Greg Desrosiers Jr. caught two scoring passes and ran for a landing, and Memphis defeated No. 18 Tulane 34-24 on Thursday night time to finish the Green Wave’s long-shot bid for a spot within the College Football Playoff.
While Tulane (9-3, 7-1 American Athletic) could not have made the brand new 12-team CFP, it needed to win its regular-season finale and subsequent week’s convention title sport to have an opportunity.
Instead, the Green Wave turned the ball over 3 times deep in Memphis territory as their common season convention successful streak ended at 17.
Two Tulane turnovers got here after lengthy receptions at or contained in the Memphis 10-yard line.
Tigers defensive again Kourtlan Marsh brought about each fumbles, the primary when he leveled Yulkeith Brown moments after his 40-yard catch. AJ Watts recovered on the 10 and returned 37 yards, beginning a drive that ended with a 29-yard landing run by Desrosiers on third-and-4 to offer Memphis (10-2, 6-2) a 27-10 lead .
In the fourth quarter, with Tulane trailing 27-17, Mario Williams fumbled on the Tigers 9 after throwing a 55-yard go and Marsh recovered.
Tulane quarterback Darian Mensah was later intercepted on the Memphis 2 by Davion Ross, and the Tigers responded with a game-sealing 98-yard drive, capped by Mario Anderson Jr.’s 47-yard landing run.
Seth Henigan accomplished 22 of 29 passes for 218 yards and two touchdowns with no turnovers for Memphis, for a complete of 454 yards towards a Tulane protection that had allowed simply 9 factors within the earlier three video games mixed. Anderson rushed for 177 yards on 24 carries.
Mensah handed for 317 yards and two touchdowns, and Arnold Barnes ran for a 2-yard rating.
Tulane gave up a landing on Memphis’ opening drive when Henigan hit Desrosiers for the primary of his two landing catches: a 17-yard leaping catch in tight protection.
Tulane’s solely lead got here when Williams’ 7-yard TD catch made it 10-7 late within the first quarter.
But Desrosier’s 25-yard catch-and-run put the Tigers again within the lead for good within the second quarter.
Takeaway meals
Memphis: The Tigers seemed motivated and centered regardless of being out of the convention title. On offense, they transformed 10 of 16 third downs to assist them break the 20-point plateau for the thirty ninth straight sport. The protection, in the meantime, was disruptive and opportunistic.
Tulane: The Green Wave seemed in hassle from the beginning. Receivers dropped a number of passes, and Tulane’s usually productive working scheme did not appear to match up properly with a Memphis run protection that ranked 18th nationally. Missed tackles on protection and issues stopping third downs made for a troublesome night time.
Implications of the survey
Tulane may drop out of the AP Top 25, diminishing the significance of subsequent week’s AAC championship sport.
Next
Memphis: awaits a bowl declaration.
Tulane: Will play Army on Dec. 6 within the American Athletic Conference championship sport at a location to be decided.
Associated Press reporting.
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