Tulane Week 2 Review: Kansas State vs. Tulane Green Wave

Kansas State – 34

vs
Tulane – 27

By Patrick Harkness

Spread: KSU -9.5
Total: 49.5

Tulane and Kansas State faced off in a classic gridiron battle, filled with ups and downs. From a fumble returned for a touchdown to an almost game-tying play and the controversy that followed, there’s a lot to unpack. Let’s dive into Tulane’s performance, Makhi Hughes' big game, Mensah's mindset, areas of concern, and key injuries in the secondary,

Offense

Quarterback – Mensah is IT

Darian Mensah’s second career start was a rollercoaster. He went 19/29 for 342 yards and two touchdowns, with more highs than lows against this Kansas State defense. However, the few lows were costly, including a fumble in the 4th quarter that Kansas State returned for the eventual game-winning touchdown.

As a young quarterback, you expect some mistakes, but he needs to learn to take the sack instead of trying to make everything happen with his feet. I wanted to see mentally how he would respond after the big defensive touchdown. The first possession after the fumble ended in a punt, but Tulane got the ball back with just over three minutes left thanks to a key stop deep in Kansas State territory.

Mensah didn't disappoint. He hit Makhi Hughes on a checkdown for a big gain, showing great pocket presence by stepping up in the pocket to evade a sack. The next play was incomplete to Mario, but a pass interference call on Kansas State moved the chains. Later Mensah used his legs to convert on key downs, including a 4th and 6 where a defensive holding call gave Tulane another chance.

Here’s where the controversy comes in. With 1st and goal on the two-yard line, I personally would have run the ball (though I'm just a fan, not a coach). Tulane had Wide receiver Yulkeith Brown motioning towards the line; after the snap he broke into the flats, made the catch, and barely got into the end zone. But a flag flew, calling Donte Fleming for offensive pass interference. It looked like Fleming was just trying to run his route, but the corner jammed him up a couple yards into the endzone. It was not the best call. I hate blaming refs or saying you lost a game by officiating, but let the kids play ball! You hate to see officiating dictate a game, especially one so crucial for Tulane and their playoff implications.

You live, you learn, you move on.

Ty Thompson wasn't a factor in this game, which surprised me. Hopefully, the coaching staff continues to experiment with him. Maybe the Oklahoma game is when he gets his chance.

Running Back – The Makhi Hughes Show

Makhi Hughes had a huge game, carrying the team with 21 rushes for 128 yards and a touchdown. He also contributed to the passing game, catching two passes on the first possession of the game and adding a long reception late in the 4th that put Tulane in great field position. He finished with five receptions for 37 yards, averaging 7.4 per catch. It’s great to see the coaching staff getting their star running back involved in the passing attack.

Arnold Barnes continues to struggle with fumbling issues, the same problem he had last year. After his fumble, he didn’t touch the field again, finishing with just five carries for 18 yards. Look for him to work hard on his ball security this week. Shadie Clayton wasn’t very involved in the offense, but he had a decent day on kickoff returns, collecting 152 yards on six returns, averaging 25.3 with a long of 44.

Receiving Game – Super Mario

Super Mario Williams was unstoppable. Bowser wouldn’t stand a chance against this guy. He hauled in six catches for 128 yards, including a long of 47. Mario is everything you could ask for from a big-time transfer portal addition.

Tulane may have found their one-two punch in Mario Williams and Dontae Fleming. Fleming had a bounce-back game, including a 53-yard catch that set up Tulane’s first touchdown early in the first. He finished with four catches for 97 yards. Alex Bauman might be Tulane's knockout punch, with two more touchdowns this game, bringing his season total to three. Yulkeith Brown also chipped in with two catches for 31 yards with a long of 28. Bryce Bohanon saw a lot of action in this game as well but failed to receive a catch.

