The Tulane Green Wave got slapped in the face against Ole Miss last Saturday.
It wouldn't happen again.
The Green Wave looked great in all aspects as it cruised to a 31-14 win over Tulsa to begin American Conference action on the right foot. Despite a back-and-forth start to the game, Tulane gained complete control with two quick, impressive drives just before halftime to take a 21-14 lead into the locker room, and the team never looked back.
Perhaps the most shocking thing about Tulane was the fact that the team didn't get much out of Jake Retzlaff on the ground. The dual-threat quarterback neared his season-high with 242 passing yards on the night, averaging 8.1 yards per pass attempt and making the chain-moving plays when necessary. On the ground, he attempted just 10 carries for a total of 29 yards, but he did have an eight-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter to start the scoring for the Green Wave.
Frankly, Tulane didn't need to rely to heavily on Retzlaff to get things done with his legs. True freshman running back Javin Gordon stole the show big time in Oklahoma with 15 rushing attempts for 78 yards and three touchdowns -- team-highs in all three categories by a long shot -- and the first three of his collegiate career. It was a season-defining night for the true freshman, who is already showcasing that he can be a threat this season and a serious problem for defenses in the next few years.
Seven players caught passes from Retzlaff, and five of them averaged well-over 10 yards per catch. Omari Hayes led all other wideouts with 89 yards on just four receptions, picking up chunk plays left and right. Shazz Preston was the biggest target for Retzlaff, hauling in five catches for a total of 54 yards.
All of this was done against one of the top defenders in all of college football: Ray Coney. The linebacker ended the night with a season-low seven tackles and one forced fumble, becoming less of a terror on defense as the night wore on.
As solid of a performance as Tulane's offense had, its defense tightened up quickly after giving up 14 points in the first quarter-and-a-half -- one of those scores coming from 72 yards out. Tulsa was shutout beyond the 9:14 mark in the second quarter. Standout running back Dominic Richardson, who entered the game with all of the momentum in the world after recording 146 rushing yards in last week's win over Oklahoma State, was ineffective. The Green Wave held him to just 48 rushing yards on 14 carries.
Redshirt sophomore defensive back Jaheim Johnson's interception early in the fourth quarter ultimately iced the game.
It was a great bounce-back win for a Tulane squad with something to prove and still plenty of fight left. The College Football Playoff is still very much a possibility for the Green Wave, and a dominant conference victory certainly helps the team's case.
For now, Tulane will get a bit of a break with a bye week. It couldn't come at a better time for the Green Wave, as they'll look to rest up and get fully healthy before getting into the thick of American play.
Then, the quest for a postseason like no other continues, as Tulane welcomes East Carolina to Yulman Stadium on Thursday, October 9th.