Year-By-Year Summaries (1960s)
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1960 (3-6-1, 1-4-1 SEC)
Head Coach: Andy Pilney
All-American Tommy Mason had one of the great seasons in Tulane football history as he led the SEC in rushing and scored 13 touchdowns. A versatile performer, Mason set a single-season record for all-purpose yardage (1,452 yards) that endured 28 years.
Tulane finished 3-6-1 in 1960, but the losing season did not dim Mason's luster as far as pro scouts were concerned. He was the first player selected in the NFL draft that year, going to the Minnesota Vikings.
Quarterback Phil Nugent also had a fine season, as his 880 passing yards were the most by a Tulane player in 10 years.
RankingDate Opponent Location Tul/Opp Score Result AttendanceS17 at California Berkeley, Calif. 7-3 W 37,500S24 Alabama* New Orleans, La. NR/5 6-6 T 42,000O1 at Rice Houston, Texas 7-10 L 30,000O15 Ole Miss* New Orleans, La. NR/1 13-26 L 72,000O22 at Georgia Tech* Atlanta, Ga. 6-14 L 44,000O28 William & Mary New Orleans, La. 40-8 W 22,000N5 at Texas Tech Lubbock, Texas 21-35 L 15,000N12 at Florida* Gainesville, Fla. NR/20 6-21 L 43,000N19 at Vanderbilt* Nashville, Tenn. 20-0 W 16,000N26 LSU* New Orleans, La. 6-17 L 73,000
1961 (2-8, 1-5 SEC)
Head Coach: Andy Pilney
Andy Pilney's eight-year term as head coach, the second-longest in Tulane history, ended in a 2-8 season. Only Clark Shaughnessy lasted longer at the Green Wave helm, a testament to Pilney's coaching acumen in the face of restricted budgets and stiff academic standards.
Unable to effectively replace the graduated Tommy Mason, Tulane was shut out five times in 10 games, the final loss a 62-0 verdict to LSU. The two victories that season were over Virginia Tech and Vanderbilt. The season-ending loss to LSU began a school-record 17-game losing streak.
RankingDate Opponent Location Tul/Opp Score Result AttendanceS23 at Stanford Palo Alto, Calif. 7-9 L 20,562S30 vs. Alabama* Mobile, Ala. NR/4 0-9 L 30,262O6 Florida* New Orleans, La. 3-14 L 23,794O14 Virginia Tech New Orleans, La. 27-14 W 14,892O21 at Ole Miss* Jackson, Miss. NR/2 0-41 L 36,168O28 Georgia Tech* New Orleans, La. NR/9 0-35 L 17,691N4 at Clemson Clemson, S.C. 6-21 L 22,073N11 Miami (Fla.) New Orleans, La. 0-6 L 13,662N17 Vanderbilt* New Orleans, La. 17-14 W 12,730N25 at LSU* Baton Rouge, La. NR/4 0-62 L 60,808
1962 (0-10, 0-7 SEC)
Head Coach: Tommy O'Boyle
Former Tulane All-American Tommy O'Boyle (1938-40), an assistant to Andy Pilney in 1961, was promoted to head football coach for the 1962 season. The 1962 team posted an 0-10 record, the first Green Wave squad to go winless since the 1910 team finished 0-7. End Clem Dellenger caught 39 passes to set a new season record that would last 17 years.
RankingDate Opponent Location Tul/Opp Score Result AttendanceS21 Stanford New Orleans, La. 3-6 L 24,446S28 Alabama* New Orleans, La. NR/1 6-44 L 30,995O6 at Texas Austin, Texas NR/3 8-35 L 50,000O12 Mississippi State* New Orleans, La. 6-35 L 19,053O20 at Ole Miss* Jackson, Miss. NR/5 0-21 L 21,000O27 at Georgia Tech* Atlanta, Ga. 12-42 L 46,370N3 Virginia Tech New Orleans, La. 22-24 L 13,687N10 at Tennessee* Knoxville, Tenn. 16-28 L 19,965N17 at Vanderbilt* Nashville, Tenn. 0-20 L 16,000N24 LSU* New Orleans, La. NR/8 3-38 L 37,811
1963 (1-8-1, 0-6-1 SEC)
Head Coach: Tommy O'Boyle
The 1963 team dropped its first six decisions before beating South Carolina 20-7 on the road to snap a school-record 17-game losing streak. A 10-10 tie with Vanderbilt later in the year resulted in a 1-8-1 record.