Offensive Line – Pass Protection and Run Game

Penalties, penalties, penalties—they’re drive killers. False starts and holding calls killed Tulane’s momentum multiple times. Kansas State racked up five sacks, but the number is a bit misleading. Only two of those sacks were for more than five yards, with the key one being the fumble returned for a touchdown. The other sacks came when Mensah had time but tried to escape the pocket or step up. Still, five sacks are five sacks. Mensah’s ability to decide when to tuck and run quicker should improve as the season progresses.

The offensive line did a solid job in the run game, helping Hughes rush for 128 yards on 21 carries (6.1 average).  Tulane's offensive line should look to improve and build off of their last two games as they prepare for Oklahoma.

Offensive Review

Tulane came out firing, putting up 20 points in the first half against a tough Kansas State defense. However, the second half was a different story, with only seven more points and a costly fumble that led to the game-winning touchdown. The offensive line played well, despite the penalties and sacks. The receiving core continues to impress, but cleaning up the penalties will be key for this unit to thrive. Moving forward, the coaching staff needs to focus on eliminating mistakes, especially with Oklahoma on the horizon.

Defense

Defensive Line – Containing Avery

The pass rush was lackluster, but the defensive ends spent most of the game playing contain to keep Kansas State’s dual-threat QB Avery Johnson from running wild. Johnson finished with 40 yards on eight carries. The interior defensive line couldn’t generate any sacks and missed on several opportunities in the backfield. Kam Hamilton continues to impress by consistently getting pressure on the QB. Kansas State rushed for 215 yards, with big gains of 51, 27, and 18 yards. This defensive line, considered a team strength, needs to step up in both pass rushing and run stopping. Look for the leaders of this unit to use this game as motivation moving forward.

Linebackers

Tyler Grubbs led the linebacking corps with six total tackles and one tackle for loss. Dickson Agu and Sam Howard rotated throughout the game, combining for four tackles. Sam Howard mostly out there for key running downs and Agu subbing in for passing situations. Against a run-heavy team like Kansas State, we expected more from this group especially in this game. But it's not all on them this team needs to play as a unit and the defensive line needs to hold their blockers longer to free up the linebackers, allowing them to stop the run and make key plays.

Secondary – Deep Rotation

Injuries hit the secondary hard, with Micah Robinson and Jonathan Edwards both going down. Robinson stayed out and Edwards returned, finishing with five tackles. Rayshawn Pleasant led the team in tackles with 7, but it’s never a good sign when your secondary is leading in that category. Pleasant got burned on a couple of big plays, but overall, the secondary held Kansas State to just 181 passing yards and two touchdowns. Not bad against a Heisman hopeful QB, though he’s more known for his legs than his arm. Redshirt Freshman Jack Tchienchou even got a heavy dose of playing time still not sure what happened to Jalen Geiger.

Defensive Review – Work to Be Done

It all starts with the defensive line. The pass rush wasn’t aggressive enough, and the run defense struggled, allowing 215 yards on the ground. Missed tackles are killing this unit. Tulane had opportunities to wrap up for sacks but couldn’t finish. Must limit the big plays. Despite the loss, Tulane outplayed Kansas State in many areas and should have at least forced overtime or straight up won. After halftime it almost looked like a completely different team.

Special Teams – Correcting the Kickoff Coverage

Just kick it into the end zone, Ethan Head! This might suggest there’s still an issue with kickoff coverage, or maybe the team didn’t want to risk it against Kansas State’s strong return game. Either way, it was a smart move.

Kicker/Punter

Jacob Barnes went 2/2 on field goals, with a long of 41 yards, and nailed all three of his extra points. He looks like a great transfer pickup for Tulane.

Punter Will Karrol had four punts for 173 yards, with a long of 61 and one downed inside the 20. He had a much better game this week, helping to flip field position for the defense.

Stay Tuned for Tulane vs Oklahoma Preview 

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This is Patrick Harkness and you can follow me on X @RollDatWave, Facebook, Instagram, and @BeInTheKneaux everywhere.