Tulane Green Wave Summer Conditioning Delivered Victory in Scorcher
The Tulane Green Wave secured an important non-conference win against the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns due to their diligence in summer workouts and training camp.
The temperature on the field Saturday reached 144 degrees in the scorching contest. When both teams came out for the second half, it was clear the effects of the overwhelming heat hit both sides, particularly on defense.
34 of the 74 total points in Tulane's 41-33 victory came in the third quarter alone.
Former linebacker Nick Anderson said that the Cotton Bowl team won their games back in March. That was the spring workouts where they came together to set the goal for the conference championship. Saturday's game was won back in July in the elements under the regimen by Director of Strength and Conditioning, Rusty Whitt.
It was clear in Tulane's domination of the trenches on offense, outrushing Louisiana 272 to 138 yards on the ground. The Cajuns had the better outing in the passing game, but the Green Wave committed to wearing them down by controlling the line of scrimmage. It was even more impressive hearing Makhi Hughes rushed for 166 yards on 23 carries while battling an illness.
Prior to Saturday, Tulane’s longest drive of the season was 12 plays for 43 yards against Oklahoma. Their longest possession time on a drive was 5:59. The Green Wave ran 15 plays for 65 yards in the first quarter on a 7:29-minute drive. In total, they had three drives that ran over seven minutes—one in the fourth quarter—and their highest total time of possession of the season.
On the field, there were little to no signs of wear and tear, with no drives stalling for cramps or players missing meaningful time trying to rest on the sidelines. After clearly hurting in the conditioning department against Oklahoma with Hurricane Francine disrupting their routines, Tulane showed considerable strength in the way they beat the Cajuns.
Summer workouts are only as meaningful as the team’s buy-in and focus on bettering themselves. This offseason, multiple players, such as Dontae Fleming, reached personal bests in the weight room, and younger players, such as Arnold Barnes, made strides with their adherence and discipline to nutrition.
With over 40 new players on the roster and many starters not found until the spring portal window, Tulane had no clear leadership carryover. It was up to the new players and coaches, and those who remained from the previous teams, to set a standard. That standard on the field is still shaping up with cleaning up penalties and finishing games strong, but their approach to the weight room and taking care of their bodies is paying off.
Tulane has two more day games in the New Orleans heat this Saturday and in Birmingham next weekend. They’ve shown the toughness necessary to get through a brutal stretch of outdoor contests and open conference play strong against the USF Bulls.
Maddy Hudak is the deputy editor for Tulane on Sports Illustrated and the radio sideline reporter for their football team. Maddy is an alumnus of Tulane University, and graduated in 2016 with a degree in psychology. She went on to obtain a Master of Legal Studies while working as a research coordinator at the VA Hospital, and in jury consulting. During this time, Maddy began covering the New Orleans Saints with SB Nation, and USA Today. She moved to New Orleans in 2021 to pursue a career in sports and became Tulane's sideline reporter that season. She enters her fourth year with the team now covering the program on Sports Illustrated, and will use insights from features and interviews in the live radio broadcast. You can follow her on X at @MaddyHudak_94, or if you have any questions or comments, she can be reached via email at maddy.hudak1@gmail.com