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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Saints All-22 Recap Week 1

By Kaden Arkeder • September 17, 2026
I watched the coaches film of the Lions game and felt some mixed emotions after going through all of the plays. First and foremost, the offensive line has to play much better than what they showed against the Lions given the investment the Saints have made through either draft capital or contractually. The right side in particular was a big reason why the offense struggled to get off to a good start against the Lions as they could neither open lanes in the running game or give Tyler Shough consistent time to throw. Cesar Ruiz was entering the year needing to have a bounce back campaign after how his 2025 season went and his performance against the Lions was not a good start to accomplishing his goal. Taliese Fuaga has been a mixed bag thus far in his young career which is not abnormal for young offensive tackles. Tali had a promising rookie season but followed it up with an up and down sophomore season where he dealt with multiple injuries over the course of the season. He is someone the Saints will have to make a decision on regarding picking up his fifth year option after the season and someone who the Saints need to play well in order to accomplish their goals this season. But I have to give the offense credit because the last 20 or so minutes of the game was fun to watch. Shough was in rhythm from then on and made big time throw after big time throw getting multiple receivers involved. Although as I was watching the game live I could not help but notice it took way too long to get Juwan Johnson on the board. Juwan has had a track record of performances like this before and you would like to see better consistent production from him rather than the all or nothing types of games he has had in the past. I will be curious to see if he gets involved in the passing game much sooner against the Ravens this week which could very well help the offense get off to a better start. Moving on to who I thought was the player of the game, Chris Olave. Olave took a little while to get going in conjunction with the offense but he ultimately did exactly what I thought he would do against Detroit, dominate. Olave took advantage of the Lion’s defensive backs all game long and with their starting safeties being injured Olave beat Detroit down the field for long gains multiple times. If Olave has enough games like this one against the Lions he could very well be in the offensive player of the year conversation when it is all said and done. The only obstacles I could see is his health and if his number of targets drops when Jordyn Tyson returns from his injury. Moving on to the defense, as a whole I thought the defense did a great job against the Lions. Holding them to seven points in the first half was great and even though the scoreboard showed they gave up thirty one points, fourteen of those came from short fields because of turnovers on offense. There was a lot of encouraging play across the defense, Jonas Sanker looked great in the star role and made some impact plays, whether they counted or not. On that note the duel between Chase Young and Penei Sewell did not disappoint as both had their moments throughout the game, with the biggest being Young’s strip sack that was not meant to be according to the officials. All I will say is even after the explanation there is just no way the officials called either Young’s play or all the other strip sacks across the league this weekend correct. Moving on, I would have liked to see Chase Young get more snaps on the opposite edge in what would have been a more favorable matchup for him against the Lions rookie offensive tackle. But not only for the matchup but also just to give the offense a different look so they do not just expect him in the same spot all game long. Speaking of aligning in different spots I thought Brandon Staley did a great job of moving Kaden Elliss around who then to his credit was able to take advantage and have a good game. However, an area of concern did rear its ugly head in this game which did not come as a surprise. The defensive line did not do a nearly good enough job stopping the run against the Lions. The Saints used a rotation of players along the defensive line throughout the game to try and keep players fresh which is a philosophy I believe in but with some older veterans in the mix I believe it would be in the Saints best interest moving forward to limit their snaps in favor of players like Vernon Broughton and Christen Miller. Vernon and Christen’s development would help raise the ceiling of the defense and improve the long term outlook on the defensive side of the ball. I expect the Saints to use more resources to shore up the defensive line when we get to the offseason but in the meantime the Saints will have to figure out how to get the best out of who they have on the roster. Overall I am concerned about the slow starts, the Saints and Kellen Moore have had enough of them now to where it is starting to look like a legitimate issue moving forward. If the Saints are to improve their chances against the best teams in the league they will have to be more productive early on in those games. I believe the slow starts can be fixed by Kellen Moore and the offense but I am not so sure the Saints have the answer to playing the run better on defense currently. But with those concerns I saw plenty of positives like Jonas Sanker settling in nicely to the Star role, Kaden Elliss being a versatile piece for the defense, Chase Young having a great battle with Penei Sewell, Shough and Olave connecting time after time on key plays. There is plenty for the Saints to improve on but after watching the tape they appear to be starting from a much better spot this season than in season’s past.

