Tulane stuns Memphis 31-17 after six turnovers flip the night
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- Tulane beat Memphis 31-17 on Friday, October 16, at Yulman Stadium in New Orleans.
- Memphis gave the ball away six times. That was the whole story of the game.
- A 76-yard interception return just before half-time changed the game.
Tulane beat Memphis 31-17 on Friday night. The Green Wave forced six turnovers at home in New Orleans. One play just before half-time changed the whole game.
A turnover means a team loses the ball to the other team. It happens on an interception or a fumble. An interception is when a defender catches the other team's pass.
A fumble is when a player drops the ball and the other team grabs it. Memphis lost the ball six times. That is very hard to survive in any game.
What happened
Memphis started fast. Philippe Laforge kicked a 44-yard field goal. A field goal is worth three points.
Memphis led 3-0.
Tulane answered. Cooper Helmke kicked a 56-yard field goal. The game was tied 3-3.
Then Memphis struck deep. Quarterback Marcus Stokes threw a 76-yard touchdown pass to Stonka Burnside. A touchdown is worth six points.
Memphis led 10-3 early in the second quarter.
Tulane did not panic. Helmke kicked a 40-yard field goal. The score was 10-6.
Then Tulane took the lead. True freshman Trace Johnson threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to Destyn Hill. It was Johnson's first career start.
Tulane led 13-10.
Helmke added a 29-yard field goal. Tulane led 16-10. The half was almost over.
Then came the play of the night.
Stokes threw a pass near the end of the half. Tulane defender TJ Smith caught it. Smith ran 76 yards for a touchdown as time ran out.
This play is called a pick-six. It means a defender catches a pass and runs it back for a score. Tulane led 23-10 at half-time.
The third quarter had no points. Memphis drove deep early in the half. Stokes was stopped on fourth down near the goal line.
Tulane held firm.
Memphis fought back in the fourth quarter. Stokes threw a six-yard touchdown pass to Jemyri Davis with 3:34 left. The score was 23-17.
Memphis had a chance.
Tulane finished the job. The Green Wave faced fourth-and-one at the Memphis 48. Fourth-and-one means they needed one yard to keep the ball.
Running back Johnnie Daniels broke free for a 48-yard touchdown with 1:34 left. Johnson then threw to Hill for a two-point conversion. A two-point conversion adds two points after a touchdown.
Tulane led 31-17.
Kevin Adams III intercepted Stokes one more time. That ended the game.
The final numbers tell a strange story. Memphis gained 488 yards. Tulane gained 325 yards.
Memphis had 27 first downs. Tulane had 12. A first down means a team moved the ball 10 yards and kept its turn.
Yet Memphis scored only 17 points. Turnovers explain why.
Stokes finished 20 of 37 passing for 306 yards. He threw two touchdowns and three interceptions. He also lost two fumbles.
He gave the ball away five times in total. Tulane sacked him seven times. A sack is when the defense tackles the quarterback behind the line.
Johnson finished 11 of 21 passing for 165 yards. He threw one touchdown and one interception. Daniels ran seven times for 55 yards.
Hill caught four passes for 62 yards and one touchdown. Burnside caught seven passes for 151 yards and one touchdown for Memphis.
Adams led the Tulane defense. He had two interceptions, nine tackles, and one fumble recovery. Jah'rie Garner had two sacks.
Ed Smith IV forced two fumbles. Dickson Agu made 10 tackles.
Memphis had been careful with the ball all season. Per the Commercial Appeal, Memphis had only five turnovers in its first six games. They matched that total and more in one night.
Per On3, Memphis had not lost the ball six times in a game since 2006.
Why it matters
Memphis came into the game as the top team in the American Conference. The Tigers were seven-point favorites. That means most people expected them to win by seven points.
They had opened conference play with strong wins over Charlotte and UAB.
The loss likely ended their realistic hopes for the College Football Playoff. The playoff is the end-of-season contest that crowns the national champion. Memphis now has two losses.
It is hard to reach the playoff with two losses from this conference.
The American Conference title is still in reach. Memphis can still win the league. But the Tigers must win nearly every game left.
They must also stop giving the ball away.
For Tulane, this was a big night. The Green Wave moved to 3-3 overall and 1-1 in the conference. The win gave first-year head coach Will Hall his first conference win at Tulane.
It also gave the team a win it could build on.
Hall has an unusual back story. He was fired by Southern Miss during a 1-11 season in 2024. Charles Huff replaced him there.
Huff later left for Memphis. Hall spent 2025 as an assistant at Tulane. He then became head coach when Jon Sumrall left for Florida.
On Friday, Hall's team beat Huff's team.
Memphis coach Charles Huff was blunt after the game. "We just weren't on," Huff said, according to the Commercial Appeal. He said his team must play better even on a bad night.
The defense did much of the work for Tulane. The Green Wave had only six sacks in their first five games. They had seven sacks against Memphis alone.
The defense also scored a touchdown. It set up short fields all night. A short field means the offense starts close to the other team's goal.
College football fans saw another wild finish this week. Washington beat Purdue 38-26 in a game with its own late twists. Soccer fans got a big result too.
Chelsea beat Everton 2-0 on the same weekend.
What happens next
Memphis has a short week. The Tigers host East Carolina on October 22 at 6:30 PM CT. The game will air on ESPN2, according to the Commercial Appeal.
Memphis must fix its ball security fast. Five turnovers from one player cannot happen again.
The Tigers also need to protect Stokes better. He was sacked seven times. He limped to the sideline more than once.
A tired and hurt quarterback makes more mistakes. Memphis must give him more time to throw.
Tulane hosts UTSA on Saturday, October 24, at 7 PM CT. The Green Wave need a cleaner game. They had nine penalties for 80 yards against Memphis.
A penalty is a rule break that costs yards. They also struggled on third down. They converted only four of 16 third-down tries.
Still, Tulane now has a clear model for wins. The defense can take the ball away. The kicker can add points.
The offense can make one or two big plays late. That mix beat one of the best teams in the league.
For Memphis, the next game is a test of character. The Tigers will learn fast if they can bounce back. One bad night does not end a season.
But another night like this one could end their title hopes for good.
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