback runs the show. And no one runs it better than Horvath, as he leads the Midshipmen with 870 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns.
But it's his passing that has given Navy a bit of a wrinkle this year. He's completed just 60% of his passes, but he's thrown 117 times and has 1,154 yards passing. He's thrown 11 touchdowns but he's also thrown four interceptions.
On an offense where the ball is thrown so little, it could be a determining factor in the game.
FB Alex Tecza
In Navy’s offense the fullback is as relevant as the quarterback or the running back. In this respect Tezca is vital to whether the Midshipmen will win. He has rushed for 416 yards and seven touchdowns, with 5.3 yards per carry.
He’s also caught nine passes for 163 yards. So when he makes a catch it tends to lead to a big play.
RB Eli Heidenreich
Chances are, Heidenreich will get the football in the passing game. He's the team's leading receiver with 30 catches for 556 yards and five touchdowns. He’s hard to bring down and he gains nearly 19 yards per catch.
Out of the backfield, he averages 7.2 yards per carry and has 315 yards and two touchdowns on just 44 carries.
