Tulane Football Falls to SMU, 27-23

Saturday, October 20

New Orleans, La.

2:30 p.m.

Tulane University

2-5 , 1-2

SMU

3-4 , 2-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

SMU

Tulane

Photo by: Parker Waters

Oct 20, 2018 | Football

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NEW ORLEANS – The Tulane football team led for 47 minutes, but SMU scored a game-winning touchdown pass with 1:15 remaining to take their first lead of the game and escape with a 27-23 victory at Yulman Stadium on Saturday evening.

Darius Bradwell was the Green Wave's top rusher on the day, reaching 72 yards on 13 carries including two carries for more than 20 yards and a touchdown. Stephon Huderson also had 42 yards on the ground, most of them coming on a career-long 30-yard run in the second half.

In the air, Banks finished with a 14-of-22 effort, throwing for 153 yards. Terren Encalade was the team's top receiver with 39 yards on four catches.

On defense, Donnie Lewis Jr. Had a team-high seven tackles and his first career interception return for a touchdown. Roderic Teamer Jr. tallied six tackles and Patrick Johnson had five.

Tulane (2-5, 1-2 American Athletic Conference) also got a rushing touchdown from Banks early in the fourth quarter. Following that touchdown, Tulane held a 23-14 lead. But SMU (3-4, 2-1 American Athletic Conference) answered on the next drive to cut Tulane's lead to just 23-21, and a 67-yard receiving touchdown from Ben Hicks to James Proche with 1:15 remaining sealed the game for SMU.

With Tulane leading 16-14 late in the third quarter, the team went on a drive that spanned 12 plays and 89 yards, taking 6:20 off the clock and extending into the early minutes of the fourth quarter. The culminating play came on fourth-and-1 from SMU's 3-yard line and saw Banks truck through a Mustang defender on his way over the goal line and a 23-14 lead.

Lewis had the first touchdown of his career early in the second half. With SMU quarterback Ben Hicks looking to his left, Lewis read the play and jumped in front of Hicks' receiver, snatching the ball out of the air in full stride. Lewis ran 49 yards to the end zone untouched for his eighth career pick and third of the season.

SMU responded with a TD on its next drive, though, narrowing Tulane's lead to 16-14.

Tulane got on the board first, scoring 2 points on a safety. With the ball on its own 14-yard line, SMU's center snapped the ball over the quarterback's head, and the ball went out of the back of the end zone. The safety was the second Tulane scored this season after earning one on a strip sack against Memphis on September 28.

Shortly after the safety with Tulane driving, a lightning strike delayed the game for 64 minutes.

But that delay didn't slow down Bradwell. On the first play after the stoppage, he ran for 21 yards into the red zone. Four plays later, he scored his sixth touchdown of the year on a run from 10 yards out to make it 9-0 Tulane.

SMU answered right back, though, getting their first points of the afternoon on a fourth-and-1 pass from Hicks to Xavier Jones. Jones was uncovered out of the backfield and went untouched for the 55-yard score.

The Green Wave are back on the road next weekend, taking on Tulsa. Kickoff at Chapman Stadium is set for 6 p.m.

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