When UCF Invades New Orleans, Tulane Defenders to Watch
This is going to be a physical football game. The UCF Knights like to pound the football, averaging 239.9 yards per game. The Tulane Green Wave do an admirable job at slowing down the run, allowing just 127 yards on the ground.
That’s why the following four Tulane defenders – all good at helping to stop the run – were selected as defenders to watch. Each of them is also quite capable of rushing the passer and using their talent to play in space to cover, too.
Macon Clark - Safety
Clark is a player that will play the nickel spot, the same position UCF calls the Knight position. He’s a player that can come off the edge and blitz, play zone or man, and he’s definitely active with the run game.
Clark has 43 tackles, five tackles for loss, two interceptions, a fumble recovery, two fumbles forced and two passes broken up. With the way UCF tends to be a run-first team, look for Clark to play downhill and be nosey near the line of scrimmage. How well UCF handles blocking him will be vital.
Larry Brooks - Safety
In 2021, Tulane safety Larry Brooks was chasing after UCF wide receiver Ryan O'Keefe. The two will do battle again on Saturday.
Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports
54 tackles, a tackle for loss, two interceptions, a pass broken up and a forced fumble, those would be the statistics for Brooks. He’s been all over the place. Like Clark, UCF needs to be aware of where he’s at.
Brooks will likely play the deep portion of the field for much of the game. He will, however, come down and be involved in the run game and also be involved with blitzing the quarterback. Whether close to the line or not, Brooks can make plays. UCF must account for his whereabouts.
Dorian Williams - Linebacker
Williams leads the Green Wave in tackles with 71 and sacks with four. Although he’s an inside linebacker, Williams is often found attacking the line of scrimmage and playing on the other side of the line of scrimmage.
The 6-foot-2 and 230-pound senior from South Carolina is another player that can change a game, much like Brooks, with being aggressive near the line of scrimmage. UCF will still run their inside power runs, but also expect to see the Knights try to get him one-on-one with Johnny Richardson, as well as receivers and tight ends in space.
Nick Anderson - Linebacker
Much like Williams, Anderson is a tackling machine at inside linebacker. He’s second on the team with 69 stops on the season. He’s also sitting with 4.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, three quarterback hurries and two pass breakups.
Anderson might be the most versatile front seven defender for the Green Wave. In addition to his ability to stop the run, he will drop into coverage and go against smaller receivers and battle them in space. He’s also the player that seems to find the football no matter the circumstance.
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