The gap between the Power Four conferences and everyone else is widening, but Tulane is one program that has bucked that trend over the last handful of years.
The Green Wave knocked off Caleb Williams and USC in the Cotton Bowl two years ago, won 11 games in 2023 and nearly took down Kansas State on Saturday. In the eyes of coach Jon Sumrall, that opportunity was taken from his team.
A controversial offensive pass interference call erased what could have been the game-tying or even game-winning touchdown in the final minute of the fourth quarter, leaving Tulane stunned. The Green Wave once led 20-10, making the loss even more difficult to swallow.
Here's a look at the questionable pass interference call that might have swung the matchup between Kansas State and Tulane.
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Tulane pass interference call
Tulane saw its 20-10 lead slip away in the second half, allowing four Wildcats touchdowns, so the loss can't be blamed entirely on one call. Still, the Green Wave believe they have a serious case.
Redshirt freshman QB Darian Mensah drove Tulane into the red zone as the clock winded down in the fourth quarter, and the Green Wave moved up to the one-yard line with 24 seconds remaining when Mensah ripped off a huge 15-yard run on fourth-and-6.
The run breathed new life into Tulane's hopes, and the offense appeared to finish the job when Mensah hit an open Yulkeith Brown for what would have been a game-tying or even game-winning touchdown.
Officials quickly knocked the touchdown off the board and called offensive pass interference against Tulane — not on Brown, but on WR Dontae Fleming. Fleming was matched up with CB Jacob Parrish on the play.
The two were physical, with Fleming appearing to stand in the way of Parrish, but Parrish didn't seem like he intended to make a play on Brown or the ball. It's not a call that is commonly made, and Sumrall told reporters after the game that he was given no explanation for it.
Sumrall also mentioned that the officials were from the Big 12, which is Kansas State's conference. The game was played at Tulane.
Sumrall appears to be picking up right where Willie Fritz left off before Fritz left to take the head coaching job at Houston, but he very much wanted a signature win in a game Tulane controlled throughout the first half. The Green Wave will have an even tougher test in Week 3 when they travel to face Oklahoma, and Sumrall's message might be to use the controversial call as motivation against the SEC's new addition.
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