Tulane @ Navy Week 12 Review

Patrick Harkness • November 18, 2024

Tulane Green Wave- 35 

@

Navy Midshipman- 0


By: Patrick Harkness



Spread: Tulane -7.5

Total: 48.5


Put a Goose Egg on the board for the Tulane Green Wave defense.  The Green Wave defense only allowed 113 total yards (least amount of yards than any other team they played) against a complicated and explosive navy offense. Sam Howard led the way by collecting 2 turnovers, a fumble and an interception. He now holds the record for most fumble recoveries at Tulane. At the moment Tulane is currently ranked 20th with playoff implications on the line. Let's get into the individual performances.     


Offense


Quarterbacks


We finally got to see what Mensah is capable of doing on the ground with 8 carries for 57 yards (7.1 avg) and a long of 22 with a nice 14-yard scamper for a touchdown. Through the air he was 10/14 with 138 yards and 2 touchdowns. That brings his total up to 2,197 yards, 18 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, and a QBR rating of 75.6 which is 23rd in the nation. An amazing start to the redshirt freshman's career. The only thing that could use some improvement is his deep ball accuracy but other than that he has exceeded expectations by a mile.     


Ty Thompson


Ty got into some late 4th quarter action by getting 5 carries for 20 yards with a long of 9. I think in about 2 weeks against Memphis we may see some new plays installed for him.



Running Backs


It was a team effort on the ground for Tulane with Makhi leading the way with 22 carries for 82 yards and 2 touchdowns. His 5 game over 100 yards rushing streak ended. Arnold Barnes got the ground game going in the second half with 12 carries for 62 yards and the quarterbacks finished with 13 carries for 77 yards and a touchdown for Mensah. That's a total of 48 carries for 220 yards (4.6 avg) and 3 rushing touchdowns. 


       

Receiving Game


This unit was burning the coverage of Navy all game. Mensah missed on two deep passes to wide open guys that would've been scores but Dontae Fleming got the game going through the air early with a 44-yard catch that led to a Tulane touchdown. He later on got hurt but walked off under his own power. He finished the day with 2 catches for 56 yards. Mario Williams led the team in catches with 3 for a total of 56 yards. Shazz Preston filled in nicely for Dontae when he went down and had another week with a long play for 27 yards. Alex Bauman the do it all Tight End got Tulane on the board by a beautiful play action cooked up by Offensive coordinator Joe Craddock on a 3rd and goal on the 1-yard line and Arnold Barnes even helped out in the passing game with a 1-yard touchdown. Alex Bauman has 6 total touchdowns on the year and leads the team. 



Offensive Line


Another great day for the offensive line only giving up one sack and a total of 358 yards. The run game struggled early on but after the half the Oline started to wear down the Navy defense allowing Arnold Barnes to get some nice runs and finish the day with a team total of 220 yards. For the most part Mensah had a clean pocket but when things did break down after holding onto the ball for 5 seconds, he was able to capitalize on some good running lanes. 



Player of the Game: Darian Mensah 3 TD



Defense


Defensive Line 


It was a group effort in this game by the Green Wave defensive line with a total of 11 different defensive lineman ending up on the stat sheet. Mathew Fobbs White is starting to look like Tulane's best pass rusher. He got another sack putting his total up to four now on the year. Gerrod Henderson had a good game finishing with 4 tackles, Parker Peterson and Kam Hamilton had a solid day as well finishing with 3 tackles. Adin Huntington, Pat Jenkins, and Terrel Allen had 2 tackles while Allen was able to get into the backfield for a tackle for loss. The former troy transfer Deshaun Batiste also got a tackle for loss as well. 




Linebackers


Sam Howard was the player of the game by collecting a record-breaking 5th fumble recovery of the season and having his first career Tulane interception. He finished the day with 4 total tackles and 1 tackle for loss. On the year he has a total of 37 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Tyler Grubbs led the team in tackles against Navy with 5 tackles, 3 of them solo. 



Secondary


Navy couldn't do a whole lot in the passing game once Blake Horvath went down so it was a relatively quiet day for everyone. Navy only attempted 11 passes and only completed 3 for 13 yards. Jack Tcheinchou, the starting Free safety, led the unit with 5 tackles. Caleb Ransaw got into the back field for a sack, he finished his day with 1 tackle and a pass break up. Kevin Adams, the rotational piece with Bailey Despaine also got in the backfield for a tackle for loss as well.





