Tulane Green Wave Overpowered by Ole Miss Rebels, 45-10
Sometimes, you just get hit hard.
On Saturday, the Tulane Green Wave’s bid for a season-opening four-game win streak came to a halt as they were dominated 45-10 by the 13th-ranked Ole Miss Rebels in Oxford, MS. This was the most points the Green Wave defense had allowed since their 2023 Goodyear Cotton Bowl loss, and it marked Tulane’s fourth consecutive loss to a ranked team.
“It was a frustrating performance,” said Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall after the game. “It starts with me. I’ve got to have our guys more prepared to play better football.”
Rebels Strike Early and Often
Ole Miss wasted no time, opening the game with a quick, decisive drive that covered the entire field in just 2 minutes and 37 seconds to take a 7-0 lead. The Rebels never looked back, continuing to score seemingly at will, overwhelming the Tulane defense.
Tempo Issues for Tulane
“I thought we were emotionally ready to play,” Sumrall explained. “We didn’t really handle the pace and tempo that they set.”
The Tulane offense struggled to find its rhythm against the bigger and faster Ole Miss defense, which smothered the Green Wave’s smaller receivers and quarterback Jake Retzlaff. Retzlaff, who had been effective on the ground earlier in the season, couldn’t get anything going through the air, missing his first nine passes before completing one in the second quarter. He did lead the team in rushing with 51 yards, but he couldn’t break free for the big run he’d had in previous games.
Ole Miss Dominates Both Sides of the Ball
Ole Miss nearly doubled Tulane’s total yardage, racking up 548 yards compared to the Wave’s 282. The Rebels moved the ball easily both on the ground and through the air, while Tulane’s offense never found an answer.
“I can promise you this,” Sumrall said, “we’ll watch this game on the plane and focus on conference play moving forward. But we’re going to sit with this one and let it hurt for a little while, because it should.”
The Rebels delivered a hard-hitting blow to the Green Wave, leaving them reeling.
Looking Ahead
Next week, Tulane heads to Tulsa to face the Hurricanes, who recently pulled off a 19-12 upset over Oklahoma State, marking their first win at Okie State since 1951. It will be interesting to see how quickly the Green Wave can recover and bounce back from this tough loss.
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