Sooners Start Hot But Get Tested in Victory Over Tulane

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The No. 15 Oklahoma Sooners (3-0) took on the Tulane Green Wave (1-2) on Sept. 14 in Norman, Okla., and secured their third victory 34-19. The offense started hot but the defense had to save the day again for the Sooners.

Game Summary

The Sooners started the game in rhythm on offense and defense, going ahead 21-0 before Tulane scored its first points right before halftime. Oklahoma led 21-6 going into the break. Freshman running back Taylor Tatum scored receiving and rushing touchdowns in the first half as the Sooners outgained the Green Wave 235-163 yards. The Sooners' defense was paced by do-everything linebacker Danny Stutsman and his 10 first-half tackles.

Leading 21-6 to start the second half, Oklahoma drove the ball 64 yards in 13 plays, which led to a Tyler Keltner 29-yard field goal to make 24-6 Sooners. Tulane responded by going on a 9-play, 75-yard drive capped off by a Darian Mensah touchdown pass to Makhi Huges of 9 yards.

Young Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold, who had a better game than he did last week, made his only mistake by throwing late across the middle. Tulane linebacker Tyler Grubbs stepped in front of Deion Burks, made the interception and went 22 yards to make the score 24-19. The Sooners added two more scores, making the final 34-19.

Turning Point for Sooners

With the score 24-19 and Tulane having had some success in the second half, Mensah was pressured. His pass was tipped and it fell into the hands of Billy Bowman Jr. There was 8:18 left in the game when the Sooners forced that turnover. Arnold made up for his earlier mistake and led the team on a 4-play, 43-yard scoring drive that was capped off by Arnold's 24-yard TD run. That finally gave the Sooners some breathing room.

What it Means for Sooners

For the Sooners, the victory set up what many think will be the Game Day venue next week as they host the No. 7 Tennessee Volunteers. The victory makes them 3-0, and they will have another week to heal and hopefully get more of their players back for their first official Southeastern Conference game. Players like Gentry Williams and Kendel Dolby were missing on the defense and the offense will hope to get Nic Anderson and Branson Hickman back for the Tennessee game.

What it Means for Tulane

For the Green Wave, it's another moral victory as they have hung tough with two Power Four teams the last two weeks. Tulane still has an outside shot of making the new 12-team playoff if they can win the American Athletic Conference and be the highest-ranked Group of 5 schools. Mensah will continue to grow, having stood up to the pressure on the road in a place like Oklahoma.