College Football Playoff
Tulane VS Ole Miss
Article Written by: Aaron Lewis
Photos by: Vickie Mathis
Game Recap
Ole Miss vs Tulane — CFP Playoff Round 1
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OXFORD, miss. If you take a look at the stat sheet in this game you would think that
Tulane fared well in this game, but the scoreboard is where the story is told.
In an eerily similar rerun of the first matchup between these two earlier in the
season, Ole Miss dominated once again. The Rebels chose to receive the opening kickoC
and immediately jumped ahead of the Green Wave, scoring on that drive in just 3 plays and scoring 14 unanswered points in the first 8 minutes of the first quarter. As for Tulane, they never really got going in this game, showing signs of oCensive production just to have the drive result in a punt or a turnover.
Tulane ends their season 11-3, American Conference Champions and as a PlayoC
selection team. I think most Green Wave fans would call that a successful season. The
Green Wave will lose head coach Jon Sumrall at the conclusion of this game as he heads to Gainesville to become the next head coach for the Florida Gators. Previous Passing Game Coordinator, Will Hall, will be promoted and become the head coach for the Wave.
As for Ole Miss (12-1), with this win they move on to the next round to face oC
against the Georgia Bulldogs in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. An interesting rematch as the
Bulldogs are the only team that have defeated the Rebels this season. With Lane KiCin
taking the LSU job, we will get to see if Pete Golding can make a name for himself and
solidify his position as the new HC as he seeks to do something KiCin couldn’t, beat the
Bulldogs. New Record Attendance for Ole Miss in tonight’s game- 68,251.
First Half Summary
Ole Miss won the toss and elected to receive, immediately capitalizing with a three-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. Tulane responded with early momentum, but a costly red-zone interception by Retzlaff gave possession right back to the Rebels.
Chambliss capped a four-play, 60-yard drive with a four-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 14–0 midway through the first quarter. Tulane continued to move the ball but came up empty again after failing to convert a 4th-and-2 at the Ole Miss 37-yard line.
The Green Wave defense finally slowed the Rebels, forcing a punt, and Tulane got on the board with a 39-yard field goal by Durkin early in the second quarter. Ole Miss answered with a field goal of its own, heading into halftime with a 17–3 advantage.
Despite trailing, Tulane’s defense showed grit, holding Ole Miss to 1-for-5 on third-down conversions in the first half.​
Second Half Summary
Tulane stalled on its opening drive of the second half, and Ole Miss quickly took advantage with a seven-play, 80-yard touchdown drive to extend the lead to 24–3 midway through the third quarter. A 48-yard Rebel field goal made it 27–3 heading into the final period.
Ole Miss opened the fourth quarter with a three-yard quarterback scramble to cap an eight-play, 52-yard touchdown drive. Following a Tulane turnover on downs at its own 29-yard line, Chambliss added another rushing touchdown to push the lead to 41–3.
Tulane scored a late touchdown to close the game at 41–10—an interesting parallel to the teams’ Week 4 matchup, which ended 45–10.
Alabama 34 VS Oklahoma 24
“Hard to Kill” might as well be Alabama’s new motto after that incredible comeback at Oklahoma—heads up, Indiana.
Down by three scores before even earning a first down, the Tide looked lifeless upon arriving in Norman. The team that suffered a blowout loss to Georgia earlier in the season showed up, and true to form, the squad that beat Georgia back in September finished strong—scoring 34 of the final 41 points to tie the largest comeback in Playoff history.
A lot went right. Ty Simpson found his rhythm. Lotzeir Brooks performed well beyond his years. Alabama’s pass rush ignited, the secondary avoided giving up a big play, and even the running game produced a 30-yard run for the first time since early September. The Tide refused to flinch.
It was a full-team performance that Alabama lacked late in the season, and it highlighted Kalen DeBoer’s coaching prowess. Not only did he become the first coach to win a road Playoff game, but he also moved into the top spot among active coaches with four true road wins against AP Top 10 teams in the Playoff era—a remarkable feat for someone many expected to leave for Michigan.
Oregon 51, James Madison 34
Over the past three seasons, Oregon has gone 37-4, with its only losses coming against national title contenders. That gap showed Saturday night in Eugene.
In their College Football Playoff debut, James Madison moved the ball, totaling 509 yards and scoring 34 points, but the Dukes struggled defensively against Oregon’s explosive attack. The Ducks scored touchdowns on their first five possessions and did not punt until midway through the third quarter.
Dante Moore led the way, with his first 13 completions producing 307 yards as Oregon consistently generated big plays. James Madison failed to record a tackle for loss in the first half and allowed five gains of 30 yards or more.
While the Dukes added late production in the fourth quarter, the outcome was decided early as Oregon controlled the game throughout.
After three quarters defined by wind, miscues and field-position battles, the game flipped into a dramatic finish in the fourth.
Miami running back Mark Fletcher Jr. carried 17 times for 172 yards, highlighted by a 56-yard run with 4:01 remaining that set up the game’s only touchdown—an 11-yard jet sweep by Malachi Toney. Texas A&M appeared poised to force overtime or attempt a go-ahead two-point conversion, but Bryce Fitzgerald intercepted Marcel Reed in the end zone with 23 seconds left, allowing the Hurricanes to seal a road victory by running out the clock.