Week 11 of the college football season has plenty of top matchups, but a clash between Tulane and No. 22 Memphis (9:00 p.m. ET on ESPN) might take the cake for Friday night.
It’s a battle of two of the best the American Conference has to offer. With remaining games for both sides dwindling down, the competition is only ramping up.
Here, we’ll break down a Tulane vs. Memphis prediction and pick for Friday NCAAF. Use PrizePicks’ CFB game for player projections on QB Jake Retzlaff and others.
Tulane vs. Memphis Prediction, Preview for Friday, 11/7
Friday marks the 42nd all-time meeting between these two programs. Although Memphis owns the series advantage 25-15-1, the tides have turned via a Green Wave in the last handful of years.
Tulane has ripped off back-to-back wins over the Tigers in 2022 and 2023, outscoring them 69-49. Memphis RB Sutton Smith was around for both bouts, amassing 10 carries for 50 yards overall. Much has changed since then, however, namely at the QB spot.
Let’s take a closer look at the Tulane vs. Memphis matchup on Friday.
Tulane Green Wave Preview vs. Memphis
- Tulane went 9-5 in the first year under head coach Jon Sumrall, ultimately losing in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl.
- The Green Wave’s encore campaign saw them start conference play 3-0 before dropping a Week 10 game to UTSA, 48-26.
- Only one team, East Carolina (73), has allowed fewer points in American Conference play than Tulane’s 98.
- 2025’s Tulane squad does a great job keeping its QB clean, ranking eighth in lowest sack percentage at 2.76.
- Opponents aren’t afraid to throw on the Green Wave; their defense is 39th in opposing pass rate at 45.7%.
Memphis Tigers Preview vs. Tulane
- Since going 21-15 in his first three seasons, head coach Ryan Silverfield has ripped off 29 wins (and counting?) to just 6 losses.
- Memphis’ three consecutive bowl game triumphs marks the longest streak in program history.
- The Tigers rank second in scoring during conference play with 196 points, tied with South Florida but trailing North Texas.
- A 31-24 defeat at the hands of UAB is the only loss on Memphis’ 2025 record. In that outing, the Blazers forced three incompletions in a row deep in their territory to ice the game.
- Memphis boasts a relatively balanced team, ranking 11th in the nation in points per play on offense (0.525) and 23rd on defense (0.295).
Tulane vs. Memphis Picks for PrizePicks
Below are prime Tulane vs. Memphis picks to consider for Week 11. PrizePicks player projections include QB Jake Retzlaff, as well as WR Shazz Preston and RB Greg Desrosiers Jr.
Tulane QB Jake Retzlaff Projection: 219.5 Pass Yards
- Retzlaff averages 202.8 passing yards per game this year, including 261.0 in his last four games.
- The BYU transfer has two games of 260+ yards, both during his last three contests.
- According to Pro Football Focus, Retzlaff is tied for ninth among all FBS QBs in passes dropped (19). Regression to the mean could spell out more yardage.
- Retzlaff is eyeing a bounce back after a poor showing against UTSA, when he completed just 50% of his passes for 194 yards, 1 TD and 2 INTs. He was benched once the game got out of hand.
- Memphis’ pass defense ranks 85th in EPA/play allowed, per Game on Paper, with a 53rd-percentile mark for yards per dropback.
Tulane WR Shazz Preston Projection: 41.5 Receiving Yards
- Year two at Tulane has seen Preston take off. He’s posting career-highs for receptions (22) and yards (329) in eight games.
- After averaging 37 yards per week in his first four outings of 2025, Preston’s upped that figure to 45.3 in his last four. He scored his only TD in Week 8’s 24-17 win over Army.
- Among 34 American Conference WRs with 30+ targets, Preston ranks ninth with a 124.4 passer rating when targeted, via PFF.
- Memphis allows plenty of explosive passes, ranking in just the 28th percentile there while also being in the 37th percentile in pass EPA/play.
Memphis RB Greg Desrosiers Jr. Projection: 45.5 Rush Yards
- In just seven games played, Desrosiers has set collegiate career-highs for rush attempts (75), rushing yards (450), and rushing TDs (7).
- The former Louisville and Massachusetts man exploded for 204 yards and 3 TDs in a 45-7 win over Tulsa on Oct. 4. He has 188 yards and 3 TDs in four games since.
- Per PFF, 23 American Conference RBs have 50+ carries. Desrosiers is fifth with 24 missed tackles forced and sixth in breakaway run rate at 46%.
- Desrosiers ranks 51st out of 266 qualified rushers in total EPA, via Game on Paper.
- Tulane’s run defense ranks 89th in EPA/play and 84th in success rate. It’s a seventh-percentile unit when it comes to stuffs.
Make Tulane vs. #22 Memphis Picks on PrizePicks
With the initial College Football Playoff rankings coming out and plenty of high-profile games on the schedule, Week 11 of the season is here. Tulane vs. Memphis picks highlight Friday’s slate, but there’s a multitude of other options this weekend.
With PrizePicks’ real-money CFB game, you can get in on the action. Doing so is simple. Just pick your players, predict More or Less for their projected stats, and win rewards if you’re right.
Keep it here with the Playbook for continued college football coverage.
