Tulane University
Southern Miss
Football Drops C-USA Contest At Southern Miss, 43-6
Oct 24, 2009 | Football
Oct. 24, 2009
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HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Senior running back André Anderson posted 116 all-purpose yards and hauled in a career-high six passes, but it was not enough as the Tulane University football team dropped a Conference USA contest to Southern Miss, 43-6, Saturday evening at M.M. Roberts Stadium.
The Golden Eagles scored in nearly every phase of the game as Southern Miss posted four offensive touchdowns - two rushing and two passing - returned a fumble for a score, and blocked a field goal that turned into a 77-yard touchdown return. The Southern Miss defense, meanwhile, posted six sacks on the day and held the Green Wave offense to 54 yards on the ground.
The loss was the third straight for the Green Wave as Tulane falls to 2-5 on the year and 0-4 in C-USA action. Southern Miss, meanwhile, improved to 5-3 overall and 3-1 in league play.
"It's a comedy of errors," Tulane head football coach Bob Toledo said. "I about had a heart attack at halftime I was so mad. I was yelling and screaming. I haven't been that mad in the three years since I've been here.
"We give everyone so many opportunities and we don't practice that way. We have some guys who have to step to the forefront. We make too many mistakes. That's the thing that's so bothersome. We work so hard as coaches and players and then to come into a game and perform like that is really disheartening."
Making the first start of his career, redshirt-freshman quarterback Ryan Griffin completed 21-of-33 passes for 158 yards and an interception, and was on the receiving end of all six Southern Miss sacks. He completed passes to seven different receivers - finding Anderson six times for 24 yards, junior wide receiver Casey Robottom five times for 61 yards and senior wideout Jeremy Williams four times for 21 yards.
The Southern Miss defense forced four turnovers - three fumble recoveries and a pick - and halted Tulane on fourth-down to give the Southern Miss offense a short field late in the ballgame. The USM offense, meanwhile, turned the turnovers and the fourth-down hold into a pair of touchdowns while the defense found pay dirt themselves when Jamie Collins scooped up a second-quarter fumble and rumbled 16 yards to the end zone.
Southern Miss quarterback Martavious Young completed 13-of-15 passes for 127 yards and two scores and ran five times for another 38 yards on the ground. As a team, the Golden Eagles tallied 253 yards on 43 carries - including a 93-yard effort by Tory Harrison. DeAndre Brown was Young's favorite target on the night, hauling in four passes for 41 yards and two touchdowns.
The Golden Eagles opened the scoring in the first quarter when Young found Brown from 21 yards out to cap a nine-play, 56-yard drive with 5:25 left on the clock. They had a chance to pad their lead on their next possession, but Justin Estes missed a 23-yard field goal wide left to keep it a one-score game.
The two teams traded fumbles over the next two drives, but the Green Wave were not able to overcome a second turnover. On third-and-nine from the Tulane 14 yard line, Griffin found Williams at the 16. Collins, however, jarred the ball loose, picked up the fumble and scored to make it a 14-0 ballgame.
The Green Wave had a chance to get on the board just before halftime as Tulane drove 58 yards on 12 plays down to the Southern Miss 11. The Golden Eagle defense held on third down, and Tulane sent the field goal unit onto the field to attempt a 28-yard kick. Southern Miss wing defender C.J. Bailey came around the right corner untouched to block the kick and Andre Watson raced 77 yards to extend the lead to 20 at the break.
Southern Miss scored on its opening drive of the second half when Brown scored from six yards out to cap an 11-play, 75-yard drive, and Tulane got on the board on the ensuing drive when Anderson plunged in from a yard away on third-and goal. Both teams missed their respective PATs, and the Golden Eagles held a 26-6 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.
The final 15 minutes of play, however, was all USM as an Estes field goal 1:20 into the frame open the floodgates for a 17-point Golden Eagle quarter. The Southern Miss defense held on fourth down at the Tulane 35, and it took the Golden Eagle offense just four plays to turn it into points as Harrison scored on a four-yard jaunt to make it 36-6.
Griffin was sacked and fumbled on the next Tulane drive at the Green Wave 37, and Tracey Lampley found the end zone five plays later to account for the final score.
Senior strong safety Chinonso Echebelem posted a team-high 12 tackles on the day, including one for a three-yard loss, and posted his fourth forced fumble of the year with a jarring hit in the second quarter. Junior free safety Alex Wacha and senior weak-side linebacker Travis Burks both finished with eight stops.
Southern Miss' Korey Williams tied Echebelem for game-high tackle honors, adding a sack and a fumble recovery in the winning effort. Terrance Connor had three sacks for 21 yards lost and a forced fumble.
The Green Wave return to action on Saturday, Oct. 31, when they travel to Baton Rouge, La., to take on LSU at 6 p.m. at Tiger Stadium before heading home to battle C-USA foe UTEP on Nov. 7 at 2:30 p.m. in the Louisiana Superdome. For ticket information, contact the Tulane Athletics Ticket Office at 504-861-WAVE. Tickets can be purchased in person, over the phone or via the internet at www.TulaneGreenWave.com.
