Football to Host SMU in Homecoming Showdown on Saturday

WEEK 9: TULANE GREEN WAVE (3-4, 0-3 AAC) VS SMU MUSTANGS (3-4, 1-2 AAC)
When:	Saturday, Oct. 29 \| 3 pm CT
Where:	New Orleans \| Yulman Stadium (30,000)
Watch:	ESPNews \| WatchESPN
Commentators:	Dave Lamont (PBP), Brian Kinchen (Analyst)
Radio:	Fox Sports AM 1280 New Orleans \| Listen Online
Radio Talent:	Todd Graffagnini (PBP), Steve Barrios (Analyst), Gus Kattengell (Sideline)
Tickets:	Click Here
Live Stats:	Sidearm
Notes:	Tulane \| SMU \| American
Twitter:	@GreenWaveFB \| @TulaneAthletics \| #RollWave
Homecoming:	Festivities List

NEW ORLEANS - The Tulane football team looks to end its two-game skid on Saturday, Oct. 29, when the Green Wave get the backing of its Homecoming crowd when they host SMU inside Yulman Stadium at 3 p.m. CT on ESPNews.

STORYLINES:
• Tulane (3-4, 0-3 American Athletic Conference | West) takes on SMU (3-4, 1-2 The American | West) in a mid-afternoon matinee as a part of homecoming festivities on the Uptown campus.
• The Green Wave are looking for their first homecoming win at Yulman Stadium, having lost to Memphis in 2014 (38-7 on Nov. 15) and UConn in 2015 (7-3 on Nov. 5).
• Tulane's last triumph on homecoming was a 24-21 victory over North Texas on Oct. 5, 2013.
• The Green Wave have been the visitor on homecoming twice (UMass and Tulsa) so far this season and are Houston's homecoming opponent on Nov. 12.
• Tulane is seeking to move above .500 at home for first time since 2013 and just the second time since 2004. The Wave were 4-2 in 2004 and 5-1 in 2013 at home.
• Head coach Willie Fritz is looking for his first conference win leading the Olive and Blue. He was 14-2 in conference play in the Sun Belt with Georgia Southern.
• The defense remains the calling card for the Green Wave through the first seven games. In addition to being ranked second in the nation in fumble recoveries with 11, Tulane enters the week ranked tied for fourth in the nation in turnover margin (+9, 1.29 per game).
• The Green Wave's defense is ranked third in The American and 34th in the nation in total defense (358.6 yards per game).
• The trio of senior nickelback Richard Allen, redshirt junior defensive end Ade Aruna and redshirt sophomore defensive end Peter Woullard are tied for ninth in the nation in fumble recoveries with two each.
• Offensively, Tulane has rushed for 240 or more yards as a team four times so far this season - 437 vs. Southern, 240 vs. Navy, 280 at UMass and 355 at Tulsa.
• The Green Wave's triple-option ground attack features the running back trio of junior Dontrell Hilliard (529 yards, 7 TDs) and redshirt seniors Josh Rounds (465 yards, 5 TDs) and Lazedrick Thompson (288 yards, 4 TDs).

SERIES NOTES:
• Saturday's game marks the 23rd meeting between Tulane and SMU with the Green Wave holding a 13-9 series advantage. The Mustangs have won four of the last five matchups in the series.
• Tulane holds a 8-4 record at home against SMU, including the last time the two teams met in New Orleans - a 27-26 victory on Oct. 13, 2012 as then members of Conference USA.

SCOUTING THE MUSTANGS:
• SMU (3-4, 1-2 The American | West) is coming off a 38-16 upset victory over then No. 11/11 Houston on Oct. 22.
• It was the Mustangs' first win over a team ranked No. 11 or higher since Jan. 1, 1983 (a 7-3 win vs. No. 6 Pittsburgh in the Cotton Bowl) and their first win over a ranked team since Oct. 1, 2011 (a 40-33 overtime win at No. 20 TCU).
• SMU received one vote in this week's Associated Press Top 25 Poll.
• Redshirt freshman quarterback Ben Hicks threw for a career-high three touchdowns in the win over Houston. He has not thrown an interception in his last two games.

Football to Host SMU in Homecoming Showdown on Saturday

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Players Mentioned

Richard Allen

Ade Aruna

Dontrell Hilliard

Josh Rounds

Lazedrick Thompson

Peter Woullard

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