Three Highest Graded Tulane Green Wave Players From Win Over Louisiana
The Tulane Green Wave grabbed their second win of the season in a high-scoring affair against the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns on Saturday.
Pro Football Focus released their grades for the matchup just a day later and a couple of guys that had big player came out with the best grades.
Though the game was a showdown of the offenses, the highest graded Green Wave player was actually on the defensive side of the ball with defensive back Jack Tchienchou who was given an elite 91.9 grade for his day.
While Tchienchou didn't log the start, he was a key player in the win. He played all over the field, getting snaps at deep safety, in the box and slot corner.
His biggest play, of course, came towards the end of the first half when he came up with an interception that he ran back for a 38-yard touchdown.
The redshirt freshman was one of the players that followed Jon Sumrall to Tulane from the Troy Trojans and looks like he could become a crucial part of this defense in the coming seasons.
Switching over to the offensive side of the ball it was tight end Reggie Brown with a stellar 90.1 grade.
Brown came up with his second touchdown of the season, a career-high for the redshirt senior. It was a 33-yard play through the air, which was the longest of the day for quarterback Darian Mensah.
He's historically been a blocking tight end, but has come up big a couple of times this year as a pass catcher. He also did have a stellar day as a run blocker, yet again.
Speaking of the run game, the heart of the Green Wave offense, Makhi Hughes rounds out the top three players for Tulane in this one with an 89.2 grade.
Hughes had 23 carries for 166 yards and a touchdown.
After starting the season off slow in the win over Southeastern, the redshirt sophomore has looked much better since.
If Tulane wanted to have a successful season, Hughes was always going to be a key cog in the machine.
Though he didn't get a grade for it, defensive back Rayshawn Pleasant also deserves a shout for his 95-yard punt return touchdown that opened the second half.
It wasn't the prettiest 41-point day of all time for the offense, needing a couple of touchdowns from defense and special teams to come away with the victory, but Tulane finally got back in the win column.
DYLAN SANDERS