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Tulane Forces Six Turnovers to Upset Memphis 31-17

Three interceptions, three fumble recoveries and a 76-yard pick-six at the half carried Tulane past Memphis at Yulman Stadium despite being outgained 488 yards to 325.

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Tulane Forces Six Turnovers to Upset Memphis 31-17
Photo: Spatms, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Benson_Field_at_Yulman_Stadium_(New_Orleans).jpg)

Key points

  • Tulane forced six turnovers and upset Memphis 31-17 on Friday night, October 16, at Yulman Stadium in New Orleans.
  • Memphis led early, and Tulane trailed 10-6 late in the second quarter.
  • Memphis cut the lead to 23-17 with 3:34 left in the game.

Tulane forced six turnovers and upset Memphis 31-17 on Friday night, October 16, at Yulman Stadium in New Orleans. The Green Wave defence intercepted Memphis quarterback Marcus Stokes three times and recovered three fumbles. Tulane improved to 3-3 overall and 1-1 in conference play. Memphis fell to 5-2 overall and 2-1 in conference. Local radio described the win as the biggest of head coach Will Hall's time at Tulane.

Two scores flip the first half

Memphis led early, and Tulane trailed 10-6 late in the second quarter. Freshman quarterback Trace Johnson then hit Destyn Hill for a 38-yard touchdown, which gave Tulane its first lead at 13-10. The turning point came on the last play of the first half. TJ Smith intercepted Stokes and returned it 76 yards for a touchdown as time expired. That made it 23-10 at halftime. It was Tulane's first defensive touchdown of the season. In the space of a few plays, Tulane had taken the lead, doubled it, and sent Memphis into the locker room chasing a game it had controlled on the stat sheet.

Memphis rallies, Daniels answers

Memphis cut the lead to 23-17 with 3:34 left in the game. Stokes threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Jermyi Davis, and the pressure moved back onto Tulane to close the game out. Tulane answered on fourth and one near midfield. Johnnie Daniels broke free for a 48-yard touchdown run with 1:34 left. The two-point conversion made it 31-17 and removed the late doubt. Daniels led Tulane rushing with 61 yards, and that one carry supplied most of them.

Defence carries a strange stat line

Kevin Adams III led the defence with nine tackles, two interceptions and a fumble recovery. Dickson Agu had 10 tackles. Johnson finished 11 of 21 passing for 165 yards, one touchdown and one interception. The wider numbers show why the turnovers decided the night. Memphis outgained Tulane 488 yards to 325 and led first downs 27 to 13. Memphis also allowed seven sacks and converted only 2 of 11 third downs. A team can win the yardage and lose the game when it gives the ball away six times, and that is exactly what happened here.

Why it matters and what happens next

The win extended Tulane's home winning streak to 10 games, dating to the start of the 2025 season. It also pulls Tulane back to level in conference play and hands Memphis a first conference loss. For Hall, a big upset built on defence gives his team a result to build the second half of the season on. For Memphis, the lesson is blunt. Protect the ball, or the other numbers do not matter.

Also on Friday, Appalachian State beat Coastal Carolina 35-32 behind four rushing touchdowns from Jaquari Lewis. Washington won 38-26 at Purdue behind 302 passing yards and three touchdowns from Elijah Brown.

Sources