STWF Sports | NEW ORLEANS | October 24, 2026 — Tulane opened Saturday night with exactly the kind of defensive spark it needed, but a season-high six turnovers eventually overwhelmed the Green Wave in a 42-19 loss to UTSA at Yulman Stadium.
The defeat dropped Tulane to 3-4 overall and 1-2 in American Conference play, while UTSA improved to 6-1 overall and remained unbeaten in league play at 4-0. It also snapped Tulane’s 10-game home winning streak, which dated back to the start of the 2025 season.
For a brief stretch, the energy from Tulane’s win over Memphis carried over.
Tulane’s Struggles with Turnovers
On UTSA’s first offensive snap, Anthony Rogers read quarterback Owen McCown’s throw perfectly, jumped the route and returned the interception 22 yards for a touchdown, giving the Green Wave a 7-0 lead just five seconds into the game.
The momentum did not last.
UTSA answered with an eight-play, 56-yard drive capped by an A’Marion Peterson one-yard touchdown run to tie the game. Tulane then began a costly sequence of mistakes that changed the direction of the night.
The Green Wave lost fumbles on three consecutive possessions, giving UTSA repeated opportunities to play on a short field. Peterson capitalized with another rushing touchdown late in the first quarter, and McCown added a scoring run in the second to push the Roadrunners ahead 21-7.
Tulane stayed within reach behind kicker Cooper Helmke, who connected from 38 and 33 yards before halftime.
Rogers also intercepted McCown for a second time late in the second quarter, helping Tulane enter the locker room trailing only 21-13 despite the turnovers.
That margin quickly widened after halftime.
UTSA controlled the third quarter with touchdown runs from Will Henderson III and Brandon High, stretching its advantage to 35-13.
Tulane eventually answered after Jack Tchienchou forced and recovered a fumble. The Green Wave then produced its biggest offensive play of the game when Johnnie Daniels broke loose for an 81-yard run, setting up his seven-yard touchdown that cut the deficit to 35-19.
Daniels finished with 104 rushing yards and a touchdown, providing Tulane’s most productive ground performance of the night.
But another Green Wave turnover prevented any serious comeback attempt. UTSA turned Tulane’s sixth giveaway into its final touchdown, with Mark Wiepert scoring from one yard out to establish the final margin.
Quarterback Trace Johnson completed 24 of 44 passes for 265 yards but was intercepted twice. Destyn Hill led Tulane with five receptions, while Garrett Mmahat produced 62 receiving yards on two catches. Oliver Mitchell added four catches for 46 yards.
Defensively, Tulane continued to create takeaways despite the loss.
Rogers’ two-interception performance made him the second Green Wave player in as many games to record multiple picks, following Kevin Adams III against Memphis. His pick-six also gave Tulane defensive touchdowns in consecutive games.
Dickson Agu and Adams each finished with eight tackles. Ed Smith IV added six tackles, one sack and two tackles for loss.
UTSA finished with a 396-332 advantage in total offense and converted 12 of 16 third downs. The Roadrunners also capitalized on Tulane’s mistakes throughout the night, turning a competitive first half into a comfortable second-half victory.
The six turnovers were Tulane’s most in a game since 2012 and proved to be the defining statistic.
The Green Wave will now try to regroup on the road when it travels to face Charlotte on Friday, Oct. 30 at 6 p.m.
For Tulane, the path forward is clear: the defense continues to create opportunities, but the offense must protect the football if the Green Wave hopes to get back on track in conference play.
