Here are four keys to the Military Bowl pitting Tulane against Virginia Tech at 1 p.m. Wednesday in Annapolis, Maryland. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
1. FOCUS, FOCUS, FOCUS
Tulane players and coaches said all of the right things in the lead up to the Military Bowl, insisting they were committed to beating Virginia Tech and were practicing with that intent. The reality is teams that have undergone coaching changes tend to underperform in these games, lacking the same togetherness as their opponent. The Green Wave, playing for interim coach Slade Nagle and several assistants in new roles who likely will not be retained, needs to match Virginia Tech’s intensity from start to finish.
2. ESTABLISH THE RUN
Tulane’s woes against SMU in the AAC championship game started with an ineffective rushing attack. A gimpy Makhi Hughes, who had rushed for 1,001 yards in eight conference games, managed just 44 on 11 carries as the Wave largely abandoned the ground game. Getting Hughes back on track is essential considering quarterback Michael Pratt and the top three wideouts are not playing. Virginia Tech is vulnerable, giving up 4.2 yards per carry while allowing 175-plus yards to seven opponents. Look for a steady dose of Hughes.
3. STOP THE RUN
The Hokies threw 30 or more times only once in their last eight games, relying heavily on quarterback Kyron Drones’ legs on run-pass options. He rushed for 135 yards on 20 attempts against Boston College in mid-November and averaged 6.3 yards per carry vs. North Carolina State and Virginia the next two weeks. He is capable of beating the Wave with his arm, but he is more erratic in the air. Tulane’s talented defensive front needs to play to its standard.
4. PROVE 'EM WRONG
The opening line, which had Virginia Tech as a field goal favorite, has risen to double digits because of Tulane’s opt outs and transfers. This is a deeper team than most people realize, though. The defensive line, missing only Darius Hodges, should be fine. The top three linebackers will play, and the two new starters in the secondary have plenty of experience. Likely starting quarterback Kai Horton came through a year ago at Houston when no one expected it and already has started two times this season. The pieces are there to pull a surprise.