The team struggled offensively and was shut out six times as Coach Tommy O'Boyle fought to rebuild Green Wave football fortunes. The 43 points scored by the 1963 team were the fewest by a Tulane squad since the winless 1910 team scored only six points.
Ron Chapoton led the team in receptions, the last running back to do so before Mewelde Moore accomplished the feat in 2001.
RankingDate Opponent Location Tul/Opp Score Result AttendanceS20 Texas New Orleans, La. NR/5 0-21 L 19,881S28 vs. Alabama* Mobile, Ala. NR/2 0-28 L 29,177O4 Miami (Fla.) New Orleans, La. 0-10 L 16,432O12 at Mississippi State* Jackson, Miss. 10-31 L 18,126O19 Ole Miss* New Orleans, La. NR/5 0-21 L 16,288O26 Georgia Tech* New Orleans, La. 3-17 L 13,336N2 at South Carolina Columbia, S.C. 20-7 W 15,942N9 Tennessee* New Orleans, La. 0-26 L 11,242N16 Vanderbilt* New Orleans, La. 10-10 T 10,860N23 at LSU* Baton Rouge, La. 0-20 L 57,393
1964 (3-7, 1-5 SEC)
Head Coach: Tommy O'Boyle
Coach Tommy O'Boyle's third Tulane team showed definite improvement, playing much better than its 3-7 record would indicate. After five losses to open the season, the team rallied to a 3-2 finish that included a 17-0 win in the season finale with Duke highlighted by a then-Tulane record 53-yard field goal by Don Bright.
The Duke game was postponed to season's end by Hurricane Hilda, and it marked the first time the Green Wave did not play LSU in its final game since the 1946 season.
George Smith, who led the team in rushing for the second consecutive season, had a big game against VMI, rushing for 112 yards in a 25-6 win. Quarterback Dave East set a season record with 85 completions.
RankingDate Opponent Location Tul/Opp Score Result AttendanceS19 at Texas Austin, Texas NR/4 0-31 L 57,543S26 vs. Alabama* Mobile, Ala. NR/4 6-36 L 29,088O10 at Mississippi State* Starkville, Miss. 6-17 L 12,796O17 Ole Miss* New Orleans, La. 9-14 L 18,727O24 at Georgia Tech Atlanta, Ga. 6-7 L 45,129O31 VMI New Orleans, La. 25-6 W 14,838N6 at Miami (Fla.)* Miami, Fla. 0-21 L 31,209N14 at Vanderbilt* Nashville, Tenn. 7-2 W 14,808N21 LSU* New Orleans, La. NR/8 3-13 L 46,703N28 Duke New Orleans, La. 17-0 W 11,676 NOTE: Miami (Fla.) game was designated SEC game
1965 (2-8, 1-5 SEC)
Head Coach: Tommy O'Boyle
Tulane's 1965 team competed well in the early going, then fell into a tailspin that cost Coach Tommy O'Boyle his job. Preseason practice was disrupted when Hurricane Betsy hit New Orleans about a week before the season opener with Texas, which was hurriedly moved from Tulane Stadium to Austin.
A game Tulane team hung tough before losing road encounters to Texas and Alabama, then rode the passing and running of sophomore phenom Bobby Duhon to a 24-16 upset of Miami. Duhon's 71-yard TD pass to Lanis O'Steen in his first collegiate start highlighted the win.
