The Tulane Green Wave entered conference play looking to put together a complete performance against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane.
After the Golden Hurricane threw the book at the Green Wave in their first few drives, Tulane took control of the contest. Tulsa wouldn’t score again after their second touchdown with 6:57 remaining in the second quarter.
It was clear the Green Wave were trying to establish the passing game between Jake Retzlaff and his receivers. It felt like a concerted effort but never got desperate. Tulane attempted to convert their first four third down attempts by pass – two were successful. They both went to Omari Hayes for 24 yards each.
By their second touchdown in the second quarter, the Green Wave attempted two more third downs. One was a 12-yard completion to Anthony Brown-Stephens, and the next was a rush attempt by Retzlaff that was five yards short – likely with a fourth down play in mind.
That fourth-down conversion was successful on a 19-yard reception by Shazz Preston.
It set up the first of three touchdowns in a defining performance by true freshman running back Javin Gordon. The team might’ve found some real answers in their ground game coming out of their first win in conference play.
That balanced, measured attack on offense was not matched by the Golden Hurricane, who came out like a wrecking ball of chaos in their first few drives.
After a touchdown drive aided by a 51-yard completion on a flea flicker, Tulsa stunned Tulane with an onside kick. Jahiem Johnson broke up a pass on 3rd-and-18 to force a punt.
The defense would allow one more touchdown on the day, and it was on a 72-yard pass. Outside of those two explosive pass plays, the Golden Hurricane had 122 passing yards.
And after both of Tulsa’s touchdown drives, the defense had to immediately go back out there. The first due to the onside kick, the second due to a fumble by Arnold Barnes recovered by the Golden Hurricane.
The defense forced their own fumble to give the offense a chance to get right. Gordon scored his second touchdown of the day, and the team didn’t really look back after that.
The game wasn’t a perfect four quarters. The Green Wave had an alarming 12 penalties for 104 yards. The passing game was still impaired by dropped passes, and the offense should have lost two fumbles if not for a great recovery by Tre Shackelford.
But it felt like Tulane had an identity that could’ve been lost or damaged in their loss to the Ole Miss Rebels. Instead, it lit a fire. The defense didn’t just not allow a 100-yard rusher, but they kept the Golden Hurricane to 92 yards on the ground.
They possessed the ball for nearly 10 minutes longer than Tulsa, went four-of-four in the red zone, and ultimately set a tone they didn’t relinquish.
There’s plenty to build off of in the team’s bye week, but it’s clear that they learned from last weekend’s loss, and showed a considerably impressive response to adversity throughout a game that never felt in danger for the Green Wave.