College Football Player Buzz

By Kaden Arkeder • September 16, 2026
We’re a couple weeks into the college football season and here are some players I have been keeping an eye on as well as some buzz I have been hearing but have not yet watched. The list will have both draft eligible players and non draft eligible players who have been making a name for themselves thus far in the season. Malachi Toney - WR - Miami Malachi Toney burst onto the scene as a freshman last year with a 109 reception, 1,211 yard, 10 TD campaign and he has continued his dominance into his sophomore season. He is currently third in receiving yards in the country with 330 yards. Toney has been a human highlight reel with his route running, shaking defenders with ease leading to massive separation from those trying to cover him. He’s been a fun watch and if you are not watching Miami games you will most likely see a highlight of his going viral on social media as you are scrolling through your feed. Jadan Baugh - RB - Florida Jaden Baugh is a grown man when he runs the ball and should not be as graceful as he is given his 6 '1 225 pound frame. Baugh has gotten off to an absurd start to the season by rushing for 296 yards on just 28 carries resulting in a yards per carry over ten as well as finding the end zone five times. Baugh has been popping up on my feed with long runs featuring great cut backs and jump cuts to weave through defenders. Baugh was on my list for top running back prospects entering the season and has backed it up thus far. Kamario Taylor - QB - Mississippi State Kamario Taylor is a sophomore who has been seeing increasing buzz with each week. Taylor has been creating some intriguing highlights due to some of the best, new arm strength being shown at the QB position in college. The velocity he can throw with is at an elite level which forces evaluators to pay attention. But his arm strength is not the only trait to be excited about, Taylor has a 6’4 230 pound frame paired with a good ability to run the ball as well. He is someone to keep an eye on as Taylor has all the physical tools to succeed long term. Princewill Umanmielin - Edge - LSU Princewill is a senior, the younger brother of Panthers edge rusher Princely Umanmielen, and looks to be the next member of the family tree heading towards a career in the NFL. Princewill has the build of a long, lean, relentless edge rusher who can win his matchup in a variety of ways including speed around the corner, a spin move, the arm over, etc. He is currently leading college football in sacks with five on the season. Leading the country in sacks while playing in the SEC is quite an accomplishment and we’ll see if he can keep his pace as LSU enters conference play against Ole Miss this weekend. Kingston Lopa - DB - Cal Cal has been quietly producing some NFL caliber defensive backs the past couple of years such as Nohl Williams, and Hezekiah Masses. Sophomore Kingston Lopa is quickly making a case to be the next in line. Lopa’s physical attributes for the position is an outlier as he is listed at 6’5 210 pounds. But he is not just a physical presence on the field, he is showing he has the ball skills and a knack for finding the ball. Kopa currently leads college football in interceptions with four on the year already. A defensive back with the size and ball skills he possesses will be a no brainer for evaluators as someone to keep an eye on. Lamont Lester Jr. - Edge - Colorado Lamont is listed 6’2 230 pounds so he is on the smaller side for an NFL edge rusher but he is showing some good athleticism, motor, and active hands in the early parts of the season. He picked up three sacks against Georgia Tech and won with speed around an offensive tackle, finishing a pressure his teammate created, then with active hands to shoot inside for his last sack. With his skillset Lester will be someone worth keeping an eye on throughout the season as someone who could potentially make an impact at the next level. Drew Mestemaker - QB - Oklahoma State Drew has been on my radar since last season as he was part of the PFF darling trio at North Texas last season. Mestemaker has good size for the position being listed at 6’3 215 pounds. He got off to a rough start against Tulsa in week one but turned it around in week two by pulling off what many see as the upset of the week by beating the sixth ranked Oregon Ducks. Drew was able to outduel another big QB prospect in Dante Moore by making some big time throws throughout the game and orchestrating scoring drive after scoring drive against a talented Oregon defense. While there is a chance he comes out for the draft this season he is presumed to be more in the 2028 conversation. Regardless of his draft status, Drew and Oklahoma State could be a fun team to follow this season.
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