Sometimes, you’re just not the story of the day.
That was the painful lesson the Green Wave had to learn Saturday as they got blown out by the Ole Miss Rebels 45-10, a result that shook up the outlook of both the American and the SEC in one fell swoop. Tulane went into the day the popular pick to upset an SEC foe as the favorite to win both the American and the group of 5’s bid for the college football playoff. Instead, Ole Miss sent a clear message: they are a real player in the SEC race, and it doesn’t matter who is under center for them.
After losing a 1st round pick at quarterback, many doubted the level of play the Rebels would be getting from the position this year. Starter Austin Simmons looked solid but unspectacular to begin the season, but he got hurt. Backup and Ferris State transfer Trinidad Chambliss stepped in and lit up the scoreboard last week, but there were still questions surrounding his ability to sustain that play.
We don’t have those questions anymore. Chambliss exploded, going 17/27 for 307 passing yards and 2 TDs in the air, and further gashing the Green Wave defense for 112 more yards on the ground. Chambliss was simply unstoppable – on the money with his receivers for explosive plays, and too fast for the Green Wave defense to catch him if the play broke down.
On the other side of the ball, Jake Retzlaff and the Tulane receivers just couldn’t find any passing lanes against a very good Rebel secondary. Retzlaff started the game 0 for his first 9 passes, not completing a pass until the final play of the first half. The run game found some level of success and actually held up well against an SEC defensive front (4.6 yards per carry), but the dreadful day through the air stopped the offense from getting into any kind of rhythm.
“Not our best day. Frustrating performance. Starts with me, ends with me. I have to have our guys more prepared to play better football. Hats off to Ole Miss – really good and well-coached team. I think we were emotionally prepared, but we weren’t prepared for their early pace of play.”
Tulane Head Coach Jon Sumrall
Ole Miss jumped on things early, not giving Tulane any room to breathe. The jumped out to an early lead with a quick touchdown drive, then forced two punts before the Green Wave defense could finally get off the field and force two field goals on the next two drives. Tulane quickly found themselves down 13-0 while being dominated in time of possession. The defense needed a chance to rest, and they got it with an 11 play, 6 minute field goal drive fueled by Retzlaff’s legs. Even without throwing a pass, Tulane was able to find some level of rhythm on offense. Combine that with the defense starting to settle in and the long drive serving as a resetting of momentum, and Tulane seemed to be right back in the game.
And then, all of a sudden, they weren’t. One play later, and Chambliss’ pass is tipped in the air, landing into the hands of De’Zhaun Stribling for a crushing 53 yard gain. The dam broke from there – the Rebels finished the drive with a TD, then added a field goal to make it a 23-3 lead heading into the half.
The 2nd half got off to a better start for the Green Wave, with a long drive getting all the way down to the 5 yard line. The offense looked much more efficient and in rhythm during this drive. Down by 20 early in the half needing a touchdown to really get back into the game, Sumrall kept his offense on the field for 4th and goal, but Retzlaff’s pass flew over the receiver’s head, and Tulane came up empty. Then the defense stepped up and forced the first Rebel punt of the game, and a solid return gave the offense good starting field position near midfield.
That led to the final chance for the Green Wave – 4th and 1 in Rebel territory, down by 20, needing to continue the drive to keep Tulane’s chances alive. They direct snapped it to Arnold Barnes, who got stuffed by the Ole Miss defensive front, and the Rebels retook the momentum and never looked back. They drove down the field and scored a game-sealing touchdown on the next possession at the beginning of the 4th quarter, going for 2 to make it an even 28 point lead.
At 31-3, we saw backup QB Brendan Sullivan finish the game for Tulane. Unfortunately, that didn’t change things, as the onslaught just kept rolling. Sullivan did lead a touchdown drive near the end of the game, but the score got even wider in that time, ending at 45-10.
It was a great win for Ole Miss, who moves to 4-0 and hosts LSU in one of the biggest games in college football next weekend. Fans of Louisiana football have been put on notice with the performance Chambliss and company just had against one of the group of 5’s finest.
As for Tulane, that status at the top of the G5 got challenged this week. Given the strength of the American as a whole in out of conference play, the winner of the American will still be the favorite to represent the G5 in the playoff. But any wiggle room has evaporated as Tulane now has to win the American to make the playoff, and that task looks tougher with each week.
“That’s a hurt locker room. Those guys have worked really hard, and they know they didn’t perform their best today. That’s everybody, including me. None of us were at our best today. And that really sucks because we missed a special opportunity today.”
Tulane Head Coach Jon Sumrall
They will start their journey next week as they open conference play on the road @ Tulsa, who just got a huge win against Oklahoma State last Friday, but has otherwise struggled to open up the season.
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