Green Wave football falls to Tulsa despite late heroics

Jake Blancher, Associate Sports Editor

This past Saturday, the Tulane Green Wave lost in a heartbreaker by a final score of 20-13 in overtime against the visiting Tulsa Golden Hurricane much to the disappointment of the visiting Tulane alumni and parents that filled Yulman Stadium during homecoming weekend.

The game got off to quite a slow start and remained much the same through the first three quarters. After a Tulsa touchdown via a 10-yard pass from Davis Brin to Ezra Naylor II on the very first drive, there were just six points scored in the next 51 minutes of the game. During this same time period, 14 punts were attempted.

The nationally televised contest appeared to be over after Tulsa led by 10 with just under three minutes remaining, however utter chaos ensued. In contrast to the anemic offense seen earlier, Tulane wide receiver Phat Watts quickly hauled in a 49-yard touchdown, putting the Green Wave down by just three. 

With no timeouts left, Coach Willie Fritz decided to attempt an onside kick which the Green Wave miraculously recovered. Seizing the momentum, the offense quickly drove down to the Tulsa 6-yard line, but stalled and had to settle for a game tying, 13-13 field goal.

Just two plays after the kickoff following the Tulane field goal, safety Macon Clark made his impact known. He jumped a route thrown down the left side intended for Tulsa wide receiver Cannon Montgomery, to set the Green Wave up for a game winning field goal. 

However, Tulane kicker Merek Glover shockingly missed a 26-yard field goal with four seconds left on the clock, sending the game to overtime.

Tulsa got the ball first and scored quickly on a 15-yard run from Shamari Brooks. Tulane’s offense could not respond, finally ending the hectic game by a final score of 20-13.

This game marked the eighth straight loss for the Tulane football team. This team has struggled mightily this year, letting down the Green Wave fandom that had high hopes after two years of consecutive bowl appearances. Nonetheless, the opportunistic defense amassed four turnovers, and the offense came to life in the final minutes of regulation, giving the Green Wave some positive momentum to build on before hosting University of Southern Florida this Saturday.

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