Memphis ends Tulane’s 17-game AAC winning streak with its 10th win of the season

NEW ORLEANS — Greg Desrosiers Jr. caught two scoring passes and ran for a touchdown and Memphis beat No. 18 Tulane 34-24 on Thursday night, ending the Green Wave’s long-running bid for a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Although Tulane (9-3, 7-1 American Athletic) likely wouldn’t be included in the new 12-team CFP, the team needed to win the regular-season finale and next week’s conference title game to have a chance.

Instead, the Green Wave turned the ball over three times deep in Memphis territory as their regular-season conference win streak ended at 17.

Two Tulane turnovers came after long receptions at or inside the Memphis 10-yard line.

Tigers defender Kourtlan Marsh caused both fumbles, the first when he picked off Yulkeith Brown shortly after his 40-yard catch. AJ Watts recovered at the 10 for 37 yards. That kicked off a drive that ended with Desrosiers’ 29-yard touchdown run on third-and-4 to give Memphis (10-2, 6-2) a 27-10 lead.

In the fourth quarter, with Tulane trailing 27-17, Mario Williams fumbled at the Tigers 9 after returning a 55-yard pass, and Marsh recovered.

Tulane quarterback Darian Mensah was later intercepted by Davion Ross at the Memphis 2, and the Tigers responded with a game-winning 98-yard drive capped by a 47-yard touchdown run by Mario Anderson Jr.

Seth Henigan completed 22 of 29 passes for 218 yards and two touchdowns without a turnover for Memphis, totaling 454 yards against a Tulane defense that had allowed just nine points in the last three games combined. Anderson rushed for 177 yards on 24 carries.

Mensah passed for 317 yards and two touchdowns, and Arnold Barnes ran for a 2-yard score.

Tulane allowed a touchdown on Memphis’ first drive when Henigan hit Desrosiers for the first of his two touchdown catches – a 17-yard diving grab in tight coverage.

Tulane’s only lead came when Williams made it 10-7 with a 7-yard touchdown catch late in the first quarter.

But Desrosier’s 25-yard catch-and-run gave the Tigers the lead again for good in the second quarter.

The snack bar

Memphis: The Tigers looked motivated and focused despite not being in the conference title. Offensively, they converted 10 of 16 third downs, surpassing the 20-point mark for the 39th straight game. The defense, meanwhile, was disruptive and opportunistic.

Tulane: The Green Wave looked tight early. Receivers dropped several passes and Tulane’s normally productive running scheme didn’t seem to mesh well with Memphis’ run defense, which ranked 18th nationally. Missing tackles on defense and issues with third-down stops made for a tough night.

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