Analysis: Tulane Green Wave Surge Under Proven Philosophy at North Texas
After a physical contest against Rice, the Tulane Green Wave managed to defeat the antithesis of a speedy, explosive North Texas team.
However, the two matchups parallel one another in adverse situations with a telling team response.
The main headline? Makhi Hughes bested his career-high with 169 rushing yards before halftime. He had 40 yards on ten carries heading into the tunnel when they hosted Rice.
Just like the Owls, the Mean Green made a late-game comeback in their first game as a conference opponent in 2023.
North Texas trailed 21-0 at halftime last season and 28-7 with four minutes left in the third quarter. That time, they were successful in recovering an onside kick.
They tied it midway through the fourth quarter. Michael Pratt ran in the game-winning touchdown with a little over two minutes left in regulation. While Saturday's game also ended in a one-score margin, the Green Wave didn't relinquish control in a way that allowed 21 unanswered points.
Importantly, Tulane didn't stray from the philosophy that got them to a nation-best 14-game conference winning streak.
Makhi Hughes and Arnold Barnes had their respective breakout games, combining for 273 net yards with a mere 1-yard loss on the ground.
Just because a team can throw for 449 passing yards on 57 attempts, accomplished by North Texas, does not mean that they should rely on it. Their comeback lacked a counterpunch.
Tulane has won most games in their 6-2 start thanks to their wiser, balanced attack. The offense wants to establish and impose their will under Hughes and make explosive passes count. Darian Mensah completed 12 of 25 attempts after the team's bye against Rice.
His wide receivers stepped up to spoil the Mean Green's homecoming. Mensah had five passes that went for 15 yards or more, returning to the roots of what makes this offense click.
He only attempted 13 passes and threw his first interception since Oklahoma but connected on ten throws for 175 yards and three passing touchdowns—the trio matching his counterpart, Chandler Morris.
The presence of Alex Bauman has an undeniable effect, and it showed early in Hughes' success on the ground. Mensah re-established Bauman's threat in the red zone with great touch and timing on his touchdown throw, as well as the two to Yulkeith Brown and Mario Williams.
Tulane showed the ability to learn from tough losses in their gritty win after their bye week. Saturday, they learned from the perils of a slow start and dominated with an early 21-3 lead. The momentum was firmly in their hands when Mensah threw an ill-advised turnover.
When the Green Wave beat Kansas State in 2022, Michael Pratt led the day on the ground after throwing a poor interception before halftime. It was the first game on the sidelines where the traits required to win at quarterback were evident.
Mensah emulated that poise on the team's first possession in the third quarter, connecting with Williams and eventually Bauman to grow the lead after North Texas capitalized on the turnover.
A few scores later, the Green Wave followed suit. The defense let the Mean Green drive 75 yards and allowed a 20-yard rushing touchdown by Morris on third down. Tulane turned it over on downs five plays later.
Matthew Fobbs-White brought the pressure on the first play, sacking Morris and forcing a fumble recovered by Sam Howard.
Morris sustained an injury during the play and didn't make a comeback until the fourth quarter, which began shortly after Yulkeith Brown ran in a touchdown and successfully caught the two-point conversion to go up 45-24.
Tulane's defense held North Texas to their second three-and-out of the day. Then things got a bit hairy, if you solely checked the box score. The Green Wave played with their control of the contest a little and allowed some swings—none they couldn't surmount.
On 80 and 90-yard drives, the Mean Green scored two touchdowns on 20 plays. Tulane punted ahead of and in between both. Unfortunately, the penalties played a factor late.
Two penalties on the offensive line stalled that first drive, erasing a first down by Hughes and putting them in a hole. Mensah was sacked on the latter series, which included a false start. While the receivers stepped up, other factors made the outing a bit tougher for the redshirt freshman, not immune from his own mistakes.
Tulane was much stouter in the red zone against Rice. They managed to prevent the game from swinging significantly and drained it out. Special teams continued to play a crucial role, forcing a fumble that resulted in points, and a consecutive outing by Will Karoll as a difference-maker.
Caleb Ransaw's return to spear was critical, but just as Bauman seemed slightly hindered by his knee brace, his hamstring injury was hard to ignore in the context of coverage errors.
Ransaw still finished second in tackles, broke up a pass, and had two tackles for loss. The defensive player of the game was arguably leading tackler Jack Tchienchou, who had eight solo tackles and one that saved a touchdown.
Tchienchou's ascension as a playmaker is a microcosm of the growth and depth of Tulane's defense. They were without their best player, defensive tackle Patrick Jenkins, who didn't travel with the team due to the tragic, unexpected loss of his mother. His heart was apparent in their fight until the end.
Kameron Hamilton, who had been starting at the edge, moved back to the interior, making Jenkins' absence less noticeable. That speaks to a deep roster of talent, and the only way to cultivate that is through playing time.
Many of the players on defense during North Texas' final two drives and throughout the game were not starters. That was an important stretch of mental toughness that the young players stand to learn from.
Bryce Bohanon skillfully recovered their onside kick attempt, and the team got out of dodge with a win not taken for granted.
Against the third-best offense in the country in total and passing, Tulane told the tale and handled another tempo team ahead of a consecutive road game on a short week.
North Texas tried to win with speed, and the onside kick was a critical moment after allowing two touchdowns.
The team kept showing up, and while it wasn't their best version, it was one that won. Tulane football stays in the driver's seat of their destiny with enough conviction to offset a rapid preparation for the Charlotte 49ers.
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