Turner's 74-yard run carries Tulane past Southern Miss 24-21

Maurice Turner broke a 74-yard touchdown run with 5:26 remaining, and Tulane beat Southern Miss 24-21 on Saturday night in New Orleans. The Green Wave had trailed 21-14 entering the fourth quarter before a field goal narrowed the gap and Turner's long run put them ahead. Turner finished with 200 yards and two touchdowns on just 12 carries, providing nearly all of the late game's decisive yardage in one play.

Southern Miss had taken control after a competitive first half. The Golden Eagles went ahead 21-14 on a touchdown with 10:07 left in the third quarter, putting Tulane in a position to chase the game into the final period. Quarterback Landry Lyddy threw three touchdown passes and finished with 243 yards, while Mario Sanders caught two of the scoring throws. Southern Miss ended with 401 total yards, enough offense to make Tulane's comeback necessary.

Tulane's answer came in two stages. A 26-yard field goal with 8:35 remaining cut the deficit to 21-17. After getting the ball back, the Green Wave relied on the one player who had already produced their biggest rushing play: Turner. His 74-yard run with 5:26 left flipped the score to 24-21. ESPN's play-by-play records the field goal, the go-ahead touchdown and the final score.

Turner had shown that breakaway ability earlier, scoring from 43 yards out in the second quarter. His 200 yards on 12 carries produced an average of more than 16 yards per attempt. Tulane amassed 281 rushing yards as a team and 445 total, making the ground game the clearest difference even though Southern Miss had more passing production. Kadin Semonza completed 12 of 24 passes for 129 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

The Southern Miss passing game made this more than a one-play story. Lyddy's three touchdowns kept the Golden Eagles ahead into the final quarter, and their 21-14 lead survived well beyond halftime. But Tulane's defense allowed no additional points after Southern Miss scored early in the third. That scoreless stretch gave its offense enough possessions to turn a seven-point deficit into a three-point win. The ESPN box score shows the contrasting run and pass totals.

The game renewed the Battle for the Bell, a series Tulane's official schedule announcement said had last been played in 2023. It was also the Green Wave's final nonconference game on that schedule. Southern Miss had the advantage for much of the second half, but Turner's two long touchdown runs and the defense's fourth-quarter stand gave Tulane the result at Yulman Stadium.