After tough losses to nationally-ranked Georgia Tech and Ole Miss, the Green Wave upset Mississippi State at home. Captain Bill Goss, an All-SEC linebacker, led a defensive unit, dubbed the "Posse," that was keeping Tulane in football games.
A run of injuries decimated squad depth as the season went on, however, and narrow losses to Vanderbilt and Stanford were followed by devastating defeats to Top Ten teams Florida and LSU, the latter by another 62-0 margin. The 2-8 finish led Tulane to seek its third head coach of the decade.
RankingDate Opponent Location Tul/Opp Score Result AttendanceS17 at Texas Austin, Texas NR/2 0-31 L 41,778S25 vs. Alabama* Mobile, Ala. 0-27 L 31,920O2 Miami (Fla.) New Orleans, La. 24-16 W 19,303O9 Georgia Tech New Orleans, La. 10-13 L 28,730O16 at Ole Miss* Jackson, Miss. 7-24 L 17,316O22 Mississippi State* New Orleans, La. 17-15 W 21,391O30 Vanderbilt* New Orleans, La. 0-13 L 20,172N6 Stanford New Orleans, La. 0-16 L 16,264N13 at Florida* Gainesville, Fla. 13-51 L 35,907N20 at LSU* Baton Rouge, La. 0-62 L 63,836
1966 (5-4-1)
Head Coach: Jim Pittman
Coach Jim Pittman took over the coaching reins in 1966, the year the Green Wave left the Southeastern Conference, went intersectional with its schedule and turned in Tulane's only winning team of the decade. Tulane's wing-T offense was a showcase for the athletic ability of junior quarterback Bobby Duhon, whose 748 yards rushing that season are the most ever by a Green Wave signal caller.
The Green Wave defense pitched a shutout in the 1966 opener as Virginia Tech fell 13-0. The next weekend, Duhon scored twice and defensive guard Vic Eumont recovered a fumble in the Texas A&M end zone as Tulane beat the Aggies 21-13 to give Tulane its first 2-0 start since 1949.
The record became a heady 4-1 when, after a loss to Stanford, the Green Wave whipped Virginia and Cincinnati. Tailback/defensive back Pete Johns and tight end/defensive end Jerry Colquette were two-way performers, among the last of a dying breed as college football went to unlimited substitution.
The Green Wave got its fifth win with a fourth-quarter goal-line stand against Vanderbilt, then fought heavily-favored Miami to a 10-10 tie to ensure a winning season (the last tie in Tulane history). In the season finale, 82,567 fans packed Tulane Stadium to watch LSU win a hotly-contested game in the fourth quarter as both teams finished 5-4-1.
RankingDate Opponent Location Tul/Opp Score Result AttendanceS17 Virginia Tech New Orleans, La. 13-0 W 19,074S24 Texas A&M New Orleans, la. 21-13 W 28,082O1 at Stanford Palo Alto, Calif. 14-33 L 27,307O8 at Virginia Charlottesville, Va. 20-6 W 19,649O15 Cincinnati New Orleans, La. 28-21 W 29,267O22 at Georgia Tech Atlanta, Ga. NR/6 17-35 L 44,355O29 at Vanderbilt Nashville, Tenn. 13-12 W 12,614N5 Miami (Fla.) New Orleans, La. 10-10 T 35,231N12 at Florida Gainesville, Fla. 10-31 L 45,102N19 LSU New Orleans, La. 7-21 L 82,567
1967 (3-7)
Head Coach: Jim Pittman
Reality returned to Tulane football, as the previous season's resurgence was followed by a slide to 3-7. Coach Jim Pittman's second Tulane squad was again competitive, but the football began bouncing the wrong way and a lack of depth spelled defeat in several close contests.
Midway through the season, junior Warren Bankston moved from backup quarterback to running back and led all Wave rushers. Quarterback Bobby Duhon, who went on to a fine NFL career as a running back with the New York Giants, became the first Tulane player to amass more than 1,000 yards of total offense in three straight seasons.
