Tulane Green Wave Crush Navy, Clinches Berth in Conference Title Game
The Tulane Green Wave will play for a conference championship for a third straight year, as they defeated the Navy Midshipmen, 35-0, on Saturday at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md.
Tulane (9-2, 7-0 in American) further enhanced their case to move up in both the AP Top 25 and the College Football Playoff rankings, which come out on Sunday and Tuesday, respectively. The Green Wave were ranked No. 25 in both going into the game.
The defeat was a triple-whammy for Navy (7-3, 5-2).
It elevated the Green Wave into the AAC title game, it eliminated Navy from contention for the title game, and it clinched the AAC title game berth for Navy’s archrival, Army.
Tulane has hosted the last two AAC title games.
In 2022, the Green Wave defeated UCF, which set themselves up to earn the Group of 5 New Year’s bowl game berth where they beat USC in the Cotton Bowl.
Last year the Green Wave hosted SMU and lost.
The site of this year’s game is to be determined.
Both Tulane and Army have one league game remaining. Army also must face Notre Dame next Saturday.
Tulane quarterback Darian Mensah threw for 138 yards and two touchdowns on Saturday, adding another 57 yards on the ground with a touchdown. Running back Makhi Hughes rushed for 82 yards and two scores. Mario Williams caught three passes for 46 yards as Mensah only attempted 14 passes.
The Green Wave won the game by giving Navy (7-3, 5-2) a taste of their own medicine.
The two teams entered the contest among the top 10 teams at the FBS level in rushing yards but only Tulane produced like it.
They scored three touchdowns on the ground and rushed for 220 yards, part of 358 total for the day.
Tulane built a 14-0 first-half lead when Navy starting quarterback Blake Horvath left the game with back spasms after taking a hit. With the Midshipmen’s star on the sideline, the Green Wave went to work, forcing a turnover on fourth down to set up their first score.
Tulane’s Sam Howard picked off a pass from Horvath’s backup, Braxton Woodson, which Mensah eventually turned into a 14-yard touchdown run.
The Green Wave forced Navy’s next possession out on downs and turned that into a touchdown. Hughes capped off a six-minute drive with a 14-yard touchdown run.
Tulane scored on their opening drive of the second half, possessing the football for more than eight minutes to take a 21-0 lead on Hughes’ 1-yard touchdown run. Mensah threw his two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter.
Horvath didn’t play in the second half.
He rushed five times for 25 yards and attempted just one pass. Woodson rushed for 24 yards and threw for another 13 yards on 3-of-10 passing. Alex Tecza rushed for a team-high 31 yards as the Green Wave defense allowed just 100 rushing yards.
