The Tulane Green Wave and the Massachusetts Minutemen will face off at 7 p.m. ET Sept. 3 at Benson Field at Yulman Stadium to kick off their 2022 seasons. Returning after a rocky 2-10 year, the Green Wave are aiming to prove that the past does not define them. Likewise, coming off of an uninspired 1-11 last-season record, UMass has set their aspirations higher this season.
A pair of defensive numbers to keep in mind before kickoff: Tulane was 17th worst when it came to passing touchdowns allowed last season, with the squad giving up 28 overall (bottom 94%). UMass experienced some struggles of their own as they ranked sixth worst in the nation with respect to touchdowns allowed last year, where the team gave up 67. It's possible one of these Achilles' heels will wind up tripping the losing team up.
Tulane is the favorite in this one, with an expected 30-point (!) margin of victory. It would take nothing short of a miracle for UMass to pull off a win, but maybe they can at least keep the Green Wave from covering the spread.