Highest Graded Tulane Green Wave Players From Huge Victory Over North Texas
The final score of the game between the Tulane Green Wave and North Texas Mean Green made the matchup seem closer than it actually felt.
For most of the day, it felt like the Green Wave had this one under wraps and it was thanks to the great efforts of their starters.
Pro Football Focus released their weekly grades for the matchup and the group at the top actually looked a bit different than expected.
While Makhi Hughes and Darian Mensah shined, it was a couple of unsung heroes and breakout stars that received the highest praise on the day.
The highest grade of the game went to linebacker Matthew Fobbs-White with an elite 88.4, who has seemingly turned a corner in the second half of the season as a pass rusher.
Fobbs-White logged just three pressures on the quarterback in a rotational role over the first four games of the season. In an effort to switch things up on defense, he was given the keys to a starting role in Week 5 and neither party has looked back since.
The sophomore has 13 pressures over the last four games, including three against the Mean Green. That also came with his second sack of the season.
He also forced his first fumble of the season and didn't miss a tackle. His emergence at linebacker has been fun to watch.
Switching over to the offensive side of the ball, left guard Shadre Hurst has also been a completely different player as of late and the run game is humming because of it. He had the second-highest grade at 85.5.
Along with mauling defenders for Hughes and company, he's done a great job of keeping Mensah clean. He hasn't allowed a pressure since week four.
Tulane might not throw the ball as much as other teams since relying heavily on the ground game, but the pocket is clean when they do.
The third highest graded was handed out back on the defensive side of things, with Chris Rodgers at an 81-flat.
Rodgers was a key transfer brought over with Jon Sumrall from the Troy Trojans and has certainly lived up to the hype.
He's played all over the defense in his career as a safety/linebacker hybrid brimming with athleticism.
North Texas was his biggest assignment yet, playing 40 snaps. The sophomore picked up three pressure, two tackles and broke a pass up.
