The First Road Test for Kansas State: Traveling to Tulane

The Tulane Green Wave (1-0) is scheduled to play the No. 17 Kansas State Wildcats (1-0) at noon EST on Sept. 7 inside Yulman Stadium in New Orleans, La. Tulane is coming off a win over SE Louisiana (0-1) 52-0.

K-State is coming off a 41-6 win over UT Martin (0-1). In 2022, these two matched up for a game in Manhattan, Kan., where Tulane upset the eventual Big 12 Champions 17-10 on their way to a Cotton Bowl win over USC. The Green Wave has a new head coach, Jon Sumrall, after former coach Willie Fritz moved on to Houston this past offseason. Sumrall and his former team, the Troy Trojans, got to match up with Chris Klieman and his Wildcats last season, making this the second straight season these two coaches have played. Tulane holds a 2-0 series lead after playing in 1988 and 2022.

What's at Stake?

Both teams want a 2-0 start in this early season. Kansas State is currently ranked in The Associated Press Top 25 poll. It looks to keep its chances alive for a possible College Football Playoff berth. While a loss in non-conference will not completely crush the Wildcats' postseason aspirations, it will make winning the Big 12 Conference a must. This game will be quarterback Avery Johnson's first true road start. While this environment will be loud and hostile toward the sophomore QB, it will not be up to the level of some of the Big 12 road games on the schedule.

The Tulane offense had its way with SE Louisiana last week, putting up 231 yards passing and 241 yards rushing. The Kansas State defense will be way better, though. The schedule ramps up for the Wildcats in these next two weeks with matchups against Power 4 teams K-State and No. 15 Oklahoma (1-0). If Tulane wants to have a greater chance at a higher-end bowl appearance, then they will have to win one of these next two games. With Oklahoma on the road, this one against K-State is their better shot.

Nov 24, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Tulane Green Wave safety Kam Pedescleaux (8) celebrates — © Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Key Players: Tulane Green Wave

Darian Mensah, Quarterback

The freshman is coming off of a good performance in Week 1, completing 10-of-12 passes for 205 yards and 2 touchdowns. He will have to be that efficient again against Kansas State, keeping the pressure on the Wildcats to score more consistently. Teams expect freshmen to have ups and downs throughout the season, but the Green Wave cannot afford to have many down moments against a team like K-State.

Bailey Despanie, Safety

In Week 1, he racked up 8 tackles to help pitch the shutout. The Tulane defense will need him to help against the Kansas State rushing attack and be ready in coverage when deep passing shots are attempted. In 2023, he was able to force an interception and recover a fumble. This game would be the perfect opportunity for him to create some of those turnovers in which Kansas State turned the football over twice in Week 1.

Key Players: Kansas State Wildcats

DJ Giddens, Running Back

This season, K-State has two legitimate options in the backfield with Giddens and Dylan Edwards. In Week 1, Giddens had 124 yards on 13 carries.

The featured running back for K-State will need to have another efficient day against Tulane. While Giddens may lose some touches this year with Edwards behind him, it should allow him to be fresher in the fourth quarter when the defense is worn down. This game will be close, and K-State will need a running game that can control the clock taking some pressure off Johnson.

Tobi Osunsanmi, Defensive End

Osunsanmi had 1.5 sacks against UT Martin in Week 1. The Wildcats' defense had a great performance in the opening game, giving up just 134 yards. Facing a freshman quarterback, Osunsanmi and the rest of the defensive front will need to get pressure on Mensah to keep him uncomfortable and force mistakes. The K-State defense will need to play up to its full potential to give their offense time to get comfortable and put up enough points to secure the win.

Trends to Watch

Both teams are coming off of blowout wins against FCS opponents. Tulane is looking to build on what former coach Fritz built. Beating Kansas State at home would show the college football world that Tulane is still one of the top Group of 5 teams and one of the favorites in the American Athletic Conference. Kansas State is looking to put a full game together on the offensive end after first-half struggles against UT Martin. The K-State defense is looking to solidify that their first game performance was not a fluke, and this is the opportunity to prove that they are before playing Arizona the next week.