Tulane Green Wave Keep Playoff Hopes Alive With Stellar Offensive Day vs. UNT
The Tulane Green Wave walked out of Denton victorious on Saturday after taking the North Texas Mean Green down en route to a 45-37 victory.
It was a must-win game for the Green Wave if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive and they certainly played like it.
The offense tore through the Mean Green defense all day and this game felt like it was decided early, despite it being within two scores for a good chunk of it.
It's impossible to talk about this game without focusing on the efforts of superstar running back Makhi Hughes, who set a career high of rushing yards in the first half alone.
Hughes finished the day with 30 carries for 195 yards and a score. Given that he ran the ball 20 times in the first two quarters, it makes sense that the team didn't run him into the ground in the second half once they had the game under control.
He's continued to make a name for himself as one of the country's best running backs. The rest of the country will have to catch up to that take sooner or later.
Arnold Barnes III also tore through the North Texas defense when given the chance, adding 78 yards on 11 carries himself.
Tulane finished the day with 297 total rushing yards as Yulkeith Brown and Ty Thompson had touchdown runs of 10+ yards themselves.
The Green Wave have established a path to victory these past few weeks. Their focus is on the ground game with Darian Mensah only hurting the defenses through the air when he has to.
It's not that Mensah has been bad at all, mind you. He had another incredibly efficient day going 10-for-13 through the air for 175 yards and three touchdowns. He did have an interception, but it was a rare mistake that didn't end up having much effect on the game.
He had a couple of perfect throws on the day, leaving the college football world to continue to marvel at his elite traits as a passer.
Tulane's defense also deserves a shoutout for forcing turnovers and keeping the Mean Green at arm's length for much of the day.
Jack Tchienchou continued his breakout campaign, leading the team with seven tackles on the day. Caleb Ransaw also had a nice game with a tackle for a loss and a pass breakup.
North Texas was able to make the game seem a bit closer than it was with a couple of big plays and sustained drives down the stretch.
Next up for this red hot Green Wave team is a trip North Carolina to take on the Charlotte 49ers.
