For the UL Ragin’ Cajuns, the numbers just didn’t add up.

And no, it had nothing to do with the 90-degree heat or the 120-degree temperatures on the sun-drenched Cajun Field.

The Green Wave scored two touchdowns without UL’s defense on the field, and the Ragin’ Cajuns offense just didn’t have enough power to fight back.

The result was a 41-33 road win for the Green Wave on Saturday in the ESPNU showdown at 11 a.m.

The Cajuns’ last two drives have trailed by eight points each, largely punctuated by intentional grounding calls on each drive.

The loss negated the fact that UL had more first downs (22-18) and more total yards (421-355), but two unplanned touchdowns and 2-of-9 conversions on third down allowed the Green Waves (2-2) to escape.

Tulane running back Makhi Hughes was the driving factor in the Wave’s 272-yard rushing performance, rushing for 166 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. UL’s defense limited quarterback Darian Mensah to 11 of 17 passes for 83 yards and a touchdown.

The Cajuns ran for 103 yards on nine carries thanks to redshirt freshman running back Bill Davis.

Quarterback Ben Wooldridge threw 19 of 34 passes for 238 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Tight end Terrance Carter was the most successful with four catches for 79 yards and one score. Lance LeGendre caught three passes for 57 yards.

After a first half of long attacks between two defenses that were very keen to limit big plays, the second half was full of such plays.

The second half couldn’t have started worse for the Cajuns, allowing a 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to Rayshawn Pleasant to give the Green Waves a 24-13 lead 13 seconds into the second half.

The Cajuns answered with a 72-yard run by Davis right up the middle to the Tulane 2. Two plays later, Wooldridge threw a 1-yard touchdown throw to Caden Jensen, cutting Tulane’s lead to 24-19 with 13:06 left in the third quarter after a two-point attempt failed.

But without the Cajuns’ middle linebacker, KC Ossai, Tulane’s powerful attack was on full display.

The Green Wave ran the ball at will for much of the second half, preventing UL’s offense from getting closer than five points for the rest of the game.

First, he set up a 33-yard touchdown pass to tight end Reggie Brown that gave them a 31-19 lead, and then a 73-yard, six-play run in 4:05 that gave Tulane a 230-yard gain with 3:11 left in the third quarter, putting Tulane ahead 38-26 at that point.

However, UL’s offensive continued to respond.

Completions of 25 yards to Carter and then a 36-yard touchdown pass to Carter turned it into a quick four-play scoring drive and then a nine-play, 75-yard drive in 4:54 that kept the Cajuns close to the edge at 38-33 with 13:17 left. Wooldridge made the drive from the 2, sparked by a 20-yard pass to LeGendre and subsequent roughing of the passer flag.

Tulane then managed another long possession, driving 55 yards on 13 plays in 7:35 and taking a 41-33 lead on a 38-yard field goal by Ethan Head with 5:42 left.

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The first half was a game of patience and unfortunately it was the Cajuns who were the first to lose control.

Tulane had just three possessions in the first half. The second possession covered 65 yards on 15 plays in 7:29 minutes and ended with a 2-yard touchdown run by Ty Thompson – Tulane’s version of Taysom Hill – that tied the game at 7-7 with 14:57 left in the second quarter.

The Cajuns had built an early 7-0 lead on the previous drive, going 79 yards in 7 plays in 3:53. A 32-yard pass to Jaydon Johnson set up a 1-yard run by Wooldridge with 7:26 left in the opening quarter.

Tulane’s third and final drive of the first half was a 13-play, 59-yard possession that consumed 7:08 on the clock and ended with a 37-yard field goal by Ethan Head that tied the game at 10-10 with 2:02 left.

This, in turn, followed UL’s 10-play, 72-yard drive in 5:43. A 21-yard pass to LeGendre got the drive going, but a botched third-down pass from the 3-yard line into the end zone forced UL to settle for a 20-yard field goal by Kenny Almendares.

At this point, the Cajuns’ offense faltered, disrupting the rhythm of the methodical first half.

On a third-and-5 attempt from UL’s 30-yard line, Wooldridge and tight end Carter weren’t on the same page. The quarterback threw as if Carter was turning around at the first-down marker, and Carter kept running.

Tulane cornerback Jack Tchienchou was more than happy to carry the interception 38 yards for a touchdown, giving the Green Wave a 17-10 lead with 1:40 left.

After Tulane got the ball first in the second half, it was crucial for UL’s offense to wait out the remaining time.

That goal was accomplished with a 12-play, 61-yard drive in 1:37, but the Cajuns again settled for a short field goal—this time a 31-yard field goal by Almendares that narrowed the gap to 17-13 with three seconds left before halftime.

A pair of 15-yard completions – one to Jacob Bernard and another to Carter – fueled the attack, but two passes into the end zone were low and incomplete.