STWF Sports| NEW ORLEANS| September 26, 2026 — Tulane and Southern Mississippi renew one of the region’s most familiar football rivalries Saturday night when the Green Wave host the Golden Eagles in the 35th Battle for the Bell at Yulman Stadium.
Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT, with the game streaming on ESPN+. Both teams enter the matchup at 1-2, adding early-season urgency to a rivalry that already carries plenty of history.
Tulane will be looking to respond after last week’s loss to Kansas State, while Southern Miss arrives in New Orleans hoping to regain momentum of its own.
For the Green Wave, this matchup carries an added layer of familiarity.
Head coach Will Hall will face his former program after leading Southern Miss from 2021 through part of the 2024 season. Hall finished 14-30 during his tenure with the Golden Eagles before eventually joining Tulane’s staff and later becoming head coach of the Green Wave.
That connection adds another storyline to a series that already has plenty of history.
Battle for the Bell History
Southern Miss leads the all-time series, but Tulane has gained ground in recent years.
The Green Wave has won three of the last four meetings, with the lone setback coming in 2022 when Southern Miss earned a 27-24 victory under Hall. Tulane has won 10 of the 34 previous matchups in the rivalry.
The recent run gives the Green Wave reason for confidence, but the rivalry has rarely been short on emotion.
Tulane also enters Saturday with a strong overall body of work over the past several seasons. The Green Wave is 44-15 over its last 59 games dating back to the start of the 2022 season, a stretch that ranks among the better national records during that span.
Special Teams Emerging as a Weapon
One of Tulane’s biggest takeaways from the Kansas State game came from kicker Cooper Helmke.
Helmke drilled a 58-yard field goal, setting a new school record and surpassing Cairo Santos’ previous mark of 57 yards set in 2012.
The kick was notable for another reason: it was Helmke’s first career field-goal or PAT attempt.
He later connected from 53 yards, becoming the first Tulane kicker since Patrick Durkin in 2025 to make multiple field goals of 50-plus yards in the same game.
That kind of range gives Tulane another weapon in a rivalry matchup where field position and late-game possessions could matter.
Green Wave Looking for Better Protection
Tulane will also need improvement in pass protection.
The Green Wave allowed six sacks against Kansas State, its most since giving up seven to SMU in the 2023 American Conference Championship Game.
Against Southern Miss, keeping the quarterback upright will be critical if Tulane wants to stay on schedule offensively and avoid long-yardage situations.
The Green Wave has also built a reputation for being comfortable in close games.
Tulane has won eight consecutive games decided by eight points or fewer, the longest active streak in the nation. Its last loss in a one-score game came against Kansas State in 2024.
That experience could become important if Saturday’s rivalry matchup turns into another tight fourth-quarter finish.
Rivalry Game With Plenty at Stake
Both programs enter at 1-2, making Saturday an important opportunity to reset the season.
Tulane has the benefit of playing at home and will look to use Yulman Stadium’s energy to its advantage. Southern Miss, meanwhile, will try to disrupt that momentum and reclaim the Bell.
For Hall, facing his former team only adds to the intensity.
For both programs, the objective is much simpler: leave Yulman Stadium with a rivalry win and some much-needed momentum.
