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Wave Winners: Which Players Stood Out the Most in Win Over South Alabama?
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- Wave Winners: Which Players Stood Out the Most in Win Over South Alabama?
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
The Tulane Green Wave didn't have the prettiest performance on Saturday, but at the end of the night, the team picked up a big 28-24 win over the South Alabama Jaguars at Yulman Stadium.
The victory marked the first win under head coach Will Hall and instilled a bit of belief back into the program after a tough start to the season. There's still plenty to clean up, but there were some standout performances on both sides of the ball that deserve plenty of praise.
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Roundtable Player of the Week, Offense: RB Jaylin Lucas
Lucas had a historic night for the Green Wave, rushing for 214 total yards on 11 carries with one 80-yard touchdown. Though he was used more heavily as a return specialist at his prior stops, Tulane has made the decision to use him as a true running back... and so far, that's paying off.
Take away that one rushing score for 80 yards, and Lucas still averaged roughly 13.4 yards per carry. He was explosive, shifty and made Jaguars miss all over the field. If he can keep this up, then he's going to make up half of an incredible duo alongside rusher Jamauri McClure , who has been sidelined due to a preseason injury.
Roundtable Most Underrated Player, Offense: RB Johnnie Daniels
Though he didn't have the most explosive night on the ground and hasn't received as much attention for his performance, Daniels was responsible for getting nearly half of the team's points on the board. The standout rusher added a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter to help erase a 10-0 deficit and give his team a 14-10 lead at halftime.
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Once again, his numbers definitely weren't flashy: Daniels had just six carries for eight yards. When he was trusted with the ball, he made the most of it. That's something to be proud of.
Roundtable Player of the Week, Defense: LB Dickson Agu
Agu has had a great start to his 2026 campaign, and he's showing why he was named to the Comeback Player of the Year watchlist ahead of the season.
The redshirt junior totaled a team-high 14 tackles, four of which were solo. He's up to 23 tackles and one fumble recovery through two games. Even when things haven't been perfect defensively, Agu has given it his all on the field and made the biggest difference on the team.
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Roundtable Most Underrated Player, Defense: LB Makai Williams
Williams was good at making some noise in the backfield, finishing the night with eight total tackles and a team-high two tackles for loss. One of those TFLs came on fourth down early in the game, and the other came on third down late in the third quarter. It was a nice step forward following a quieter performance against the Duke Blue Devils in Week One.
Moving forward, Williams will look to keep this momentum up and prove himself as a big-time contributor for Tulane. Expect him to earn more opportunities as the season progresses.
