GALLERY BY PARKER WATERS

LAFAYETTE – The Tulane football team (2-2) used big plays in all three periods to earn a 41-33 road victory over Louisiana (2-1) on Saturday at Our Lady of the Lourdes Stadium/Cajun Field in Lafayette.

Redshirt running back in the second year Makhi Hughes reached his career high with 166 rushing yards. He averaged 7.2 yards per attempt on his 23 carries and had one rushing score. Redshirt Freshman Runningback Trey Cornish ran four times for 39 yards. Quarterback Ty Thompson managed seven runs for 23 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Wide Receiver Yulkeith Brown covered a total of 19 yards on the ground in his two attempts. Redshirt Freshman Quarterback Darian Mensah totaled 17 yards on the ground in three attempts. He was also 11-for-17 for 83 yards and a 33-yard pass touchdown to senior tight end Reggie Brown. The reception was Brown's only one of the game. Mario Williams led the team with his five catches and scored a total of 24 yards.

In special teams, Rayshawn pleasant had four returns for 153 yards, including a 94-yard kick return touchdown. Ethan Head scored two field goals and scored 11 points in the game.

Experienced linebacker Tyler Grubbs led the defense with six total tackles. Redshirt Freshman Linebacker Dickson Agu made five stops. Defensive Back Jalen Geiger a total of four stops and one interception. Linebacker Sam Howard recorded four tackles. Jack Tchienchou had two tackles and a touchdown interception return.

Tulane's offense had 18 first downs, 272 rushing yards, 83 passing yards and 355 total yards in the game. Louisiana had 22 first downs, 183 rushing yards and 238 passing yards for a total of 421 yards. The Green Wave controlled the clock and had a time of possession of 33:57.

Louisiana opened the scoring with a one-yard touchdown run by Ben Woolridge, giving the Ragin' Cajuns a 7-0 lead with 7:26 left in the first quarter.

The Green Wave tied the game 7-7 with their next possession. Ty Thompson rushed in from two yards out, completing the 15-play, 65-yard drive at the start of the second quarter.

The Ragin' Cajuns regained the lead on their next possession when Kenneth Almendares converted a 20-yard field goal to give Louisiana a 10-7 lead with 9:14 left in the second quarter.

On the next possession, Tulane tied the game again at 10-10 when Head capped the drive with a 37-yard field goal, his first career goal, with 2:02 left before halftime.

The Green Wave scored their third defensive touchdown of the season. Jack Tchienchou returned his interception to paydirt with 1:40 left in the second quarter. The interception return was 38 yards.

With the second field goal of the first half by Almendares, this time from 28 meters, the Cajuns came within 17:13 at halftime.

Pleasant started the second half for Tulane with a 94-yard kick return touchdown, giving the Green Wave a 24-13 lead with 14:47 left in the third quarter.

The Ragin' Cajuns scored again quickly, coming within one point on a pass from Woolridge to Caden Jensen with 13:06 left in the third quarter. The big play of the drive was a 73-yard run by Bill Davis. The two-point conversion could not keep the score at 24-19.

Tulane responded on the next possession when Mensah Reggie Brown on a 33-yard touchdown reception that put the Green Wave ahead 31-19 with 8:57 left in the third quarter. It was Brown's second touchdown reception in as many games after having just one touchdown reception in his first four seasons (vs. UCF – 11/12/22)

The back and forth continued when Louisiana scored with 6:42 left in the third quarter on a 36-yard touchdown pass from Woolridge to Terrence Carter and the Cajuns got back within one point, 31-26.

Tulane scored again in the third quarter when Hughes completed a six-play, 73-yard drive from one yard out with 3:11 minutes left in the third quarter to give the Green Wave a 38-26 lead.

The Cajuns again came within one point, 38-33, when Woolridge scored from the two-pointer with 13:17 left in the game.

The Green Wave took an eight-point lead when Head made his second field goal of the game, this time from 38 yards, to extend the lead to 41-33 with 5:42 left in the game.

After a missed field goal by Tulane, Louisiana was on the rise and reached the Green Wave's 41-yard line before Geiger intercepted a pass, thwarting the attack that could have tied the game and giving Tulane the thrilling 41-33 victory.

The football team will then return home to begin American Athletic Conference play against South Florida at 11 a.m. on September 28 at Yulman Stadium.

NOTES:

– First semester Ethan Heads The 37-yard field goal was his first career goal… His 38-yard field goal in the fourth quarter was a career high… His 11 points scored were also a career high.

– Redshirt freshman Jack Tchienchous The 38-yard interception return was the first of his career, but the third interception return Tulane has had this season (Rayshawn pleasant – 100 yards against Southeastern Louisiana – 08/29/24 and Tyler Grubbs – 22 yards against Oklahoma – 14.9.24)…The team’s streak of converting every interception into a touchdown ended in the fourth quarter when Jalen Geiger After his selection, he willingly went onto the field to finish the final drive for Louisiana.

– Rayshawn Pleasant's The 94-yard kick return touchdown early in the second half was Tulane’s first since Schröder Louis accomplished this feat last season against Tulsa (11.11.23).

– Makhi Hughes' The 166-yard rushing day was his second 100+ day of the season and the ninth of his career… Hughes has now rushed for 100 or more yards in nine of his last 14 games.

– With the win, Tulane has an overall record of 38-36 against current schools in the Sun Belt Conference, with most of its wins coming against Louisiana.

– With the win, Tulane is now 24-6 overall against Louisiana in a series that first began in 1911… This was the first game between the schools since 2018, when the Green Wave defeated the Ragin' Cajuns 41-24 in the Cure Bowl in Orlando, Florida… Tulane has won its last three meetings with Louisiana and six of its last eight contests… This was its first in Lafayette since 2012 and just the sixth game in the series not played in New Orleans (two bowl games and four away contests).

– Tulane is 2-2 for the fourth times since 2015, 12th time since 2000 and 38th time in school history (2024, 2020, 2017, 2015, 2013, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2005, 2002, 2000, 1999, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1993, 1992, 1990, 1989, 1987, 1980, 1975, 1959, 1955, 1951, 1950, 1946, 1943, 1942, 1935, 1933, 1932, 1928, 1913, 1903, 1896, 1895).

– The victory improved the head coach Jon Sumrall to 17-2 overall against schools from the Sun Belt Conference.

– The win was the team's second over a Louisiana team this season and improved Coach Sumrall's overall record against in-state schools to 6-0.

– The win increased Tulane's record to 83-75 against college football schools in the state of Louisiana (24-6 vs. Louisiana; 23-68 vs. LSU; 8-0 vs. Southeastern Louisiana; 8-0 vs. Louisiana Tech; 6-0 vs. Northwestern State; 4-0 vs. Louisiana Christian; 3-0 vs. Southern; 3-1 vs. Louisiana Monroe; 2-0 vs. Nicholls; 1-0 vs. McNeese State; and 1-0 vs. Grambling)…Tulane's first game against a school from the state of Louisiana came in 1893 against LSU.

– Head Coach Jon Sumrall has now started the last three seasons with 2-2

– Tulane is now 25-7 since the start of the 2022 season.

– With three forced turnovers against Louisiana, Tulane has now won 21 of its last 25 games by forcing an opponent's turnover.

– Tulane has now outscored opponents in 22 of its last 30 games (including 16 of its last 20)… In such contests, Tulane holds a record of 20-2 (losses in 2022 to Southern Miss and 2023 to Ole Miss).

– Tulane has won 11 of the team's last 12 road games.

– Since the start of the 2016 season, Tulane is 44-7 (.862) when leading at halftime and 46-9 (.836) when leading after three quarters.

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