Highest Graded Tulane Green Wave Players From Saturday's Gritty Win
The Tulane Green Wave needed a handful of players to come through with big days to take down the Rice Owls, and that's exactly what happened.
A tougher game than expected left some worried about the state of the program, but the Green Wave were able to escape with their perfect conference record still in tact.
Pro Football Focus released their weekly grades for the matchup and the best reports unsurprisingly came from the defensive side of the ball.
Returning star defensive lineman Adin Huntington had an amazing first day back in the lineup as he was given an elite 89.6 grade, the highest on the team.
Huntington had been out since missing most of the game against the USF Bulls due to an injury suffered mid-game.
His season had not gotten off to a bad start, but it also wasn't anything to write home about. He came back with a vengeance, though, forcing many headaches for the Owls offense despite not being a starter.
In a little over half of the defensive snaps on the day, the redshirt senior had two quarterback hits and tackles that were recorded as stops.
He was a prized addition after transferring over from the ULM Warhawks, coming off of a breakout season. The coaching staff is certainly ecstatic to have him back.
The second highest grade on the day also came from a defensive lineman that started the game on the bench, nose tackle Parker Petersen with an 83.4 grade.
In just 10 pass rush snaps against Rice, Petersen was able to generate two pressures. He also snuffed out a play in the passing game that led to an eight yard loss.
The redshirt junior has finally made an impact after waiting in the wings for the past few seasons. He's now up to 10 tackles, with four for a loss and two sacks this year.
Closing out the top three was yet another defender, lineman Matthew Fobbs-White with a 81.8 grade.
Fobbs-White had two tackles with one going for a loss. He was most effective as a pass rusher, as he generated three hurries. The sophomore hit the quarterback twice and rushed him another.
He figures to be a big part of the future of the defense after winning the starting job in the middle of the season.
While Jon Sumrall would likely prefer to see a more balanced representation near the top of the grades list, solid defensive performances may be enough to keep him happy in year one.
