Three Stars: Tulane handles their business against Nicholls

It was the tune-up game many expected as Tulane handled their business against in-state opponent Nicholls State on Saturday night in Yulman Stadium, 36-7.

Despite the fact they are only separated by a stretch of 55 miles between New Orleans and Thibodaux, the meeting was only the second all0time before the programs.

There were some Green Wave sputters toward the beginning of the game as quarterback Michael Pratt was nearly intercepted by Nicholls State cornerback Markyvrick Eddie, followed by an incompletion as Tulane’s first drive ended in a punt.

The first points of the night came right on the heels on that opening. Nicholls State snapped the ball over punter Kylan Dupre’s head, and despite his effort to pick it up and get the punt off, it was a poor one that ended with Shi’Keem Laister returning it for a 27-yard touchdown.

Despite getting to and crossing midfield multiple times with some promising moments in the passing game, Nicholls State failed to capitalize on any semblance of a spark the Colonels did have, only scoring their first points of the game in the final four minutes of the first half. That came in the form of a 13-yard touchdown reception from Neno Lemay off of quarterback Pat McQuaide.

The Green Wave pulled away as expected, thanks to a pair of Lawrence Keys touchdowns, a rushing touchdown from Pratt and three field goals by Valentino Ambrosio.

Pratt finished out the night 18-of-23 passing for 190 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, replaced by backup quarterback Kai Horton at the top of the fourth quarter.

Here’s a look at three players among many who stood out among many for Tulane:

WR/KR Jha’Quan Jackson
Jackson hasn’t received the same rate of national attention some other wide receivers and kick returners have enjoyed but he is one of the better playmakers in the FBS. With some recognition from the Senior Bowl and the Shrine Bowl, that’s started to change. if he keeps up what he’s been doing to this point in the year, he’ll become a name heard a lot more often.

Quietly so, Jackson entered the game as the No. 12 punt returner in the NCAA, averaging 14.2 yards per attempt. One of his biggest plays of the game was a 35-yard punt return to midfield to set Tulane up in favorable field position for their second drive of the contest.

“He did a great job of catching some tough punts backed up,” Tulane head coach Willie Fritz said. “He really caught a couple of tough ones. I thought that the last one, the guy kind of bumped into him a bit prior to him catching the ball and we did a ton of drills on that. He’s dynamic… he really does a great job. He’s a top-notch punt returner.”

LB Jesus Machado
After leading the team in tackles against Southern Miss, Machado followed it up with another complete outing in Saturday’s victory, finishing out the contest with 10 combined tackles (three solo) and an interception.

To this point in the season, he totals 23 tackles (nine solo) and continues to be one of the biggest playmakers within a stingy Green Wave defense that has been one of the nation’s best against the run in 2023.

“He’s just a real smart player,” Fritz said after the Southern Miss game. “He’s a really good tackler and him and Tyler Grubbs and Jared Small I thought all did some nice things… we’ve got good linebackers.”

WR Lawrence Keys
Keys continues to shine as a pure wideout in addition to the other things he provides to the offense within certain wrinkles in the offense and on special teams. Keys led the team in receiving once more, finishing out the game with four receptions for 77 yards and two touchdowns, catching all of his targets.

When I spoke with offensive coordinator Slade Nagle, he had plenty of praise for the product Keys was putting on the field.

“He was mainly a speed sweep kind of guy last year,” Nagle said. “He’s really adapted and done really well this year. That was kind of the plan going into this year… Lawrence is smart, he can run, he’s a hard worker, he’s a team guy and he’s having a really good year so far. I think the sky is the limit for him.

To Keys, his rise is simple.

“Just preparation,” Keys said. “Going through the spring into the summer it’s just finding that connection with Michael Pratt and the quarterbacks. Just really putting that work in and working on the timing. It pays off when preparation meets performance.”