The Tulane Green Wave needed a handful of players to come through with big days to take down the Rice Owls, and that's exactly what happened. A tougher game than expected left some worried about the state of the program,

Hughes scored from the 1-yard line to cap a seven-play, 70-yard drive that gave Tulane (5-2, 3-0) a 17-10 lead midway through the fourth quarter. Sam Howard’s 15-yard run off a fumble recovery with 1:35 left sealed it for the Green Wave, who kept pace with conference leaders and ranked Army (7-0, 6-0) and Navy (6-0, 4-0).

Rice quarterback E.J. Warner (13) fumbles after being hit by Tulane defensive lineman Adin Huntington (45) during the first half of an NCAA football game at Yulman Stadium in New Orleans, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. (Staff photo by Scott Threlkeld, The Times-Picayune)

The Tulane Green Wave continue to wash over their opponents, but continue to be disrespected as Power Five schools with worse records jump them in the latest power rankings.