Tulane University
2-2 , 0-1
UL Lafayette
2-2 , 1-0
Football Earns 41-39, Four-Overtime Victory over UL Lafayette
Sep 25, 2016 | Football
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Postgame News Conference
NEW ORLEANS – It was a history-setting night for Tulane football as the Green Wave competed in its first ever four-overtime game in program history, defeating UL Lafayette (2-2), 41-39, in Yulman Stadium on Saturday night. The Wave's defense sealed the dramatic finish by stopping the Ragin' Cajun's two-point conversion attempt as Richard Allen tackled Al Riles at the 2-yard line while Tulane's bench rushed the field to celebrate the victory.
After four quarters couldn't find a winner with a 16-16 tie, Tulane and UL Lafayette began their four overtime duel. If you blinked, you missed Tulane's first two offensive drives - one-pass, 25 yards on each, as the first went to Terren Encalade and the second to Darnell Mooney.
In the third overtime, Tulane (2-2. 0-1 American Athletic Conference | West) found itself down three points and facing defeat, but Andrew DiRocco connected on a career long 48-yard field goal to send the game into a fourth overtime. The Wave rode that momentum into a 7-yard touchdown pass to Encalade, his third of the game, and eventual two-point conversion pass to Kendall Ardoin. Encalade's three touchdowns marked a career high and the first three touchdown game for a receiver since Roydell Williams in 2004.
"It feels great," said head coach Willie Fritz. "I'm just really proud of our guys, we've been talking about how we need to win a game like this, where we fight through adversity. They came out with something totally different than what we had prepared for, and it took a while for us to figure it out offensively. Just a great win for our program."
Earlier in the night, Tulane found itself in a 6-0 hole in the second quarter, but just under the 12-minute mark, redshirt-junior Parry Nickerson recorded his second interception of the season, returning it 37 yards to ULL's 13-yard line. Tulane took advantage of the field position with an Andrew DiRocco 22-yard field goal. Around the six-minute mark, Donnie Lewis, Jr., notched his first career interception, returning it 12 yards to ULL's 12-yard line. The Wave then capitalized once more as DiRocco connected from 35-yards out, tying the game at 6-6, as the two remained deadlocked through half.
Around the 10-minute mark in the third quarter, it was Tulane's special teams that delivered great field position as UL Lafayette's Elijah McGuire muffed a punt catch resulting in a Richard Allen fumble recovery on the 6-yard line, setting up another DiRocco field goal.
Later, tied at 9-9, Cuiellette connected with Encalade on a 34-yard touchdown pass, marking the first score through the air for the Green Wave this season and the first career touchdowns for both Cuiellette and Encalade. UL Lafayette (2-2, 1-0 Sun Belt) retaliated in the fourth quarter, recording a season-high 16-play drive for 53 yards, capped by a McGuire one-yard touchdown run.
Up next, the Olive and Blue look to win their second straight when it heads north to challenge UMass in Amherst on Saturday, Oct. 1, at 2:30 p.m. CT, live on American Sports Network and ESPN3.
Green Wave Notes
- The game marked the first four-overtime game in program histories for both teams.
- It was the first overtime game ever played in Yulman Stadium.
- It was the first overtime game this season and the first overtime game for Tulane since 38-31 loss in double overtime to Tulsa on Aug. 28, 2014.
- It was the first overtime win since topping East Carolina 36-33 in three overtimes on Oct. 12, 2013.
- Tulane scored all four of its touchdowns in the air after entering the game without a passing touchdown this season.
- Tulane is now 80–76-1 against in-state schools.
- The Green Wave tallied 11 tackles for loss in the game, hitting double-digits in the category for the first time since making 10 at Army in 2015.
- QB Glen Cuiellette threw four touchdown passes for the first time since Jordy Joseph completed the 2015 season with with four touchdown passes against Tulsa. Cuiellette had a career day throwing for 165 yards and four touchdowns.
- WR Terren Encalade is the first player to catch three touchdown passes in a game since Roydell Williams did so against UAB on Oct. 23, 2004.
- Encalade and Cuiellette combined for their first career touchdown, as the 34-yard pass was the first passing touchdown for Cuiellette and the catch was Encalade's first scoring catch.
- Encalade posted his first 100-yard receiving game with 103 yards. He also set career highs with three touchdown receptions, two of which came in overtime, and seven receptions..
- LB Nico Marley made 11 tackles in the game, reaching double figures in the category for the eighth time in his career. Marley's first-quarter sack was the third of the season. He has 6.5 in his career.
- DT Tanzel Smart finished the game with a career-best 10 tackles, it is his first game with double-digit tackles. He had three tackles for loss and now has six this season and 28 in his career. His sack in the game brings him to two sacks on the year and six in his career.
