Tulane Vs UAB Week 6 Review

Patrick Harkness • October 6, 2024

Tulane GreenWave- 71

vs

UAB- 20

By: Patrick Harkness 

Spread: Tulane -15.5

Total: 55.5


HOLY TULANE!


Tulane absolutely crushed the UAB Blazers on all three levels of the game. Two passing touchdowns, six rushing touchdowns, an interception, and a kickoff return all went for scores. This team is firing on all cylinders—Mensah looked like a seasoned vet in the pocket, Makhi entered beast mode, the O-line gave up zero sacks in the last three games, and the defensive line racked up 9 sacks in the last two games (17 total). On top of that, the defense tallied 3 interceptions this game brings the total up to 7 interceptions, with 4 going for touchdowns, and Reyshawn Pleasant got his second kickoff return for a touchdown. Two freshmen stepped up and made the most of their opportunities as well. Tulane has a bye next week, so let's hope this hot streak continues! Now, let's dive into the UAB review.


Offense


Quarterback – Seasoned Vet

It was a relatively quiet day for Mensah, who went 12/15 for 134 yards and a touchdown. He didn’t need to do much with UAB’s run defense being one of the worst in the nation. Mensah impressed with his pocket mobility and awareness, evading at least three sacks after holding the ball for over five seconds. He’s looking more comfortable and poised for some big games ahead. Mensah’s season totals are now 84/127 (66.1% completion), 10 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. He also has 24 rushing attempts for 40 yards with a long of 15.


Ty Thompson – Stepping Up

Ty Thompson continues to be one of my favorite players—he’s a straight-up baller. He went 2/3 for 46 yards, including a dart to Yulkeith Brown for a sideline touchdown. Thompson also added another rushing touchdown, bringing his season total to 4. His current stats: 6/9 passing for 74 yards and two touchdowns, plus 22 rushing attempts for 104 yards (4.7 avg) and 4 touchdowns.


Running Back – You Get a Touchdown, You Get a Touchdown!

UABs defense was giving up on an average of almost 208 yards a game when entering the contest and it defiantly showed this past game. Tulane as a team accumulated 307 yards rushing of 50 attempts for an average of 6.3 while tacking on 6 touchdowns from 4 different players. Makhi was definitely the player of the game by having 119 yards for 2 touchdowns and a long of 51. On that 51-yard touchdown was all pure will by breaking at least 2 tackles and racing down the sideline. We have a FRESHMAN ALERT!!!!! Jamauri McClure has only seen action in one game this season against SLU week 1. In my review of that game, I stated that this kid could be the future of this running back room and boy did he not disappoint. McClure tallied 84 yards (8.4 avg) with a very impressive touchdown by spinning out of a tackle and retaining his balance. Head coach Jon Sumrall stated in his press conference after the UAB game that he may have lost his redshirt status and will be a part of this offensive game plan moving forward. He may be the most well-rounded player in the running back room by showing patience, speed, power, and elusiveness. Arnold also has one of his best games of his Tulane career, usually known for his power running style but he got to show the whole world his shiftiness by juking out players on two different running plays. After a couple of penalties, he finally punched it into the endzone. Barnes had a total of 82 yards (7.5 avg) and 2 touchdowns bringing his totals up to 181 yards and 3 touchdowns. It was a quiet day for Trey Cornist and Shadie Clayton but they both were effective in the passing game by both getting a catch for a total of 19 yards. Tulane has a total of 5 running backs who can all play and contribute to this offense.


Receiving Game – Yulkeith's Day and Injury Updates

Yulkeith Brown finally had his breakout game! With UAB's top defenders blanketing Dontae and Mario, Brown capitalized, finishing with 4 catches for 60 yards and 2 touchdowns. This will be a great confidence boost heading into the bye week. Bryce Bohanon followed with 2 catches for 31 yards, while Mario and Dontae had one catch each for a total of 20 yards.


Tight end Alex Bauman appeared to suffer a serious knee injury and was carted off the field. Fortunately, he was later seen on the sideline in a boot, indicating a likely ankle sprain. Head coach Jon Sumrall mentioned he could be out for a week or two—great news considering his red zone importance.


Shazz Preston might finally return after the bye week with Rice as the next opponent.