Player of the Game: Sam Howard

 



Special Teams



Kicker/Punter/Return Game


K- Patrick Durkin was 5/5 from extra point 


P-Will Karrol played another nice game punting with 4 punts with a long of 53 and 1 downed inside the 20




Roll Wave!!


For more Tulane Football news, check out Wave Watch on YouTube at The Kneaux!

This is Patrick Harkness and you can follow me on X @RollDatWave and @BeInTheKneaux everywhere.



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Three football players in helmets on a field, one in red jersey gesturing toward another.

🌊Class of 2026 Player Spotlight🌊: Trace Johnson

By Patrick Harkness • July 11, 2026
QB 
Trace Johnson 
Trace Johnson is a pro-style pocket passer quarterback from the Class of 2026. Standing at 6-1 and weighing 190 pounds, he possesses a solid build for the position with room to add more mass at the college level. 
Originally from Gainesville, Florida, Johnson played his sophomore and junior seasons at Buchholz High School before transferring to Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, ahead of his senior year in 2025. 
The move allowed him to compete in one of California’s top high school programs, where he helped lead the team to an Open Division State Championship. Johnson comes from strong football lineage as the son of Doug Johnson, a former University of Florida quarterback (1996-1999) who went on to a seven-year NFL career with teams like the Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars, amassing over 2,600 passing yards professionally. 
In addition to football, Johnson is a multi-sport athlete who also competes in baseball, showcasing his overall athleticism. Johnson committed to Tulane University on June 20, 2025, following an official visit, and signed his National Letter of Intent on December 3, 2025. He enrolled early at Tulane on January 12, 2026, positioning him to compete for playing time as a true freshman. 
Prior to his commitment, he held offers from programs including West Virginia, Wake Forest, Central Michigan, and Virginia, among others. 
Scouting Report: 
Arm Talent and Velocity: Johnson boasts a “cannon for an arm,” enabling him to make tight-window throws and deliver deep balls with precision and ease. His ability to thread the needle in coverage stands out as a pro-level trait. 
Touch and Deep Ball Accuracy: Exhibits excellent touch on longer throws, allowing receivers to track and adjust effectively. He gets the ball out on time, minimizing sacks and maximizing yards after catch. 
Progression Reading and Decision-Making: Patiently works through his reads without delaying his release, showing maturity beyond his years. His decision-making improved markedly over time, with interceptions dropping from 13 in 2023 to 5 in 2025. 
Clutch Performance and Improvement: Thrives in big games and playoffs, elevating his play when it matters most. He consistently got better as seasons progressed, adapting to new systems post-transfer. 
Poise and Leadership: Maintains composure under pressure, drawing from his pedigree to lead teams to championships and deep playoff runs. His work ethic and football IQ make him a natural field general. #RollWave Make sure to follow Patrick Harkness on X
Football player in red uniform running with the ball on a field during a game

🌊Transfer Portal Spotlight🌊: Zeon Chriss

By Patrick Harkness • July 11, 2026
QB Zeon Chriss- Houston 
Hall has explicitly said the offense will be “built around our quarterback” with tempo, a passing attack, pro-style elements (including heavy tight end usage), and more speed than recent Tulane teams. Crucially, he wants “at least one quarterback who can move around a little bit, a dual-threat guy.”  
Hall has called Chriss “an extreme dual-threat guy with a strong arm” and loves the contrast with the other main contender Semonza/Bruno/Johnson. He specifically praised Chriss’s explosiveness from his UL days: “When he was at Louisiana several years ago, I was in that league and he was just dynamic… Just dominated that league with his legs and was probably the scariest player in that league.” 
Chriss’s career stats: 2,263 passing yards (64% completion, 17 TDs) plus nearly 1,000 rushing yards and 10 rushing TDs across 13 starts. His mobility adds a true QB-run threat that aligns with Hall’s run-first success model (which he helped install as Tulane’s former OC under Willie Fritz). #RollWave Make sure to follow Patrick Harkness on X
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