In a game of runs, Tulane got the last laugh with a 46-45 come-from-behind win over USC.
While Lincoln Riley and USC controlled the momentum for much of Monday’s Cotton Bowl matchup in Arlington, Texas, the Green Wave was too much for the Trojans down the stretch.
Heisman winner Caleb Williams started things out early for the Trojans with back-to-back touchdown passes to put USC up 14-0 early in the second quarter. The Green Wave proved unfazed with a pair of touchdowns of their own, including this 87-yard run from Jha’Quan Jackson to tie things up.
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Despite the response from Tulane, the USC offense continued to roll into halftime with a 28-14 lead.
In the second half, Tulane continued to chip away at the deficit, even cutting the lead to four near the end of the third quarter. But every time they looked ready to strike, Williams seemed to have a trick up his sleeve to preserve USC’s cushion. The sophomore finished the day with 462 passing yards and five touchdowns.
With 4:30 remaining in the game, freshman kicker Denis Lynch drilled a 43-yard field goal through the uprights to give USC a 15-point lead.
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Tulane once again showed they belong under the bright lights of AT&T Stadium -- despite having not appeared in a major bowl game since 1939.
Junior quarterback Michael Pratt found Deuce Watts for a 59-yard gain to start the drive, before handing the ball off to Tyjae Spears who ran the ball up the middle for his fourth touchdown of the day. Twenty-three seconds of play and the Green Wave found themselves back within eight.
From that moment on, it seemed like a Tulane comeback was inevitable.
A missed fair catch put USC on the one-yard line. Tulane capitalized on the mistake by forcing a safety courtesy of sophomore lineman Patrick Jenkins.
For as much hype as the USC offense has garnered in one season under Riley, the story of the day proved to be the disciplined Tulane defense. Led by Dorian Williams’ 17 tackles, the Green Wave recorded a total of 84 tackles to USC’s 48.
With the lead cut to six, Pratt and the Tulane offense got to work. Ten plays and two fourth-down conversions later, they found themselves in the red zone with the chance to take the lead. Pratt’s first pass to Alex Bauman was incomplete, but his second one found the freshman tight end for a game-winning touchdown with nine seconds left.
