Tulane University
UCF
Green Wave Falls To UCF, 36-29
Sep 22, 2001 | Football
Sept 22, 2001
By BRETT MARTEL
Associated Press Writer
NEW ORLEANS - Alex Haynes ran for 148 yards and four touchdowns to help Central Florida hold off Tulane 36-29 on Saturday.
Tulane (0-4) made a strong comeback bid that was thwarted by what may have been a blown call. A long pass from Patrick Ramsey to Roydell Williams was ruled out of bounds. But on a video replay shown on the stadium scoreboard, Williams appeared to have possession with one foot in bounds.
The Green Wave later failed on a fourth-and-4 and Central Florida (1-2) ran out the clock.
Tulane's biggest problem, however, was its defense's propensity to give up big plays, compounded by an inability to produce timely stops.
The Green Wave took a short-lived lead early in the fourth quarter when Seth Marler hit a 46-yard field goal - his third 40-plus yarder of the game.
But Central Florida put together late scoring drives of 72 and 80 yards, ending on Haynes' scoring runs of 13 and 23 yards. The latter drive, which came after Tulane had tied the score at 29 on Mewelde Moore's second touchdown, took only six plays.
Tulane's defense surrendered 522 total yards, which actually lowered its average to 577 yards allowed from 589.
Central Florida took a 14-0 lead on its first two drives. Quarterback Ryan Schneider, who would finish with 338 yards passing for one touchdown, hit his first five passes for 51 yards during a 63-yard scoring drive. Haynes capped the opening drive with a 3-yard run, breaking two tackles on his way into the end zone.
UCF's next drive went 80 yards, including a 50-yard completion from Schneider to Jimmy Fryzel to the Tulane 14. Haynes needed only two carries to score from there.
Schneider's touchdown pass came on a 24-yard sideline route by Doug Gabriel, who dove past a tackler for the score. Gabriel led UCF in receiving with 89 yards on three catches, including a leaping one-hander for 24 yards on UCF's final scoring drive.
Tulane began to claw back with a 48-yard field goal by Marler in the second quarter, which was set up by a UCF fumble at midfield.
The Green Wave drew to 14-10 when Ramsey, on third-and-12 from the 24, hit Nick Narcisse over the middle for a score.
A 43-yard field goal by Marler in the final minute of the half left Tulane down 21-13.
An Adrian Mitchell interception at the UCF 14 set up a Tulane score that brought the Wave to within 21-19. Moore pounded the ball in on a pair of punishing runs. The conversion, a run by Moore, failed.
Another Central Florida fumble, this one on the Tulane 11, allowed the Green Wave to set up Marler's last kick for Tulane's first lead since the first quarter of its opener at BYU on Aug. 25.
Moore finished with 134 yards on 22 carries and two touchdowns. The sophomore has broken 100 yards rushing in three of four games this season.
Ramsey threw for 280 yards and two touchdowns for a season total of 1,084 yards passing.