Offensive Line – 0 Sacks in the Last 3 Games

Tulane’s offensive line is playing at an elite level, having surrendered zero sacks in the last three games. Their control at the line of scrimmage allowed for a dominant ground game against UAB, and they’re continuing to reduce pressures on the quarterback. Josh Remetich has been especially impressive, playing at an All-Conference level at right guard. The offensive unit has amassed 1,339 passing yards (12 touchdowns) and 1,283 rushing yards (5.0 avg) for 16 touchdowns—ranking 20th in the nation in rushing yards. Tulane is also averaging 42.5 points per game, 12th in the nation, and has cleaned up penalties, key to sustaining drives.


Players of the Game: Makhi Hughes, Yulkeith Brown


Defense


Defensive Line – The Hype Is Real


I have to admit I was starting to get nervous with this defensive line after the first 3 games. But the hype was real and it's here to stay. It's been a little unconventional at times with players switching positions and other guys stepping up. Pat Jenkins continues to be the staple of the defensive line by getting his third straight sack in three weeks putting his total to three. He is tied for the lead with Tyler Grubbs. Kam Hamilton, who I think is having a breakout season this year, tallied another sack putting his total up to 2.5. He leads the team in pressure, while Mathew Fobbs White who was starting to flash the previous game by getting 4 pressures early in the last game, he got home for his first sack of the season. As a unit the defensive line has recorded 17 total sacks on the year which ranks tied for 18th in the nation. They are also giving up an average of 129.2 yards a game which ranks 4th in the AAC. 


Adin Huntington is still banged up hopefully after the bye he will be 100%



Linebackers – Did Their Job

With UAB forced to throw the ball, it was a relatively quiet day for Tulane's linebackers. Redshirt freshman Chris Rodgers stepped up again with his second pick-six of the season, finishing the game with 3 tackles. Sam Howard tallied 3 tackles and a tackle for loss, while Dickson Agu had 2 tackles. Tyler Grubbs, who leads the team with 29 tackles, had just one on the day. Backups Mandel Eugene Jr. and Maki Williams got significant playing time, with Eugene registering 2 tackles and Williams recording a pass deflection.


Secondary – Freshman Impact


Micah Robinson led the team in tackles with 8 against UAB. The former Furman transfer is starting to play very well and will be locking down the cornerback 1 role the rest of the year. We have another FRESHMAN ALERT!!! Javion White has been consistently playing the other spear/nickel role when teams come out in 4 wide sets, and he looks to be seeing the game slower as well. He did a wonderful job shutting down UABs Kam Shanks, their leading receiver. Shanks only had 2 catches for 15 yards. Javion also came up with a very impressive pick early in this game, his first career. Jayden Lewis, the other true freshman and the highest rated recruit in Tulane history got a lot of time as well. He looks a little raw right now but with more time on the field he should start to excel. Rayshawn Pleasant and Lu Tillery continue to be very reliable rotational corner backs with Jonathan Edwards. Lu finished the game with 4 tackles and Pleasant had 3 with a pass break up. 



Player of the Game: Javion White, Micah Robinson


Special Teams


Kickoff Return

Reyshawn Pleasant has entered the conversation for best returner in the NCAA after his second kickoff return for a touchdown. He’s showing incredible patience and explosiveness, making him a dangerous weapon in the return game.


Kicker/Punter

Jacob Barnes is expected to return after the bye week, which couldn’t come sooner. Freshman Ethen Head has struggled, missing three extra points this season. Meanwhile


Will Karrol had two punts for 72 yards, with one downed inside the 20.


Tulane heads into the bye week on fire and looks ready to carry this momentum into the Rice game!


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Casan Evans Dazzles as LSU Defeats OU in Game One

