Green Wave Roll Past Louisiana Tech
Jun 21, 1999 | Football
November 26, 1998
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Toney Converse tied a school record by rushing for four touchdowns and Shawn King threw three touchdown passes as No. 11 Tulane routed Louisiana Tech 63-30 Thursday night to finish the regular season unbeaten.
Tulane (11-0), the Conference USA champion, will play Brigham Young (9-3) in the Liberty Bowl on New Year's Eve. The Green Wave finished the regular season undefeated and untied for the first time since 1931.
On the eve of Tulane coach Tommy Bowden's interview with Clemson, the crowd chanted "Stay, Tommy Stay" during the fourth quarter.
Converse gained 181 yards on 24 carries, and King completed 19 of 26 passes for 330 yards and rushed for a touchdown. He became the first player in NCAA Division I-A history to pass for 3,000 yards and rush for 500 yards in an 11-game season.
Tim Rattay completed 37 of 57 passes for 467 yards and two touchdowns for the Bulldogs (6-6). Troy Edwards caught 15 of those passes for 167 yards.
Converse scored on a 5-yard touchdown run on the first possession of the second half for a 42-16 lead.
Tech came right back with a 21-yard touchdown pass from Rattay to Cedric Williams, but Converse scored moments later on a 6-yard run for a 49-23 lead with 7:15 left in the third quarter.
Tech's Billy Ray Tell scored on the next possession when he ran in from 1 yard out. The Bulldogs recovered an onsides kick, but Noel Ellis intercepted Rattay on the next play.
Tulane then drove and King scored on a 12-yard run for a 56-30 lead after three quarters. Converse completed the scoring with a 10-yard touchdown run with 7:37 remaining.
Tulane scored touchdowns on its first five possessions to take a 35-16 halftime lead.
Tech stung the Green Wave early, taking a 7-0 lead on Rattay's 69-yard touchdown pass to James Jordan on the first possession of the game.
Tulane evened the score on Converse's 2-yard touchdown run. After Trent Wierick's 26-yard field goal gave Tech a 10-7 lead, King threw a 63-yard touchdown pass to Kerwin Cook for a 14-10 lead.
King threw a 59-yard touchdown pass to Cook midway through the second quarter and a 2-yarder to Joseph Akin with 5:54 left in the half.
Tulane missed an opportunity to extend the lead when Brad Palazzo missed a 47-yard field goal with six seconds left in the half.
