Frustrated Knights hungry to pull out of an unexpected skid

Tulane also carries a 2-game losing streak into AAC showdown

UCF and Tulane may have drastically different styles of play on the football field, but they enter their showdown Saturday recovering from heartbreaking losses.

UCF (2-2, 1-2 AAC) surrendered a double-digit lead for the second consecutive game as Memphis scored 36 second-half points — including 21 points in the fourth quarter — and the Knights saw a 13-game win streak against the Tigers snapped with a 50-49 loss.

Tulane (2-3, 1-2 AAC) was in a back-and-forth affair with SMU last week in a game that featured eight lead changes before the Green Wave fell 37-34 in overtime.

The Knights and the Green Wave both are riding two-game losing streaks. Their game kicks off at 2 p.m. at the Bounce House and will air on ESPN2.

“For us as a football team, the only thing we’re concerned about is being plus-1 and on the right side of the scoreboard,” UCF coach Josh Heupel said.

UCF is the top offensive team in the country, with the Knights averaging more than 636 yards and 43 points per game this season. During the loss to the Tigers, the team amassed 798 yards, including quarterback Dillon Gabriel’s school-record 601 passing yards.

“We’re going to need to match points,” Tulane coach Willie Fritz said when asked about facing the Knights. “This isn’t a team that you want to get behind on. ... They really spread you out and they’re one of the few teams that really uses the field horizontally as well as vertically.

“We’ve got to keep a 15-yard gain to 15 and not 55 [yards]. You’ve got to wrap up and tackle. We’ve got to do a much better job with leverage and tackling.”

The Green Wave have struggled at times on defense, particularly when it comes to stopping passes. The team is allowing 305 yards per game through the air and 9.6 yards per pass attempt. During the loss to SMU, the defense allowed 439 yards and nearly 12 yards per attempt.

“Honestly, the main thing is trusting the coaches’ game plan,” Tulane defensive back Jaylon Monroe said when asked what’s required to beat UCF.

“They’re pretty similar. We’ve got to limit the damage and trust coaches’ game plan.”

On offense, Tulane is one of the better rushing teams in the country, with the Green Wave averaging 229 yards per game on the ground.

Their 18 rushing touchdowns this season are second to only Army (21).

GERRYBROOME |AP UCF coach Josh Heupel and the Knights are pushing to snap their two-game losing streak with a victory over Tulane on Saturday.