NEW ORLEANS — Tulane’s Battle for the Bell victory required one final defensive stand and one enormous special-teams play.
Maurice Turner rushed for 202 yards and two touchdowns, including a 74-yard fourth-quarter score, before Josh Lewis blocked Southern Miss’ potential game-tying field goal to secure Tulane’s 24-21 comeback victory Saturday night at Yulman Stadium.
The Green Wave improved to 2-2, reclaimed the rivalry trophy and extended its home winning streak to nine games.
Quick recap
- Final score: Tulane 24, Southern Miss 21
- Tulane record: 2-2
- Maurice Turner: 12 carries, 202 yards and two touchdowns
- Kadin Semonza: 12-of-24 for 129 yards and one touchdown
- Anthony Brown-Stephens: Five receptions, 85 yards and one touchdown
- Team rushing: Tulane 281 yards, Southern Miss 131
- Defensive production: Seven tackles for loss and four sacks
- Deciding play: Josh Lewis blocked a field goal with 1:45 remaining
- Next game: Tulane at Army on October 10 at 11 a.m. CT
Tulane starts fast
For the second consecutive week, the Green Wave scored first.
Kadin Semonza connected with Anthony Brown-Stephens for a 47-yard touchdown that completed a six-play, 70-yard drive. The explosive play gave Tulane a 7-0 lead midway through the opening quarter.
Southern Miss answered with a 32-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter, but Turner immediately returned control to Tulane.
The senior running back broke free for a 43-yard touchdown, putting the Green Wave ahead 14-7. Southern Miss tied the game before halftime and then moved ahead 21-14 on a third-quarter touchdown reception by Mario Sanders.
Tulane entered the fourth quarter trailing and searching for offensive rhythm.
Maurice Turner changes everything
Turner was Tulane’s most dangerous weapon throughout the night, but his biggest run arrived when the Green Wave needed it most.
Cooper Helmke’s 26-yard field goal reduced the Southern Miss advantage to 21-17 with 8:35 remaining. Three minutes later, Turner found daylight and exploded for a 74-yard touchdown.
The run gave Tulane a 24-21 lead with 5:26 left and sent Yulman Stadium into a frenzy.
Turner finished with 202 yards on just 12 attempts—an average of nearly 17 yards per carry. He produced three runs of at least 40 yards and became only the second player to rush for 200 yards in a game at Yulman Stadium.
Tulane finished with 281 rushing yards and averaged its way to 445 total yards despite an inconsistent passing performance.
Southern Miss gets one final opportunity
The game was far from over following Turner’s touchdown.
Southern Miss drove all the way to the Tulane 3-yard line and appeared ready to force overtime with a short field goal. Instead, Lewis broke through the protection and blocked Creighton Wilbanks’ 21-yard attempt with 1:45 remaining.
Tulane recovered and ran out the clock.
It was an appropriate conclusion to a game won through toughness. The Green Wave defense surrendered 270 passing yards but registered four sacks and seven tackles for loss. Kevin Adams III led Tulane with nine tackles, while Geordan Guidry, Makai Williams and Ed Smith IV contributed sacks.
Quarterback questions remain
Semonza completed 12 of 24 passes for 129 yards and the early touchdown to Brown-Stephens. True freshman Trace Johnson entered during the fourth quarter, completing two of five attempts for 35 yards in his first college action.
Dagan Bruno also contributed a critical rushing first down on Tulane’s final possession.
The different quarterback packages helped Tulane survive, but the offense will need more consistent passing production once American Conference play begins.
Brown-Stephens remained the most reliable target, catching five passes for 85 yards and the opening touchdown.
The Bell stays in New Orleans
The victory gave Tulane its fourth win in the last five meetings with Southern Miss and secured the Battle for the Bell trophy.
It also extended Tulane’s Yulman Stadium winning streak to nine games. The Green Wave is now 45-15 since the beginning of the 2022 season, a reminder of how dramatically the program’s expectations have changed.
This was not a clean victory. Tulane struggled on third down, went scoreless in the third quarter and allowed Southern Miss to reach the 3-yard line during the final minutes.
But winning teams find a way to survive difficult nights.
Turner provided the explosive offense. The defense stiffened near the goal line. Lewis supplied the decisive special-teams moment.
What comes next
Tulane has an open week before traveling to West Point to face Army on October 10.
The break arrives at a valuable time. It gives the coaching staff an opportunity to evaluate its quarterback rotation, improve third-down execution and prepare for the physical challenge Army presents.
The Green Wave still has questions to answer, but it will enter the break with the Bell back in New Orleans—and with the memory of another dramatic victory at Yulman Stadium.