Tulsa is No. 20 Tulane's next obstacle to an AAC title defense and major bowl bid

Updated Nov. 9, 2023 1:06 p.m. ET

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NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Tulsa (3-6, 1-4 AAC) at No. 20 Tulane (8-1, 5-0, No. 23 CFP), 12 p.m. ET Saturday (ESPN2)

Line: Tulane by 22 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Series record: Tulsa leads 13-6.

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

If Tulane runs the table and wins the American Athletic Conference, it likely will get a second-straight bid to a major New Year’s Day bowl after winning the Cotton Bowl last season. Tulsa must win its remaining three games to finish at .500 and get to the six-victory threshold for bowl eligibility.

KEY MATCHUP

Tulane top running back Mekhi Hughes against a Tulsa defensive front that ranks sixth in the AAC against the run, allowing 143.4 yards rushing per game after rushing for 105 in a victory at East Carolina last week.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Tulsa: DE Owen Ostroski, who missed three games because of an injury earlier this season, has had five tackles for loss since returning three games ago and has a team-high 9 1/2 TFL for the season.

Tulane: Hughes has rushed for 100 or more yards in five straight games.

FACTS & FIGURES

The Hurricane has a 5-4 mark in the series in New Orleans ... Tulane will be the third AP Top 25 team Tulsa will have faced this year, having already lost to current No. 5 Washington, 43-10, and current No. 17 Oklahoma, 66-17, in early season non-conference games. ... Three Tulsa quarterbacks have started at least one game this year because of injuries. Braylon Braxton started the opener against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and vs. Rice in mid-October; Cardell Williams started vs. Washington, NIU, Temple and FAU and Roman Fuller against Oklahoma. ... The Green Wave has won seven straight and 20 of 23 games dating to last season. ... Tulane is 7-0 this season when first-team QB Michael Pratt has been in the lineup. He missed Tulane’s second and third games of the season with a knee injury. ... Pratt has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 41 of his 42 career games, including 23 in a row. ... Tulane coach Willie Fritz has coached in a program record 97 games for the Green Wave. Fritz needs eight more wins to match Clark Shaughnessy (59 from 1915-20 and 1922-26) for most Tulane coaching wins all-time.

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll

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