The defense was staggered midway through the season when co-captain Jim Jancik, a stellar defensive back, went down with a knee injury.
RankingDate Opponent Location Tul/Opp Score Result AttendanceS23 Miami (Ohio) New Orleans, La. 3-14 L 26,272S30 at North Carolina Chapel Hill, N.C. 36-11 W 15,128O6 at Miami (Fla.) Coral Gables, Fla. 14-34 L 33,530O14 Florida New Orleans, La. 0-35 L 23,289O21 Air Force New Orleans, La. 10-13 L 18,851O28 Georgia Tech New Orleans, La. 23-12 W 23,545N4 Vanderbilt New Orleans, La. 27-14 W 17,799N11 at Tennessee Knoxville, Tenn. NR/2 14-35 L 54,828N18 Virginia New Orleans, La. 10-14 L 17,812N25 at LSU Baton Rouge, La. 27-41 L 58,702
1968 (2-8)
Head Coach: Jim Pittman
The record slipped again to 2-8, but Coach Jim Pittman was bringing in folks like Rick Kingrea and Ray Hester who would one day be the keys to a Tulane football turnaround. Running back Warren Bankston, who went on to a long NFL career as a tight end with the Oakland Raiders, led the team in rushing despite missing several early-season games with a leg injury. Quarterback Wayne Francingues' 1,376 yards of total offense were the second-highest in Green Wave history to that point.
RankingDate Opponent Location Tul/Opp Score Result AttendanceS14 at Houston Houston, Texas 7-54 L 35,277S28 Texas A&M New Orleans, La. 3-35 L 19,637O5 Tampa New Orleans, La. 14-17 L 10,461O12 at Florida Gainesville, Fla. NR/7 3-24 L 48,106O19 Boston College New Orleans, La. 28-14 W 12,867O26 at Georgia Tech Atlanta, Ga. 19-23 L 47,481N2 at Vanderbilt Nashville, Tenn. 7-21 L 16,469N9 Tulsa New Orleans, La. 25-15 W 9,665N16 at Virginia Charlottesville, Va. 47-63 L 15,994N23 LSU New Orleans, La. 10-34 L 52,263
1969 (3-7)
Head Coach: Jim Pittman
The record improved only slightly to 3-7, but Jim Pittman's recruiting efforts began to pay off as a strong sophomore class headed by three-year starters like Steve Barrios, Joe Bullard, Paul Ellis, David Hebert and Bob Waldron moved up to varsity. After an 0-4 start, the team broke even the rest of the way, beating Pitt, Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt.
Bullard established himself as Tulane's all-time best punt returner that fall, setting season records for yards and average per return that have not been approached. His 92-yard return against Vanderbilt is the longest in Green Wave history.
With Barrios as his favorite target, sophomore Rusty Lachaussee became Tulane's first 1,000-yard passer. The defensive unit that would dominate opponents and catapult Tulane to its first bowl bid in over 30 years was beginning to come together, as junior linebackers Rick Kingrea and Ray Hester got better and better. Tulane got better and better right along with them.
RankingDate Opponent Location Tul/Opp Score Result AttendanceS20 at Georgia Athens, Ga. NR/8 0-35 L 55,235S27 West Virginia New Orleans, La. 17-35 L 14,117O4 at Boston College Boston, Mass. 24-28 L 15,500O11 at Florida Tampa, Fla. NR/12 17-18 L 43,102O18 at Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, Pa. 26-22 W 23,784O25 Notre Dame New Orleans, La. NR/12 0-37 L 37,768N1 Vanderbilt New Orleans, La. 23-26 L 7,927N8 Georgia Tech New Orleans, La. 14-7 W 10,333N15 Virginia New Orleans, La. 31-0 W 8,646N22 at LSU Baton Rouge, La. NR/10 0-27 L 67,400
