Football Rolls Over USF, 45-10

Saturday, September 28

NEW ORLEANS

11 a.m.

Tulane University

3-2 , 1-0

South Florida

2-3 , 0-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

South Fla.

Tulane

Photo by: Parker Waters

Sep 28, 2024 | Football

Box Score

FINAL STATS | ESPN HIGHLIGHTS | POSTGAME SUMRALL PRESS CONFERENCE | POSTGAME MENSAH PRESS CONFERENCE | POSTGAME FLEMING/HENDERSON PRESS CONFERENCE | PHOTO GALLERY (BY PARKER WATERS)

NEW ORLEANS – The Tulane football team (3-2, 1-0 AAC) put together a dominant effort in defeating visiting USF (2-3, 0-1 AAC) 45-10 in the conference opener on Saturday afternoon at Yulman Stadium.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Darian Mensah went 18-for-22 for 326 yards and three touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Dontae Fleming led the team with his seven catches for 128 yards and a touchdown. Junior wide receiver Mario Williams hauled in four passes for 94 yards and two touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Yulkeith Brown tallied three catches for 55 yards. Junior tight end Alex Bauman totaled two catches for 34 yards. Redshirt freshman Makhi Hughes totaled a game-high 61 rushing yards. Junior quarterback Ty Thompson rushed seven times for 39 yards and also completed his only pass for four yards. Sophomore running back Arnold Barnes III carried the ball seven times for 36 yards. Senior running back Shaadie Clayton-Johnson totaled five carries for 31 yards.

Senior linebacker Tyler Grubbs led the defense with six tackles. He also had a sack. Junior defensive back Caleb Ransaw totaled four tackles. Gerrod Henderson totaled the first two sacks of his career and forced a fumble.

The Tulane offense piled up 528 yards and 30 first downs in the game. The team totaled 198 yards rushing and 330 yards through the air. The defense forced three turnovers and a totaled of six sacks and seven tackles for loss.

After a quick three-and-out by the Tulane defense to start the game, the Green Wave marched down the field and scored the first touchdown as Hughes rushed it from the five to put the home team up 7-0 with 10:37 remaining in the opening quarter.

The Green Wave, after another defensive stop, again went down the field quickly on a seven play, 88-yard drive capped on a 15-yard touchdown reception from Mensah to Fleming to put Tulane up 14-0 with 4:39 left in the first quarter.

The Wave continued to roll on the ensuing possession as Ethan Head was good on his 35-yard field goal to finish off the 14 play, 68-yard drive and increased the Tulane lead to 17-0 with 8:50 in the second quarter.

Tulane kept the offense in high gear as Williams hauled in a 53-yard touchdown pass from Mensah to complete the four play, 74-yard drive and put the Green Wave up 24-0 with 4:19 until the half.

The Tulane defense got the offense back quickly on the field as Henderson recorded a sack fumble that was recovered by Parker Petersen. The turnover led to a short field and a quick drive that was finished off by Mensah connecting with Williams on a 27-yard touchdown to put the Green Wave up 31-0 with 1:54 remaining in the half.

USF scored its first and only touchdown of the game with a 10-yard rush from Byrum Brown to make the score 31-7 going into the half.

After a Bulls' field goal to allow them to get to within three scores, the Green Wave answered as Hughes rushed it in from the nine to finish off the 12 play, 75-yard drive and put the Tulane lead at 38-10 with 14:54 remaining.

The Green Wave offense kept the foot on the gas as Cornist rushed it in from two yards with 12:28 remaining in the game to put Tulane up 45-10 in what would be the final score. The big play on the drive was a 46-yard reception by Fleming.

Next, the football team plays a road conference game against UAB on October 5 at 12 p.m. at Protective Stadium.

NOTES:

- Darian Mensah's 326 yards passing was the second time in his career and this season that he has had 300+ through the air (Kansas State – 342).

- Mensah's three touchdown passes were a career-high, but the third time he has had a multiple passing touchdown game in his career.

- Mario Williams' two touchdown catches were his first two in a Tulane uniform and the 13th and 14th of his career between his time at Oklahoma (2021), USC (2022-23) and now Tulane (2024).

- The 201 total yards allowed by the Tulane defense was the lowest for the program since the team also surrendered 201 against Southeastern Louisiana to start the season (8/29/24).

- The 201 total yards allowed was the lowest Tulane has given up to an opponent in AAC play since the 190 ECU amassed last season (11/4/23).

- The six sacks for the team were the most since the team also had that many against Morgan State (9/11/21). The team last had seven sacks against Memphis (9/28/18).

- The 528 yards of total offense for Tulane against USF was the most for the program since the 2023 Cotton Bowl against USC (539 – 1/2/23)

- The Green Wave are 1-0 in conference play for the third straight year, sixth time since 2016 and the 22nd time overall (2024, 2023, 2022, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2013, 2005, 2002, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1949, 1948, 1947, 1944, 1941, 1939, 1936, 1935, 1934).

- The victory was the third for Tulane in the team's first five games. It was the fourth time since 2013, sixth time since 2000 and the 31st time overall that the program has won three of the team's first five contests (2024, 2017, 2016, 2013, 2003, 2000, 1997, 1993, 1988, 1987, 1975, 1972, 1970, 1950, 1944, 1942, 1941, 1938, 1937, 1935, 1932, 1923. 1921, 1920, 1918, 1916, 1915, 1914, 1907, 1896 and 1895).

- The win was the first time that Jon Sumrall has won his first conference game in three years as a head coach. It was his eighth straight regular season conference victory dating back to the Sun Belt Conference league game he lost to James Madison while at Troy last season (9/16/23).

- Coach Sumrall improved his all-time record to 26-6 (.812). He entered the weekend with the fourth-highest winning percentage among current FBS head coaches behind Ohio State's Ryan Day (.881 - 59-8), Georgia's Kirby Smart (.858 – 97-16) and Oregon's Dan Lanning (.835 – 25-5).

- The win was Tulane's 11th straight win in AAC regular season play dating back to the 2022 season (11/17/22 vs. SMU - Present). The streak is now tied with UCF (10/5/2013 – 11/1/14) for the third-longest in league history and only trails UCF (9/30/2017 – 9/28/19) and Cincinnati (10/2/20 – 10/29/22) by six games for the all-time record of 17 straight conference games victories.

- The 11 straight regular season conference victories currently ranks Tulane third in the country only behind Georgia - 28 and Michigan – 23. The team is a game ahead of Alabama (who has 10 straight conference victories and plays tonight against Georgia) and Liberty (who does not play its next conference game until October 8 and has won 10 straight CUSA games).

- Since the start of the 2022 season, Tulane is now 26-7 (.788).

- With two turnovers forced against South Florida, Tulane has now won 22 of the last 26 games when forcing an opponent turnover.

- Tulane has now outrushed the opposition in 23 of the last 31 games (including 17 of the last 21). In such contests, Tulane holds a 21-2 record (losses in 2022 vs. Southern Miss and 2023 vs. Ole Miss).

- Since the beginning of the 2016 season, Tulane is 45-7 (.865) when leading at the half and 47-9 (.839) when leading after three quarters.

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