Tulane football falls to Houston in fourth straight loss

Jude Papillion, Sports Editor
October 9, 2021

  • Tulane’s matchup against Houston at Yulman Stadium was nationally televised on ESPN, the first time the Green Wave appeared on the network at home since last year’s matchup against SMU.

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  • Cameron Carroll led the Green Wave in rushing with 13 carries for 68 yards.

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  • Tyjae Spears also contributed to Tulane’s rushing attack with five carries for 65 yards and a touchdown.

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  • Redshirt freshman quarterback Michael Pratt scans the field in search of an open receiver.

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  • Offensive lineman Sincere Haynesworth celebrates with tight end Will Wallace following Wallace’s 29-yard touchdown reception from Pratt in the third quarter.

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  • The Green Wave fell to the Houston Cougars 40-22, dropping Tulane’s record to 1-5, despite Pratt passing for a touchdown in each of the last sixteen games for the Olive and Blue.

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  • With the loss, Head Coach Willie Fritz moves to 223-112-1 all-time.

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  • Tulane’s loss to Houston was the Green Wave’s first loss against the Cougars at Yulman since 2015.

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After falling behind the Houston Cougars early and staging a comeback in the second quarter, Tulane football heartbreakingly dropped their fourth straight game in a 40-22 loss to the University of Houston. 

Redshirt freshman quarterback Michael Pratt led the Green Wave in passing with two touchdowns and 214 yards, completing 20 of his 30 attempts. Cameron Carroll led Tulane’s ground game with 13 carries for 68 yards, while Tyjae Spears contributed with another five carries for 65 yards and a touchdown. 

Houston quarterback Clayton Tune completed 23 of his 36 passes for three touchdowns and 288 yards in the air enroute to leading the Cougars to victory. Running back Alton McCaskill led Houston in rushing with 18 carries for 93 yards and one touchdown. 

The Cougars dominated on defense, forcing eight sacks on Pratt including a sack by D’Anthony Jones that resulted in a fumble recovered by Jones and the Houston defense. Pratt’s fumble led to a third-quarter field goal that swung the game’s momentum in favor of the Cougars. Houston’s defense was led by Damarion Williams who had nine total tackles, while Logan Hall led the Cougars with two sacks and five tackles, including three for loss. The Olive and Blue’s defense was led by safety Macon Clark, who had one sack and 10 total tackles, including two tackles for loss. Defensive lineman Angelo Anderson also recorded a sack. 

Despite two first quarter touchdowns by the Cougars, Tulane rallied in the second quarter scoring a touchdown of their own on a 13-yard pass from Pratt to Tyrick James and converting a subsequent two-point attempt. Following a 46-yard Houston field goal that gave the Cougars a 17-8 advantage, Spears found the end zone for the Green Wave on a 39-yard touchdown run to cut Houston’s lead down to just two points at halftime. 

After the break, the Green Wave stopped the Cougars at fourth-and-1 on their own 29-yard line, allowing Pratt to find tight end Will Wallace for a 29-yard touchdown on the next play, giving Tulane a 22-17 lead. This would be Tulane’s only lead of the game as Pratt went on to fumble on Tulane’s next possession, leading to a Houston field goal midway through the third quarter. Tulane was unable to recover from the fumble and subsequent field goal as the Cougars scored three more touchdowns on their way to a 40-22 victory over the Green Wave. 

With the loss, Tulane moves to 1-5 on the season with a 0-2 record in American Athletic Conference play. 

Green Wave football will have a weekend off before traveling to Dallas to face Southern Methodist University. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 7 and the interconference matchup will be broadcast on ESPN. SMU currently has a 5-0 record and is set to face the U.S. Naval Academy this Saturday. The Mustangs will also have a bye week before welcoming the Green Wave to Dallas.

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