Tulane and Southern Miss went into the halftime break locked at 14-14 in the Battle for the Bell rivalry matchup.
Neither offense found a consistent rhythm across the opening two quarters.
The Green Wave managed just 16 rushing yards in the first quarter, with Jaylin Lucas posting the longest attempt of the period at nine yards.
Tulane running back Mo Turner broke the stall in the second quarter, bouncing off his pulling guard before sprinting 43 yards for a touchdown.
Turner added another 43-yard rush on a sweep to the left, while Johnnie Daniels contributed 35 rushing yards on eight carries.
Quarterback Kadin Semonza went 8-for-16 passing for 72 yards in the first half, highlighted by a 47-yard touchdown completion to Anthony Brown Stephens.
Outside that scoring strike, Semonza recorded 25 yards on 7-of-15 passing.
Punting and Defense Keep Tulane Level
Tulane's special teams unit generated steady field position advantages through junior punter William Hudlow.
Hudlow averaged 54 yards on six punts, sending three kicks past 50 yards, including a half-long 65-yarder that pinned Southern Miss with zero return yardage.
Defensively, Tulane held Southern Miss to 34 yards of total offense in the first quarter before the Golden Eagles expanded their output in the second.
Golden Eagles quarterback Landry Lyddy completed 10 of 16 passes for 114 yards and two touchdowns to spark a 144-yard second quarter.
During the halftime break, Tulane university officials recognized six 2026 inductees into the Tulane Athletic Hall of Fame following a ceremony held at the Audubon Tea Room.
