Football Falls To Kansas State 31-20

Saturday, September 19

Manhattan, KS

11:00 AM

Tulane University

1-2 , 0-0

Kansas State

3-0 , 0-0

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Tulane	7	3	3	7	20
Kansas State	0	17	7	7	31

Photo by: Parker Waters

Sep 19, 2026 | Football

Box Score

Photo Gallery

MANHATTAN, KS – Despite taking the early lead, the Tulane football team (1-2) could not sustain momentum in falling on the road to Kansas State (3-0) by a 31-20 score at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan, Kansas on Saturday, Sept. 19.

For the first time this season Tulane took the early lead as Kadin Semonza lead the team on a 90-yard opening drive that was completed on his nine-yard rushing score to put the Green Wave up 7-0 at the 7:55 mark of the first quarter. The drive was assisted by career-high 41-yard Oliver Mitchell Jr. reception.

The Wildcats cut the deficit to four on the 23-yard field goal from Luis Rodriguez with 11:30 remaining in the second quarter. The field goal completed an 11 play, 63-yard drive.

Kansas State took the team's first lead of the game midway through the second quarter, 10-7, on Jay Harris' one-yard rush at the 5:14 mark of the second quarter to complete an eight play, 85-yard drive.

The home team added a score before the half, 17-7, as Avery Johnson ran it in from the seven at the 2:38 mark. The big play of the drive was a 66-yard rush from Johnson.

Tulane climbed to within a touchdown just before the break as Cooper Helmke knocked in a school-record 58-yard field goal with 17 seconds remaining until the half.

Kansas State again made it a two-score game, 24-10, as Harris ran it in from the one - his second rushing touchdown of the day - with 6:45 remaining in the third quarter to complete the 14 play, 75 yard drive.

Tulane stayed within two scores, 24-13, on Helmke's 53-yard made attempt with 1:22 remaining in the third quarter.

The Wildcats put the game at three scores, 31-13, on the 12-yard rush from Johnson with 9:06 remaining to finish the seven play, 58-yard drive. It was his second rushing touchdown of the game.

Tulane again got to within two scores, 31-20, as Maurice Turner hauled in a 25-yard pass from Semonza with 2:48 remaining to finish off a 13 play, 75-yard drive. It was as close as Tulane would get after a failed onside kick attempt and icing first downs from Kansas State.

Next, the football team returns home to host Southern Miss (1-1) on Saturday, Sept. 26, at 6 p.m. at Yulman Stadium.

Offense: Kadin Semonza went 13-for-26 for 165 yards and both a passing and running touchdown. Bredell Richarson led the team with his three catches. Oliver Mitchell Jr. picked up a 41-yard reception. Maurice Turner had seven rushes for 64 yards plus hauled in two passes for 31 yards and a touchdown. Johnnie Daniels had 10 attempts for 59 yards.

Defense: Kevin Adams III led the squad with his eight tackles including a stop for loss. Dickson Agu totaled six tackles. Anthony Rogers picked up five tackles and a stop for loss. TJ Smith recorded four tackles and a pass breakup.

Special Teams: Cooper Helmke made two 50+ field goals including a school record 58-yard attempt.

Team: Tulane was outgained 260 to 428 including a disadvantage of 201-95 on the ground. The Green Wave picked up 18 first downs and also 165 yards through the air.

NOTES
- Cooper Helmke's 58-yard field goal was a school record and bettered Cairo Santos previous mark of 57 set against Rice during the 2012 campaign (11/3/12)..Additionally it was the first time that Helmke had attempted a field goal or a PAT in his career…The made 58-yard field was only the second time that a Tulane kicker has been successful on a kick beyond 54 yards, but the 25th time a kick has been successful kick from 50+ in the program's history…He is the 13th Tulane kicker to ever make a 50+ field goal (Cairo Santos (2x), Ed Murray (2x), Mark Olivari (2x), Nick Beucher (1x), Seth Marler (4x), Tony Wood (3x), Don Bright (1x), Patrick Durkin (4x), Brad Palazzo (2x), Wayne Clements (1x), Carl Woodward (1x), and Ross Thevenot (1x))….The last time that Tulane had a made 50+ field goal was by Patrick Durkin last season (52 yards vs. Charlotte – 11/29/25).

- In the third quarter, Helmke made a 53-yard attempt to become the first Tulane kicker since Patrick Durkin to make two or more 50+ kicks in a game (vs. Temple – 11/22/25).

- With the loss, Tulane drops to 2-2 all-time against Kansas State in a series that started in 1988…Three of the four games have happened over the last four seasons.

- With the loss, Tulane is 40-61 all-time against current schools in the Big 12 Conference with the majority of those games coming against former American Conference members Houston (27) and Cincinnati (19) …Tulane's first game against current Big 12 Conference member came in 1908 against Baylor.

- Since the start of the 2022 season, Tulane is 44-15 (.745).

- Tulane is one of eight schools to win 44+ games from 2022-26

- The Green Wave have a losing record after the first three games for the second time the last three seasons (2024), the fifth time since 2016 and the 61st time since the start of the program in 1893.

- Head Coach Will Hall is now 71-52 (.577) over the course of his 11-year head coaching career.

- This was the first time that Coach Hall has ever played against a Big 12 opponent

- Since the beginning of the 2022 season, Tulane has only had five games where it has been forced to punt more than six times.

- Since the beginning of the 2016 season, Tulane is 62-7 (.898) when leading at the half and 62-9 (.873) when leading at the end of the third quarter.

- Tulane has won 16 of the last 18 games when amassing at least 400 yards of total offense with the last loss coming against Ole Miss in the College Football Playoff (CFP) (12/20/25).

- The Green Wave have outrushed the opposition in 40 of the last 57 games (including 34 of the last 47). In such contests, Tulane holds a 37-3 record (losses: 2022 vs. Southern Miss, 2023 vs. Ole Miss, and 2025 vs. UTSA).

- Since 2022, Tulane is now 18-1 when committing no turnovers after failing to turn the ball over against Kansas State.

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