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Tulane Quarterback Darian Mensah Named One Of The Manning Award Stars of the Week

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Football

Tulane football's redshirt freshman quarterback Darian Mensah was named as one of the "Stars of the Week" by the Manning Award.

The Manning Award, sponsored by the Allstate Sugar Bowl, names eight quarterbacks weekly as its Stars of the Week. The Manning Award was created by the Allstate Sugar Bowl in 2004 to honor the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning. It is the only quarterback award that includes the candidates' bowl performances in its ballot. Since the Manning Award started to recognize Stars of the Week in 2011, 538 different quarterbacks from 133 schools have been recognized. This week's eight Manning Stars of the Week are: Avery Johnson (Kansas State), Mensah, Jalen Milroe (Alabama), Chandler Morris (North Texas), Cam Ward (Miami), Hunter Watson (Sam Houston), Hajj-Malik Williams (UNLV) and Ben Woolridge (Louisiana). Mensah is the first Tulane quarterback named as one of the Stars of the Week since Michael Pratt on Sept. 5, 2023.

In the game against South Florida on Sept. 28, Mensah was 18 of 22 passes (81.8 completion percentage) for 326 yards and a career-high three touchdowns in the 45-10 victory. He completed each of his first 10 passes in the game and led Tulane's offense to 528 total yards plus 30 first downs. The 528 yards on offense were a season-high and the most for the program since getting 539 against USC in the 2023 Goodyear Cotton Bowl. Mensah's 326 yards passing was his second career 300+ passing performance. His three touchdown passes was the third time in five games that he has recorded multiple touchdowns through the air.

On the season, he is 72-for-112 with nine touchdown passes and two interceptions. He has thrown for 1,122 yards with a completion percentage of 64.3 percent and a quarterback efficiency rating of 171.4. He leads the conference in passing efficiency and yards per completion (15.6). Mensah is second in the AAC in passing touchdowns.

Tulane's football team was chosen for third in the AAC Preseason Media Poll with 362 points plus two first-place votes at the annual conference media day.

This season, Tulane brings back three of the team's five starters on the offensive line (Shadre Hurst, Josh Remetich, Rashad Green), the leading rusher in the conference (Makhi Hughes), two of the team's top four receivers (Alex Bauman, Yulkeith Brown), the team's punter (Will Karoll) and long snapper (Ethan Hudak), the team's top three tacklers (Jesus Machado, Tyler Grubbs and Bailey Despanie) and three of the six leading defensive players in tackles for loss (Patrick Jenkins, Grubbs and Kameron Hamilton).

Tulane finished the 2023 season with a mark of 11-3 and a perfect 8-0 record in the American Athletic Conference. The program concluded the campaign with the 16th bowl appearance at the GoBowling Military Bowl contest against Virginia Tech. It was the fifth time in the last six years that Tulane has appeared in a bowl game. The team is 24-5 over the last three seasons.

The school announced the hiring of Jon Sumrall as the 42nd head coach of the team on December 8, 2023. The Huntsville, Alabama native was one of the most successful head coaches in the country the last two seasons. He guided Troy University to a 23-4 record, two Sun Belt Conference championships and a pair of double-digit winning streaks. He was named Sun Belt Conference Coach of Year and was twice named a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year honor. Sumrall returns to Tulane after serving as the Green Wave's Co-Defensive Coordinator for three years (2012-14). In 2013, he was a crucial part of Tulane's run to the New Orleans Bowl, the program's first postseason appearance since 2002 and third since 1988. Sumrall also was named a finalist for FootballScoop Defensive Line Coach of the Year.

Next, Tulane's football team gets on the road to take on UAB in Birmingham, Alabama on Saturday, Oct. 5, at 12 p.m. at Protective Stadium in a game broadcasted on ESPN+. The team's remaining schedule includes home games against Rice (Oct. 19), Temple (Nov. 9) and Memphis (Nov. 28). The team's 2024 road games includes trips to North Texas (October 26), Charlotte (October 31) and Navy (November 16).