Navy Midshipmen Must Stop This Tulane Green Wave Superstar to Win

The Navy Midshipmen will face one of the best players they will see all season in Tulane's top offensive star.

Nov 11, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Tulsa Golden Hurricane safety Dayne Hodge (39) and linebacker Julien Simon (24) tackle Tulane Green Wave running back Makhi Hughes (21) in the fourth quarter at Yulman Stadium. / Matthew Dobbins-Imagn Images

The Navy Midshipmen are going to have their work cut out for them this weekend as they will be tasked with stopping one of the country's top running backs.

Tulane Green Wave running back Makhi Hughes has had a stellar campaign and is currently No. 4 in the country with 1,209 rushing yards. He also 13 rushing touchdowns.

He is one of the key reasons the Green Wave (8-2, 6-0 in American) are undefeated in conference play so far.

In previewing the highly-anticipated matchup, Dalton Wasserman and Max Chadwick of Pro Football Focus highlighted the Midshipmen defense and the need to stop Hughes as the matchup to watch on that side of the ball.

Tulane does an excellent job of creating leverage and numerical advantages upfront. At times, the Green Wave use motion to further exacerbate these advantages. If an opponent does find a way to get a free tackler to Hughes, they still have a hard time tackling him. If they send extra defenders to the box, then quarterback Darian Mensah takes advantage of opportunities on play-action shots down the field. Stopping Tulane’s run game is incredibly difficult because of their talent and scheme. This will be the top priority for Navy’s traditionally smaller defense.

That smaller defense has not been conducive to great results against the run. The Midshipmen currently rank as the No. 80 overall run defense. They allow 156.3 yards per game and 4.32 yards per rush.

The Green Wave are in the Top 10 in the country in rushing offense. It picks up 227.8 yards per game and 5.12 yards per carry.

Both of Navy's losses this season have featured at least one running back with a standout performance. So it is imperative the Midshipmen improve there this time around.

Rice Owls running back Dean Connors had 18 rushes for 105 yards and two scores when the Owls defeated the Midshipmen. It felt like the entirety of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish backfield was running the ball well in that loss. Three Irish backs had at least 50 yards and a touchdown. Two averaged at least eight yards a pop.

This is an important matchup for both teams as it has major AAC Championship Game implications and, therefore, potential playoff implications. Tulane would clinch a spot in the title game with a victory. Navy would stay alive for a berth with a win.