By David Billiot Jr • March 20, 2026
Thursday Night Recap Casan Evans was “embarrassed” after his performance at Vanderbilt last Friday night. Those aren’t my words, they’re his. The Tiger ace expressed to us after the game just how upset he was with himself following his season-worst outing against the Commodores. He only made it through 3.0 innings, gave up 5 hits, 6 runs, and gave up 6 free passes (5 BB/1 HBP). Evans said that upon returning to Baton Rouge on Monday, it was the first time in his life that he threw a bullpen immediately after getting off of the bus coming home. Jay Johnson also mentioned that the two of them, along with pitching coach Nate Yeskie, spent 3 hours fine-tuning preparation for tonight’s start. Whatever it was that they did, it worked. Evans struck out a career-high 15 hitters, flat out dominating the Sooner lineup. He lived in the zone and had all four of his pitches working. The curveball that he debuted in Omaha last season looked the best that it ever has in a game. If his final line doesn’t fully express how special of a start that was, a relatable comparison will. He is the first LSU pitcher to strike out that many hitters in an SEC game since Paul Skenes did it in May of 2023. That’s pretty good company to be mentioned with. As for the offense, they were aided by a Oklahoma ace Cam Johnson’s worst start of the year. The former Tiger has been their Friday guy since the preseason and was pretty good through non-conference play during the first four weeks of the season. Some cracks started to show with a rough performance against Texas A&M a week ago, but the floodgates opened on him in his return to Baton Rouge on Thursday night. LSU had built a 4-0 lead in the 2nd inning without recording a single hit. John Pearson’s single to make it 5-0 was the first one of the game for the Tigers. That hit came off of Oklahoma reliever Xander Mercurius, who had just entered the game. Johnson only made it through 1.1 innings, while walking 6 and hitting another batter. Of his 67 pitches thrown, only 28 were for strikes. LSU’s offense went completely silent for four innings after the 2nd, but the damage was already done and it was becoming clearer and clearer with every pitch that Casan Evans threw, he was on his way to a special night. Pitching Casan Evans was coming off of his worst outing of the year at Vanderbilt last Friday. He got off to a good start tonight, though, striking out 4 hitter through the first 2 innings. In the 1st, he had to record an extra strikeout, after a dropped third strike got away from Cade Arramide for a 2-out baserunner. Evans followed that up with a 10 pitch 2nd inning thanks to the help of two Trent Caraway put outs and then his 4th K to end the inning. He kept it going in 3rd, starting off with a quick reaction stop on a hard ground ball right back at him. His 5th strikeout was followed by a 2-out single, but Evans quickly recorded a two pitch groundout to end the inning. Efficiency was his best friend through the first three innings with 44 pitches thrown, 29 of which were strikes. His best came in the 4th, striking out the side on 12 pitches and getting fired up in the process. With 2 outs and a 1-2 count, Deiten LaChance tried to slow down Evans’s tempo by talking to the umpire and then stepping in to the box and staring back at the pitch clock to avoid the “eye contact” necessary for a pitcher to start his delivery. Casan threw a nasty and struck him out, anyways, getting fired up and letting LaChance hear about it as he walked off of the mound. That was the first time this season that we’ve seen that intensity from the sophomore ace. It only took 5 innings for Evans to record double digit strikeouts, as his two in the 5th got him up to 10 on only 68 pitches. His scoreless outing finally came to and end in the 6th, despite the fact that he struck out another two. A leadoff single ended up coming around on a throwing error by Zach Yorke. The third and final hit that the Sooners got off of Evans came with 2 outs in the 7th, but that was all. With 95 pitches, he returned to the mound in the 8th and with back to back strikeouts to start the inning, he set his new career high with 15. His previous high was when he struck out 12 in the winner-takes-all game vs Little