Game played October 16 • Final: Tulane 31, Memphis 17
NEW ORLEANS — Tulane found its response in the hands of its defense. Six takeaways, seven sacks and a touchdown return at the halftime horn powered the Green Wave to a 31–17 victory over Memphis on Friday night at Yulman Stadium.
A week after falling at Army, Tulane pulled even at 3–3 overall and 1–1 in the American Conference. The win gave first-year head coach Will Hall his first conference victory at Tulane and handed Memphis its first league loss of the season.
TJ Smith delivered the defining swing before halftime. Johnnie Daniels supplied the finishing burst in the fourth quarter. Between those moments, Tulane repeatedly turned dangerous Memphis possessions into empty trips.Final score by quarter
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Tulane | 0 | 23 | 0 | 8 | 31 |
Smith’s pick-six changes the night
Memphis led 10–3 early in the second quarter after Marcus Stokes connected with Stonka Burnside for a 76-yard touchdown. Tulane then scored 20 unanswered points before halftime, building a 23–10 advantage.
Cooper Helmke’s field goals helped steady the Green Wave, and Trace Johnson found Destyn Hill for a 38-yard touchdown that put Tulane ahead 13–10. But the most dramatic exchange arrived in the half’s closing seconds.
After Johnson was intercepted, Memphis had possession in Tulane territory with a chance to change the halftime picture. Smith intercepted Stokes and raced 76 yards for a touchdown as the half expired.
The return gave Tulane breathing room and ensured that its own late mistake did not become a Memphis scoring opportunity. It was the clearest example of a defense repeatedly rescuing possessions and changing field position.
The defense makes Memphis pay
Memphis finished with 488 yards and 27 first downs, but Tulane kept its scoring output to 17 points. The Green Wave intercepted three passes, recovered three fumbles and stopped both Memphis fourth-down attempts.
Kevin Adams III collected two interceptions, nine tackles and a fumble recovery. Ed Smith IV forced two fumbles, while Jah’rie Garner recorded two of Tulane’s seven sacks. Dickson Agu led the Green Wave with 10 tackles.
Those plays explain why the yardage totals tell only part of the story. Memphis could move the ball, but pressure, lost possessions and stops near the goal line prevented the Tigers from consistently turning movement into points.
Tulane held Memphis to two conversions on 11 third-down attempts. The Tigers scored on only two of six red-zone opportunities, another measure of how often the Green Wave defended the possessions that mattered most.
Johnson contributes, Daniels finishes
Freshman quarterback Trace Johnson completed 11 of 21 passes for 165 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Hill caught four passes for 62 yards and supplied the receiving touchdown that gave Tulane its first lead.
The offense still had work to do after Stokes hit Jemyri Davis for a six-yard touchdown with 3:34 remaining, cutting Tulane’s advantage to 23–17.
Facing fourth-and-one at the Memphis 48, Tulane handed the ball to Daniels. He broke through for a 48-yard touchdown with 1:34 left. Johnson then connected with Hill for the two-point conversion, extending the lead to 31–17.
Daniels finished with 55 yards on seven carries. His final burst accounted for most of that production, and its timing made it the offense’s most important run of the night. Adams’ second interception ended Memphis’ final possession.Tulane individual stat box — selected performers
| Player | Final performance |
|---|---|
| Trace Johnson | 11/21 passing, 165 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| Johnnie Daniels | 7 carries, 55 yards, 1 TD; long of 48 |
| Destyn Hill | 4 receptions, 62 yards, 1 TD; caught two-point conversion |
| Cooper Helmke | 3/4 field goals, long of 56; 2/2 extra points |
| Kevin Adams III | 9 tackles, 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery |
| TJ Smith | 76-yard interception return for a touchdown |
| Jah’rie Garner | 3 tackles, 2 sacks |
| Ed Smith IV | 4 tackles, 1 sack, 2 forced fumbles |
| Dickson Agu | 10 tackles |
Helmke supplies points while the offense settles
Helmke made field goals from 56, 40 and 29 yards, all in the second quarter. His 56-yarder tied the game at 3–3, and his later kicks helped Tulane keep collecting points while its offense searched for a sustained rhythm.
Tulane finished with 325 total yards, including 150 rushing, and converted four of 16 third downs. Nine penalties for 80 yards also interrupted its progress. Those numbers leave Hall plenty to address despite the result.
The value of Friday’s win is that Tulane found enough complementary contributions to overcome those shortcomings. Its defense created chances, its kicker supplied points, and its offense delivered the late touchdown drive it needed.Memphis individual stat box — selected performers
| Player | Final performance |
|---|---|
| Marcus Stokes | 20/37 passing, 306 yards, 2 TDs, 3 INTs |
| Jaylin Carter | 23 carries, 135 yards |
| Stonka Burnside | 7 receptions, 151 yards, 1 TD |
| Jemyri Davis | 4 receptions, 89 yards, 1 TD |
Team stat box
| Statistic | Tulane | Memphis |
|---|---|---|
| Total yards | 325 | 488 |
| Passing yards | 175 | 306 |
| Rushing yards | 150 | 182 |
| First downs | 12 | 27 |
| Third-down conversions | 4/16 | 2/11 |
| Fourth-down conversions | 1/1 | 0/2 |
| Turnovers committed | 2 | 6 |
| Interceptions thrown | 1 | 3 |
| Fumbles lost | 1 | 3 |
| Sacks recorded | 7 | 1 |
| Red-zone scoring | 1/1 | 2/6 |
| Penalties–yards | 9–80 | 3–12 |
| Time of possession | 30:48 | 29:12 |
Passing note: Tulane’s 175 team passing yards include a 10-yard completion by Dagan Bruno in addition to Johnson’s 165 yards.
A needed step before UTSA
Memphis left New Orleans at 5–2 overall and 2–1 in conference play. Tulane moved back to .500 and gave itself a chance to build on a meaningful league win.
The Green Wave hosts UTSA on Saturday, October 24, at 7 p.m. CT. Better offensive efficiency and fewer penalties would reduce the burden on a defense that carried Friday’s result.
For now, Tulane has a performance it can point to when it needs an example of responding under pressure: a defense that kept taking the ball away and a late offensive decision that finished the job.
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Related coverage: Uptown Stand: Tulane Faces Memphis With Its Conference Hopes Under Pressure
Sources: Tulane official box score; Memphis Athletics recap; Tulane football schedule; Tulane coaching staff announcement. Statistics reflect the official final box score.