Memphis heads to Tulane coming off best defensive performance of the season

Memphis will head to New Orleans this Saturday to face Tulane in its final road game of the season. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. on ESPN+ from Yulman Stadium.

The Tigers (6-2, 4-2 American Athletic Conference) defeated Navy 10-7 last Saturday to clinch a school-record seventh consecutive winning season.

The Green Wave (5-5, 2-5) last played Nov. 19 at No. 24 Tulsa, a 30-24 loss in double overtime. Tulane entered the Tulsa game having won three straight, including a 38-12 win over then-No. 25 Army.

Memphis holds a 23-12-1 advantage in the all-time series with Tulane. The Tigers have won 12 of the last 13 matchups.

Red-zone resistance

Memphis leads the AAC and ranks No. 12 nationally in red-zone defense. The Tigers have held opponents scoreless on 27.6% of red-zone trips.

The red-zone defense is drastically improved from last season when Memphis finished 11th out of 12 teams in the conference while keeping teams off the board on just 8% of trips inside the Tiger 20-yard line.

Memphis' biggest defensive play in the win over Navy came in the red zone when safety Quindell Johnson intercepted a Midshipmen pass at the Tigers' 14-yard line with 1:30 remaining in the first half. The turnover kept the game tied at halftime with Memphis eventually kicking a game-winning field goal in the fourth quarter.

Award-winning defender

Johnson's key interception and game-high-tying 12 tackles earned him AAC Defensive Player of the Week. It's the first time the sophomore has received the honor. He leads the team and ranks 10th in the conference with 60 tackles this season, already surpassing the 58 tackles he had in 14 games as a redshirt freshman.

A New Orleans native, Johnson will be playing his first collegiate game in his hometown Saturday. He did not play when the Tigers last traveled to Tulane in 2018 during his redshirt season. Johnson's twin brother Kendell also plays defensive back for the Tigers and has appeared in six games, primarily on special teams, this season.

"I'm excited to go back home and show out for my family," Quindell Johnson said. "A lot of friends and family are going to be there. Them being able to watch me play, because I know a lot of them haven't seen me play live at a college game yet, is going to mean a lot to me."

Championship picture

Memphis is still alive to earn a spot in the American Athletic Conference Championship Game for a fourth consecutive season. The Tigers must beat Tulane and Houston on Dec. 12 along with Tulsa (5-1, 5-0) dropping its final two against Navy this Saturday and No. 7 Cincinnati the following week. The conference-leading Bearcats have already clinched a spot in the championship game.

"I told our guys we still have everything we want in front of us," said head coach Ryan Silverfield. "This is the most important game of our year. I think our players have the right mindset and they're excited."