Tulane used a late surge to pull off a 24-21 win at Yulman Stadium.
At this point, it's become increasingly clear that the Tulane Green Wave doesn't have much of anything together.
While the team did pick up a 24-21 victory over the Southern Miss Golden Eagles on Saturday, it wasn't a quality win. The Green Wave was expected to defeat USM by multiple touchdowns, and it took a 10-point comeback in the fourth quarter to salvage the game. Rather than making anyone feel like the team had improved any, the game sure seemed to show that things have somehow continued to get worse.
Nevertheless, there is talent on this team, and there were some strong individual performances in the game. Here's a look at which Tulane players made the biggest difference for their team.
Roundtable Player of the Week, Offense: RB Maurice Turner
For the second weekend in a row, Turner was the biggest difference-maker on offense.
Turner had his biggest game in an Olive Green and Sky Blue uniform, amassing 200 yards on 12 carries with two touchdowns. Those scores weren't short punch-in players either: one went for 43 yards, and the other was a 74-yarder late in the fourth quarter to put the Green Wave on top.
It's been refreshing to see the running back find his groove after being derailed by injury last year. Even as fellow rusher Jamauri McClure works his way back into the lineup, Turner should continue to be heavily-utilized.
Roundtable Most Underrated Player, Offense: WR Anthony Brown-Stephens
While Brown-Stephens' catch rate of just 36 percent and two drops weren't pretty, he had his biggest night of the season and made a solid impact on the game.
The wideout recorded a team-high 87 yards, including a 47-yard touchdown catch, on five receptions. He's been expected to step up as a leader for weeks now, and he did that against the Golden Eagles. Brown-Stephens certainly needs to improve at hauling it in when he's targeted, but if he does, then his impact will only continue to grow as the year goes on.
Roundtable Co-Players of the Week, Defense: DL Geordan Guidry and LB Makai Williams
Both Williams and Guidry made strides defensively this weekend, and their stats were exactly the same: five total tackles, one sack and one tackle-for-loss apiece.
Tulane has been pushed around pretty easily in the trenches, and its rushing defense has left much to be desired. Williams and Guidry seemingly took that to heart, causing some havoc in the backfield when needed. It's a decent step forward for a unit that still has some soul-searching to do.
Roundtable Most Underrated Player, Defense: DL Ed Smith IV
Shine was a player to watch heading into the matchup, and he had a solid showing on the d-line.
The redshirt senior didn't have the flashiest stats, but he made his mark on the line, finishing with three tackles, a team-high two tackles-for-loss and one sack. He should continue to be a leading force in the trenches and try to help his team turn things around -- after all, he transferred to Tulane with hopes of competing for a conference titles.