- DE Peter Woullard recovered the second fumble of his career, making it back-to-back games with a fumble recovery. Woullard made it back-to-back games with a sack, as well, and he has two in his career. He made the start at defensive end, the first start of his career.
- DE Quinlan Carroll finished with a career-high six tackles and made the first sack of his career in the second quarter, he made it the first multi-sack game of his career with another to start the fourth quarter.
- Tulane tallied four sacks (Marley, Carroll, Smart and Woullard) in the first half topping its previous single-game season high of three. The Green Wave entered the game with five sacks on the year and finished with five sacks in the game.
- PK Andrew DiRocco made a career-high four field goals, hitting a career-long 48-yarder to force a fourth overtime. He also connected from 22, 35 and 20 yards. DiRocco's four field goals is the first time a Tulane player has hit four since Cairo Santos made four against East Carolina on Oct. 12, 2013.
- Tulane allowed a blocked punt for the first time since the Army game in 2015 when P Zachary Block's punt was blocked in the third quarter.
- NB Richard Allen recovered a fumble for the first time this season and third time in his career as he fell on a muffed punt in the third quarter.
- WR Darnell Mooney recorded his first collegiate stats as he had a four-yard rush in the second quarter and 19-yard reception in the fourth. He also scored the first touchdown of his career, grabbing 25-yard pass in the second overtime.
- CB Parry Nickerson made his second interception of the season in the second quarter and eighth of his career.
- CB Donnie Lewis, Jr. finished with a career-best eight tackles. He made the first interception of his career in the second quarter, returning it 12 yards.
- QB Johnathan Brantley made his second-straight start at quarterback.
- Six Tulane players extended their double-digit starting streaks on Saturday against Southern: OG Chris Taylor (31), LB Nico Marley (29), DT Tanzel Smart (28), CB Parry Nickerson (25), FS Jarrod Franklin (16), OT Todd Jacquet (16).
- Senior LB Nico Marley carried out the No. 18 Flag in honor of former Green Wave player Devon Walker.
- Game captains were seniors RT John Leglue, WR Terren Encalade, DT Tanzel Smart and SS RodericTeamer
- Tonight's attendance was 24,253.
Team Stats
UL 3, TLN 0
UL - Artigue, Stevie 40 yd field goal 11 plays, 61 yards, TOP 3:37
UL 6, TLN 0
UL - Artigue, Stevie 39 yd field goal 9 plays, 65 yards, TOP 2:54
UL 6, TLN 3
TLN - DiROCCO, Andrew 22 yd field goal 4 plays, 7 yards, TOP 1:25
UL 6, TLN 6
TLN - DiROCCO, Andrew 35 yd field goal 4 plays, -6 yards, TOP 1:43
UL 6, TLN 9
TLN - DiROCCO, Andrew 20 yd field goal 4 plays, 3 yards, TOP 2:01
UL 9, TLN 9
UL - Artigue, Stevie 20 yd field goal 4 plays, 3 yards, TOP 1:38
UL 9, TLN 16
TLN - ENCALADE, T. 34 yd pass from CUIELLETTE, G. (DiROCCO, Andrew kick) 5 plays, 75 yards, TOP 2:11
UL 16, TLN 16
UL - McGuire, Elijah 1 yd run (Artigue, Stevie kick), 16 plays, 53 yards, TOP 6:03
UL 23, TLN 16
UL - Barnes, Keenan 10 yd pass from Jennings, A. (Artigue, Stevie kick) 4 plays, 25 yards, TOP 0:00
UL 23, TLN 23
TLN - ENCALADE, T. 25 yd pass from CUIELLETTE, G. (DiROCCO, Andrew kick) 1 plays, 25 yards, TOP 0:00
UL 23, TLN 30
TLN - MOONEY, Darnell 25 yd pass from CUIELLETTE, G. (DiROCCO, Andrew kick) 1 plays, 25 yards, TOP 0:00
UL 30, TLN 30
UL - McGuire, Elijah 1 yd run (Artigue, Stevie kick), 2 plays, 25 yards, TOP 0:00
UL 33, TLN 30
UL - Artigue, Stevie 22 yd field goal 6 plays, 20 yards, TOP 0:00
UL 33, TLN 33
TLN - DiROCCO, Andrew 48 yd field goal 6 plays, -6 yards, TOP 0:00
UL 33, TLN 41
TLN - ENCALADE, T. 7 yd pass from CUIELLETTE, G. (ARDOIN, Kendall pass) 4 plays, 25 yards, TOP 0:00
UL 39, TLN 41
UL - McGuire, Elijah 22 yd pass from Jennings, A. (Jennings, A. passfailed) 2 plays, 25 yards, TOP 0:00
