South Alabama vs Tulane Picks and Prediction for Saturday September 12 2026

The South Alabama Jaguars travel to Yulman Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana, to face the Tulane Green Wave on Saturday, September 12. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM ET on ESPN+. South Alabama enters at 1-0 after defeating Southeastern Louisiana 39-14, while Tulane is 0-1 following a 17-3 loss at Duke. The current betting market has Tulane favored by 10.5 points with the total at 50.5. Before placing your wagers, check out our free college football picks for more predictions throughout the season.

South Alabama Dominates With the Running Game

South Alabama opened its season with a convincing 39-14 victory over Southeastern Louisiana. The Jaguars accumulated 395 total yards, rushed for 241 and controlled possession for an impressive 40:09.

Bishop Davenport completed 18 of 27 passes for 154 yards and a touchdown while also scoring on the ground. Trae'von Dunbar and PJ Martin added rushing touchdowns as South Alabama consistently controlled the line of scrimmage. The Jaguars finished with 27 first downs and converted seven of 17 third downs.

Defensively, South Alabama held Southeastern Louisiana to 231 total yards and just 45 rushing yards while forcing two interceptions. The competition becomes significantly stronger this week, but the Jaguars' ability to run the football and control possession could be extremely important against Tulane.

Tulane Offense Struggles at Duke

Tulane's first game under head coach Will Hall ended with a 17-3 loss at Duke. The Green Wave stayed within one possession until the fourth quarter, but their offense never reached the end zone and finished with only 258 total yards.

Tulane rotated Zeon Chriss-Gremillion and Kadin Semonza at quarterback. Chriss-Gremillion completed 6 of 9 passes for 64 yards, while Semonza went 11 of 21 for 140. The bigger problem was the running game, as Tulane managed only 54 rushing yards and 2.1 yards per carry.

The Green Wave also committed 15 penalties for 104 yards, making it extremely difficult to sustain drives. The defense deserves credit for keeping Tulane competitive, but the Green Wave must find significantly more offensive consistency before I'm comfortable laying double digits.

South Alabama vs Tulane Picks and Prediction

Pick: South Alabama +10.5

South Alabama +10.5 is my preferred side. Tulane remains the more talented team and deserves to be favored at Yulman Stadium, but laying double digits with an offense that just scored three points is difficult. South Alabama showed an ability to control possession and run the football in its opener, exactly the profile an underdog needs to shorten a game. Getting through the key number of 10 gives us additional value. Take South Alabama +10.5.

Pick: Under 50.5

The Under 50.5 is my preferred total. Tulane produced 258 yards, 54 rushing yards and three points against Duke, while South Alabama held Southeastern Louisiana to 231 yards and 45 on the ground. South Alabama also possessed the football for more than 40 minutes, and another methodical approach would reduce possessions. Tulane should improve offensively at home, but this number still requires more scoring than I'm ready to project from the Green Wave. Take Under 50.5.

Final Picks: South Alabama +10.5 and Under 50.5