No.23 Tulane (5-0) at Rutgers (3-3)                    12 pm EDT

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PISCATAWAY, New Jersey (Ticker) -- Still unbeaten and with
perhaps its toughest games in the past, No. 23 Tulane can begin
a march towards its first bowl game in 11 years and in the
process reach a small milestone with a win over Rutgers. 

Things had been relatively easy for the Green Wave (5-0) this
season until last weekend's meeting with Louisville.  Tulane did
not record the 28-22 victory until forcing Cardinals quarterback
Chris Redman to throw two incompletions in the end zone in the
final seconds. 

Tulane, a football program that was dormant until the arrival of
Tommy Bowden last season, has not been to a postseason game
since losing to Washington in the 1987 Independence Bowl.  The
Green Wave have a good shot to get back to a bowl as the
remaining six teams on their schedule have a combined record of
12-26. 

A victory over Rutgers would give the Green Wave, who went 7-4
last season, back-to-back campaigns of six wins or more for the
first time since they went 7-5 in 1980 and 6-5 the next season. 

But the sixth victory will not be as easy as it appeared when
the season began.  Rutgers (3-3), which last season went 0-11
and was the laughing stock of college football, has won three
games, its most since winning four in 1995. Last weekend, the
Scarlet Knights rallied from a 14-point deficit to shock
Pittsburgh, 25-21. 

"It will be a team that will match up with us talent-wise pretty
equal across the board," said Bowden.  "You hate to play a team
that is getting better. They didn't win any games last season
and they already have three this year. They have three and we
have five." 

For the Scarlet Knights to pull off another upset, they will
need to improve on what has been a pourous pass defense as they
prepare for the explosive Green Wave passing game, led by Shaun
King. 

King, who ranks fifth in the nation in passing efficiency, has
thrown for 1,253 yards and 14 touchdowns against just four
interceptions and has slowly recovered from a broken left wrist
that hampered him in a huge Conference USA victory over Southern
Mississippi on October 3rd. 

King can choose from a pair of star wideouts, JaJuan Dawson and
P.J. Franklin, who have combined to catch 63 passes for 986
yards and 10 touchdowns. 

Rutgers has won all three games between the schools, including a
45-40 victory in New Orleans in 1995.