Analysis: Tulane Green Wave Pummel Temple Owls Like Team Ready To Reclaim Title
The Tulane Green Wave were ruthless in chasing a victory against the Temple Owls, and their dominance in all three phases illustrates the urgency of their approach to the final season stretch.
It had nothing to do with their opponent's level of talent or competitiveness. In suboptimal weather conditions that seemed poised for a grinder, Tulane delivered a shellacking.
For the first time since the Green Wave have contended for the American conference title, they have the opportunity to clinch a berth with a win over the Navy Midshipmen.
Wind gusts alerted pass trajectories, and Darian Mensah and his receivers adjusted. The rain made Yulman Stadium so soggy that cleats were slipping. The Green Wave outgained Temple 589 to 158 total yards in a balanced offensive beatdown.
Early in the fourth quarter, Terrez Worthy broke away for a 75-yard touchdown run that stole away Tulane's shutout and distorted a pedestrian rush outing for the Owls that otherwise gained 27 yards.
Jon Sumrall was fairly critical of the explosive run that saw about six defenders overpursue or bounce off with poor technique. At that point, only two defensive starters remained on the field.
When Tulane got the ball back, they trotted out freshman Kellen Tasby at quarterback to take snaps from the third-string center. There were still seven minutes left in regulation, but the game was over by halftime at best.
Under Sumrall, the threat of a trap game hasn't resonated, and Saturday's win showed why. Importantly, they broke tendencies on offense to create critical fits on film for their upcoming opponent.
Personnel packages, which included receivers Bryce Bohanon and Shaun Nicholas, began to telegraph run plays in their direction. Against Charlotte, Ty Thompson bounced the opposite direction for the first time. In their first scoring drive against Temple, Tulane deployed them in passing plays.
Mensah and Shazz Preston's opening act was nothing short of electric, with a 53-yard passing touchdown on Preston's first collegiate catch.
Teams should, and do, fear Makhi Hughes. In a 14-day span, he's recorded 76 carries for 465 rushing yards and five touchdowns. But the rushing attack as a whole was unstoppable, with five touchdowns on the day between three ball carriers.
On a standout defense, there's no one that stands out week-to-week. That might be the team's best trait on that side of the ball. 22 Green Wave defenders accounted for 35 tackles.
Six different players sacked Evan Simon. Each level on the field has depth that surpasses anything imaginable at the start of training camp.
Only 24 teams in the nation have punted less than Tulane's total of 30, which has kept punter Wil Karrol under the radar. He's not even eligible for the NCAA minimum 3.6 punts per game on a weekly basis to record his year in their stats.
Not only accounting for wind but also the rugby style of Temple's punter, Tulane had both Dontae Fleming and Bryce Bohanon in the backfield for punts. Freshman Patrick Durkin kicked his first collegiate field goal in the rain.
Rarely do teams break into the AP Top 25 after a win against the caliber of opponent Tulane beat in Temple. Their execution in all three phases in the elements was rightfully rewarded.
Ultimately, none of it matters without a win at Navy this weekend. The final games of their previous two seasons were crucial in determining Tulane's fate. They have yet to clinch a conference championship berth in Week 12.
While a path to the title game exists with a loss, that's not the Green Wave's goal under Jon Sumrall. For a team with 50-plus new players on the roster and no starting quarterback until Week 1, Tulane's fight this year has been nothing short of incredible.
They're poised to deliver the final blow with a road victory against the Midshipmen as top dogs in the American Athletic Conference.
Maddy Hudak is the deputy editor for Tulane on Sports Illustrated and the radio sideline reporter for their football team. Maddy is an alumnus of Tulane University, and graduated in 2016 with a degree in psychology. She went on to obtain a Master of Legal Studies while working as a research coordinator at the VA Hospital, and in jury consulting. During this time, Maddy began covering the New Orleans Saints with SB Nation, and USA Today. She moved to New Orleans in 2021 to pursue a career in sports and became Tulane's sideline reporter that season. She enters her fourth year with the team now covering the program on Sports Illustrated, and will use insights from features and interviews in the live radio broadcast. You can follow her on X at @MaddyHudak_94, or if you have any questions or comments, she can be reached via email at maddy.hudak1@gmail.com