Tulane loses to No. 16 Kansas State 34-27 | Tulane

Tulane failed to hold on to a 10-point halftime lead, losing 34-27 to 17th-ranked Kansas State at Yulman Stadium on Saturday after an offensive pass interference penalty negated a touchdown with 17 seconds left.

Redshirt freshman Darian Mensah rushed the Wildcats for 342 yards on 19 of 29 passing, but his fumble on a sack as the Green Wave threatened to regain the lead in the fourth quarter changed everything. Safety Jack Fabris scooped up the loose ball and ran 60 yards to the end zone as Kansas State took a 34-27 lead with 8:13 left.

After an exchange of punts, Mensah moved the Wave to the Kansas State 2, where contact with Yulkeith Brown in the corner of the end zone just behind the goal line was nullified by a flag against fellow wide receiver Dontae Fleming.

Two plays later, Kansas State (2-0) intercepted Mensah's pass to Brown in the end zone and escaped with a win.

Tulane (1-1) was seeking a win against the highest-ranked non-conference opponent it could have beaten in the 11-year history of Yulman Stadium and the highest-ranked non-conference opponent it could have beaten at home since No. 9 Florida State in 1983.

A diving catch by tight end Alex Bauman in double coverage gave Tulane a 27-20 lead early in the fourth quarter, but Kansas State responded with a six-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to tie the score.

JD Giddens led the Wildcats with 114 yards on 19 carries and added four catches for 63 yards.

After his sensational debut against Southeastern Louisiana, Mensah was almost flawless in the first half, but his big mistake ultimately cost the Wave the win.