Rock in the Baton Rouge Regional in 2025. Evans fell behind 3-0 to the third hitter of the inning and nearly battled all the way back, but issued his only walk of the evening and with 110 pitches, his remarkable night came to an end. Final line: 7.2 IP / 3 hits / 1 run / 15 Ks / 1 BB / 110 pitches (76 strikes, 69%) Ethan Plog entered to relieve Evans and seemed to be a one batter matchup insertion. He only threw 4 pitches and gave up a single through the infield to put two runners on base with two outs and that was all for him. Final line: 0.0 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs / 0 Ks / 0 BBs Coming off of his season best performance at Vanderbilt last Friday, Zac Cowan entered to put the nail in the coffin. He promptly recorded a flyout to end the 8th, then breezed through the 9th on just 9 pitches to record another flyout, a strikeout, and a groundout back to himself to secure the game 1 win for LSU. That’s back to back perfect outings for Cowan, which could be a massive development for the Tiger bullpen. Final line: 1.1 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 1 K / 0 BBs / 11 pitches (8 strikes) Hitting It was a weird night for the LSU offense with not a single player carrying the load as far as damage goes, but Omar Serna came away as the most productive Tiger hitter, yet again. Following up his homerun on Tuesday against Grambling, the freshman catcher made his first game 1 start at DH. He doubled, walked, and scored a run to finish 2-3. Jay Johnson has been raving about Serna a lot recently and the signs point to a lot more playing time if he keeps producing in SEC play. The only other Tiger with multiple hits was John Pearson, who, like Serna, started for the 3+ straight time for the first time in 2026. Pearson was at 3rd base and delivered one of only 5 credited RBI for LSU on Thursday night. The sophomore finished 2-4 and bumped his on base percentage during his three consecutive starts up to .600. Zach Yorke had the most productive swing of the night when he drove in 2 RBI in the 7th to put the first runs on the board for LSU since the 2nd inning. He had a rough start to his night at the plate, striking out quickly in his first two at bats and leaving 5 runners on base, himself. He came up with the bases loaded and 1 out, following a bad strikeout by Cade Arrambide and with the pressure of not coming through, once again, he delivered. Yorke finished 1-3. Trent Caraway made his first start since Saturday at Vanderbilt, this one coming at 2nd base as Jay Johnson looked to stack an extra right-handed hitter against LHP Cam Johnson. He finished 1-2 and scored a run, while also drawing 2 walks. His one single was another backside missile to right-center. Although he has had some struggles lately, he has proven the ability to hit the ball hard the other way. Jake Brown’s barrel has cooled off a bit since Nashville, but as he always does, he finds a way to be productive as the rock in the Tiger lineup. Despite the 0-2 line, he walked three times and scored twice. Through 23 games played, Brown has failed to reach base only once. Derek Curiel has also come back down to earth after a great opening SEC weekend, but also found a way to contribute like his fellow outfielder. The super sophomore went 1-4 with a walk, RBI, and a run scored. Up Next LSU and Oklahoma will return to action for game 2 tomorrow night. First pitch will be at 6:30 pm central, setting up a busy day on campus with the Lady Tiger basketball team set to start their NCAA tournament run at 5 pm central down the street at the PMAC. The Tigers will send Cooper Moore to the mound with his record of 3-2, but coming off of back to back losses to Sacramento St and Vanderbilt. The Sooners will answer with L.J. Mercurius, a junior transfer from UNLV with a record of 4-1 and a 1.59 ERA. Despite filling the game 2 role, Mercurius has been Oklahoma’s best starter, statistically. He has struck out 41 and only walked 8 in 28.1 innings pitched. Thursday night’s victory improved LSU’s record to 16-7 overall (2-2 SEC), while Oklahoma dropped to 17-5 (2-2 SEC). This was the first time that the Sooners have lost consecutive games in 2026 after being shut out by SLU in Hammond on Tuesday 3-0. For much more, follow me on X @DCBilliotJr

