Jon Sumrall is hoping for his first win as Tulane head coach when the Green Wave hosts the Southeastern Louisiana Lions on Thursday at Yulman Stadium.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Tulane has not lost in any of its previous games against Southeastern Louisiana. It is also a reunion for Southeastern Louisiana coach Frank Scelfo, who was once Tulane’s offensive coordinator.
For the Green Wave, this is an opportunity to get into the swing of things before a 10-day break leading up to a key game against Kansas State on September 7.
Here are the Tulane Green Wave On SI staff predictions for the game.
Tulane 38, Southeast Louisiana 7
Frankly, Tulane is much more talented on both sides of the ball than Southeastern Louisiana. I fully expect Tulane wide receivers Mario Williams, Yulkieth Brown and Dontae Fleming to all make big plays in the first half and rest up for the next play in the fourth quarter. My prediction for the early season player of the game is former Texas A&M receiver Yulkieth Brown.
Tulane 28, Southeast Louisiana 10
With a new head coach at the helm, Jon Sumrall will lead the Green Wave to victory. The remaining players from last year’s team have a bitter taste in their mouths from their losses in the Conference Championship Game and the Military Bowl and will have something to prove when they step onto the field for the first time in the 2024 season.
The Lions struggled last year, finishing the season 3-8. While they could be a formidable opponent for the Wave, they ultimately won’t be talented enough to beat the Wave.
Tulane 38, Southeast Louisiana 13
I suspect the Green Wave will rely on running back Makhi Hughes to start, as Tulane will have to go through all three quarterbacks — and all three will play. Hughes could have a big game, as could his backups. The defense also has some inexperience to make up for, but has enough veterans like Jesus Machado and Tyler Grubbs to keep the Lions in check.
These games between groups of five and FCS can be dangerous (see Montana State’s win over New Mexico on Saturday). But Montana State was No. 4 in the nation in FCS and New Mexico was coming off a 4-8 season and has a new coach. So let’s flip that around and we get an idea of where the game is going.
Tulane 45, Southeast Louisiana 17
The Green Wave should have a pretty easy time of it on Thursday. The quarterback competition will be underway, so the hunt for points should continue into the evening. Sumrall will look to make a good opening statement on defense, but the Lions scored a lot of points last year and could also snag a touchdown or two.
