Tulane Football falls to Ole Miss, returns to Yulman Saturday to face UAB

Jude Papillion, Sports Editor
September 20, 2021

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Parker Waters
The Ole Miss Rebels defeated Tulane Football 61-21 on Sept. 18. This Saturday, the Green Wave returns home to Yulman Stadium to face the UAB Blazers.

It was a tough weekend on the road in Oxford, Mississippi as the Tulane University football team fell to the Ole Miss Rebels 61-21 in a game that the Rebels were in control of from start to finish. 

The Rebels, undefeated and ranked 17th entering the contest, dominated the Green Wave offensively, combining for 707 total yards compared to Tulane’s 305. Quarterback Michael Pratt led Tulane in passing, completing 10 of his 18 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns. Matt Corral led the Rebels in passing, totaling 23 completions on 31 attempts for 335 yards and three touchdowns. Corral also rushed for 68 yards and scored four touchdowns on the ground. Devin Brumfield led the Green Wave in rushing with 47 yards, and Jerrion Ealy led the Rebels with 103 yards. Macon Clark led Tulane with 12 total tackles, while Darius Hodges and Joseph Dorceus both recorded sacks. 

Tulane sported helmets with a decal of its old mascot, “Greenie,” from the Green Wave’s days in the Southeastern Conference in honor of the matchup against SEC opponent Ole Miss. Tulane’s helmets also featured a decal honoring the years the program won the SEC. 

Originally scheduled to kick off at 7:00 p.m., the matchup between the Green Wave and Rebels was postponed an hour and 45 minutes to 8:45 p.m. due to lightning in the area. 

Ole Miss started scoring early, with Henry Parrish Jr. rushing for a 19-yard touchdown on the Rebel’s opening drive. After a Tulane punt on their opening drive, Ole Miss drove the ball down the field again, scoring on a nine-yard run by Corral but missing the extra-point attempt. Later in the first quarter, Tulane linebacker Nick Anderson forced a fumble, which set up Tulane’s first scoring drive of the game, capped off by a Cameron Carroll rush for a one-yard touchdown. Ole Miss got on the board once more in the quarter with another touchdown run by Corral as time expired, giving the Rebels a 19-7 advantage at the end of the first quarter. Shortly before Corral’s touchdown, Tulane linebacker and preseason American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year Dorian Williams was ejected for targeting, making things even easier for the Ole Miss offense. 

Ole Miss added another touchdown to their lead to start the second quarter, this time a 12-yard pass from Corral to Dontario Drummond. Tulane quickly responded with a score of their own as Pratt connected with Shae Wyatt for a 39-yard touchdown pass. After a failed Tulane onside kick attempt, Ole Miss scored twice more in the half as they separated themselves from the Green Wave on the scoreboard with a long 50-yard touchdown pass from Corral to Johnathan Mingo and an 11-yard Drummond rush into the endzone. Tulane scored their final touchdown of the game with 42 seconds remaining in the first half off of a 22-yard pass by Pratt to Tyrick James, as the Green Wave went back to the locker room for the halftime break facing a 40-21 deficit. 

Ole Miss created an insurmountable lead for the Green Wave in the third quarter, scoring three touchdowns to take a 61-21 lead, while holding Tulane to just 31 yards of offense in the quarter. Both teams went scoreless in the fourth quarter, and Tulane’s record fell to 1-2 for the season with the loss. 

This Saturday, olive and blue will fill the stands of Yulman Stadium for the first time this season as the Green Wave is set to take on the University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers. Kick off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+. Last weekend, UAB took down the North Texas Eagles 40-6, and the Blazers have a 2-1 record with their only loss coming on the road against the second-ranked Georgia Bulldogs. Despite its losses, Tulane opens the week as a four-point favorite against UAB. This will be the 11th all-time matchup between Tulane and the Blazers, with UAB winning the last matchup 31-24 in 2018. 

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