LSU Slogs Through Grambling for First Consecutive Midweek Wins

By David Billiot Jr • March 18, 2026
Tuesday Night Recap After finally exploding for 16 runs in Sunday’s series salvaging win at Vanderbilt, LSU’s offense rode the struggle bus back home from Nashville. Facing a Grambling team that had allowed 10+ runs in 11 of their 18 games, the Tigers weren’t able to put a crooked number on the scoreboard until their final at bat in the 8th inning. Better late than never, they say, but watching this team struggle against an opponent of this caliber is perplexing. The lineup only struck out 6 times, while drawing 8 walks, so it was a simple issue of not finding grass with the balls they put in play. Jay Johnson told us after the game that Grambling used their entire weekend rotation, plus some of their top relievers, but that won’t stop the persisting question. What is going on? As for the pitching, the staff bounced back from some abysmal control issues at Vanderbilt where they issued 26 walks and hit three more. On Tuesday, Tiger pitchers only walked three. The staff, as a whole, was outstanding. Having fallen out of the top 25 of every major poll in the country this week, the 7-1 victory is the first step to finding their way back next Monday. Pitching Reagan Ricken made his second midweek start of the season and things seemed like they may go sideways pretty quickly. He struck the leadoff batter out, but Omar Serna’s throw on the dropped 3rd strike hit the runner and resulted in an error. Ricken got a flyout to Stanfield, but followed with a wild pitch and a hit by pitch and Grambling had two runners on with one out. He locked in from there, recording a groundout and struck the final batter out looking. Returning for the 2nd, Ricken walked the leadoff hitter after starting him with an 0-2 count and then gave up a hard hit single up the middle to put two runners on with 0 outs and that would be the end of his night. Ricken was in the zone with 24 of his 36 pitches for strikes, but struggled to finish hitters off. Final line: 1.0 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs / 2 Ks / 1 BB Grant Fontenot was tasked with taking over Ricken’s 2nd inning mess and made quick work of the next three Grambling hitters. He recorded a ground out to Steven Milam, a shallow flyout that Chris Stanfield got back in quick enough to hold the runners, and then froze Chris Marcellus for a called 3rd strike to end the inning. In the 3rd, Fontenot got himself in to a little bit of trouble. He gave up a leadoff single, then a 1 out walk, but was able to lock in and strike the final two hitters out to, once again, keep Grambling off of the scoreboard. Final line: 2.0 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs / 3 Ks / 1 BB Dax Dathe entered for the 4th inning and after striking out the first hitter of the inning, he gave up singles to 2 of the next 3 hitters to allow Grambling to tie the game at 1-1 and that was it for him as Jay Johnson came out to make another pitching change. He was in the zone with 10 of his 14 pitches for strikes, but credit Grambling for finding the barrel against the 5th year senior. Final line: .2 IP / 2 hits / 1 run / 1 K / 0 BB With two outs in the 4th, Jay called upon Cooper Williams to shut down the Tigers rally. He was coming off of a fantastic last outing on Sunday, as he threw a perfect 9th inning to finish the LSU win, while striking out two. He did exactly what he was called upon to do with a 4 pitch strikeout to end any further threat. Williams continued his hot streak by coming back in the 5th and striking out two more. That would be the end of his outing, throwing 14 pitches, 11 of which were strikes. Final line: 1.1 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 3 Ks / 0 BBs Mavrick Rizy took over to start the 6th and his time on the mound was brief, throwing only 7 pitches. He recorded a flyout, gave up a bloop single, and then drew a ground ball right to Milam who stepped on 2nd base and gunned to 1st to record LSU’s 6th double play of the year. Returning for the 7th, Rizy started the leadoff hitter 2-0 with two bad misses, drawing a visit from pitching coach Nate Yeskie. He promptly threw three straight strikes and then struck out the side to finish his outing. Final line: 2.0 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs / 3 Ks / 0 BB Ethan Plog came in for the 8th inning and didn’t last very long. With the compounded schedule this week, it appeared as if some of the Tiger pitchers had very limited pitch counts and Plog was one of them. He only threw 10 pitches, recording a strikeout and allowing a single. Final line: .1 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs / 1 K / 0 BB Following his heartbreaking last appearance in Friday’s walk-off loss Friday night, Gavin Guidry took over, looking to bounce back with a man on first and 1 out. With just 7 pitches, he delivered a strikeout and a groundout. Final line: .2 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 1 K / 0 BB After his offense finally extended the LSU lead to 7-1, Marcos Paz entered to record the final 3 outs in the 9th inning. He found a quick first out on a nice slow-roller play by Trent Caraway, then recorded a strikeout on a nasty slider, before issuing a 2 out walk. Four pitches later, a fly ball dropped in to Stanfield’s glove and that would do it. Final line: 1.0 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 1 K / 1 BB Hitting Omar Serna delivered his second straight big midweek game, blasting his second homerun in as many weeks. Last Tuesday, the freshman hit the go ahead grand slam against Creighton. Tonight, he led off the 8th inning with a solo shot that kick-started the 4 run inning for LSU. He was the only Tiger with multiple hits, finishing 2-5 and scoring 3 runs. Chris Stanfield continued producing since returning to the lineup last week. Although he was only 1-5, his one hit was a 2 RBI single that created more separation in the 8th inning and showed slight signs of life for the LSU offense. Zach Yorke finished with an official line of 1-1, but drew 3 more walks, extending his team lead and bringing his season total up to 21, six more than the next closest Tiger. Yorke also scored a run. Speaking of walks, Derek Curiel drew two of his own, while finishing 1-3. His biggest impact came on the bases, though, as he stole three bases on Tuesday night. Up Next LSU will welcome Oklahoma for their SEC home opener for a Thursday-Saturday series. This will be the only series that starts on Thursday for the Tigers until the final weekend of the season when every series starts a day early. Game 1 will be a 7 pm central first pitch Thursday night. Oklahoma will come to Baton Rouge off of a 2-1 series win at home against Texas A&M on the opening weekend of conference play. Their overall record is 17-4, following a 3-0 loss to Southeastern Louisiana in Hammond on Tuesday night.
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