Saturday, December 15
Orlando, Fla.
12:30 p.m.
Tulane University
7-6
41
vs
24
Louisiana-Lafayette
7-7
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
Tulane
21
3
3
14
41
Louisiana
7
3
7
7
24
Photo by: Parker Waters
CURE BOWL CHAMPS! Green Wave Roll Over Cajuns
Dec 15, 2018 | Football
ORLANDO, Fla. – Back in a bowl game for the first time in five years, the Tulane football team reintroduced itself to the postseason in style.
Tulane scored on its first four possessions, set a season high with 28 first downs and pulled away late for a 41-24 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette in the AutoNation Cure Bowl at Camping World Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The victory gives Tulane (7-6) its first winning season since 2013 and just the program's fourth winning season since 2000. The bowl victory was Tulane's first since the 2002 Hawaii Bowl, and the team is now 5-7 all-time in bowl games.
Darius Bradwell was named the game's MVP, rushing for 150 yards to set a new Cure Bowl record and scoring two touchdowns on the ground. His 150 rushing yards and 35 carries were career highs as well as the largest totals in those categories in Green Wave bowl history. He reached 1,000 yards on the season as well, marking just the eighth time a Tulane player reached 1,000 yards in a single year.
The Green Wave were nearly unstoppable on offense in the first half, racking up 294 yards. And on defense, the team was stellar as well. After going 75 yards for a score on their first drive, the Ragin' Cajuns only accumulated 26 combined yards on their next five drives in the half thanks to the stout Green Wave.
In the second half, though, the Cajuns made things tight by scoring 17 of the first 20 points to cut Tulane's lead to 27-24 with 10 minutes remaining.
From there, Tulane mounted a 13-play, 75-yard drive that lasted 6:27 and ended in Bradwell's second touchdown of the game. Starting on its own 25-yard line, Tulane marched into Louisiana-Lafayette territory and seemed on its way to a score. But the Cajuns' defense buckled down and forced a fourth-and-7 situation from the 30-yard line.
On that play, quarterback Justin McMillan found senior tight end Charles Jones II – who had the game-winning 2-point conversion against Navy on November 24 to make Tulane bowl-eligible – for a 15-yard reception that kept the drive alive. Four plays later, Bradwell ran into the end zone from four yards out to make it 34-24.
The Cajuns threw three straight incomplete passes on their next drive, and Cameron Sample got a sack on fourth down to put the ball back in Tulane's hands late. The Green Wave made the Cajuns use all their timeouts, and McMillan scored a 16-yard rushing touchdown to make it 41-24 and seal the game with three minutes to go.
Tulane finished the game with 6.5 sacks, and its 42.5 total sacks on the year was the third-best total in program history. Zachery Harris was the team's leading tackler with eight tackles, and four other players had at least four tackles. Harris and Lawrence Graham had two sacks apiece and Harris had one other tackle for loss.
Through the air, McMillan finished 11 of 18 for 145 yards and one touchdown. He also added 72 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
Terren Encalade was McMillan's top target, making five catches for 93 yards and a touchdown. Jabril Clewis and Will Wallace had two catches each.
The Green Wave extended their streak of 100-yard rushing games to 40, racking up 337 yards on the ground for their second-highest total of the year.
On special teams, Merek Glover had a strong day with two made field goals and a perfect 5-of-5 performance on extra points.
The Cajuns got things going early in the first quarter, scoring on a 38-yard run from Raymond Calais just three minutes into the game. But Tulane answered right back with Amare Jones taking the ball 33 yards down the right sideline to put the Green Wave near the red zone. Three plays later, Bradwell plowed over the goal line from 15 yards out to tie the game at 7-7.
Following a great defensive sequence that saw a sack from Graham, Tulane took its first lead of the game on its second possession. Starting with the ball just 55 yards from the end zone, Corey Dauphine, Stephon Huderson and McMillan ran on the first five plays of the drive to get Tulane to the Louisiana-Lafayette 38. Then, McMillan found Encalade on a pass to the left side. Encalade shook one tackle and was gone for the 15th and final touchdown of his Tulane career.
Amare Jones made it three Tulane touchdowns on three drives late in the first quarter, getting in from 1 yard out on a tremendous second effort. The Green Wave offense was aided by 40 rushing yards from McMillan on that drive, and Bradwell eclipsed 1,000 yards for the season on that drive.
The Green Wave's 21 first-quarter points were the most points in any quarter in Tulane bowl history.
Tulane scored on its first four possessions, set a season high with 28 first downs and pulled away late for a 41-24 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette in the AutoNation Cure Bowl at Camping World Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The victory gives Tulane (7-6) its first winning season since 2013 and just the program's fourth winning season since 2000. The bowl victory was Tulane's first since the 2002 Hawaii Bowl, and the team is now 5-7 all-time in bowl games.
Darius Bradwell was named the game's MVP, rushing for 150 yards to set a new Cure Bowl record and scoring two touchdowns on the ground. His 150 rushing yards and 35 carries were career highs as well as the largest totals in those categories in Green Wave bowl history. He reached 1,000 yards on the season as well, marking just the eighth time a Tulane player reached 1,000 yards in a single year.
The Green Wave were nearly unstoppable on offense in the first half, racking up 294 yards. And on defense, the team was stellar as well. After going 75 yards for a score on their first drive, the Ragin' Cajuns only accumulated 26 combined yards on their next five drives in the half thanks to the stout Green Wave.
In the second half, though, the Cajuns made things tight by scoring 17 of the first 20 points to cut Tulane's lead to 27-24 with 10 minutes remaining.
From there, Tulane mounted a 13-play, 75-yard drive that lasted 6:27 and ended in Bradwell's second touchdown of the game. Starting on its own 25-yard line, Tulane marched into Louisiana-Lafayette territory and seemed on its way to a score. But the Cajuns' defense buckled down and forced a fourth-and-7 situation from the 30-yard line.
On that play, quarterback Justin McMillan found senior tight end Charles Jones II – who had the game-winning 2-point conversion against Navy on November 24 to make Tulane bowl-eligible – for a 15-yard reception that kept the drive alive. Four plays later, Bradwell ran into the end zone from four yards out to make it 34-24.
The Cajuns threw three straight incomplete passes on their next drive, and Cameron Sample got a sack on fourth down to put the ball back in Tulane's hands late. The Green Wave made the Cajuns use all their timeouts, and McMillan scored a 16-yard rushing touchdown to make it 41-24 and seal the game with three minutes to go.
Tulane finished the game with 6.5 sacks, and its 42.5 total sacks on the year was the third-best total in program history. Zachery Harris was the team's leading tackler with eight tackles, and four other players had at least four tackles. Harris and Lawrence Graham had two sacks apiece and Harris had one other tackle for loss.
Through the air, McMillan finished 11 of 18 for 145 yards and one touchdown. He also added 72 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
Terren Encalade was McMillan's top target, making five catches for 93 yards and a touchdown. Jabril Clewis and Will Wallace had two catches each.
The Green Wave extended their streak of 100-yard rushing games to 40, racking up 337 yards on the ground for their second-highest total of the year.
On special teams, Merek Glover had a strong day with two made field goals and a perfect 5-of-5 performance on extra points.
The Cajuns got things going early in the first quarter, scoring on a 38-yard run from Raymond Calais just three minutes into the game. But Tulane answered right back with Amare Jones taking the ball 33 yards down the right sideline to put the Green Wave near the red zone. Three plays later, Bradwell plowed over the goal line from 15 yards out to tie the game at 7-7.
Following a great defensive sequence that saw a sack from Graham, Tulane took its first lead of the game on its second possession. Starting with the ball just 55 yards from the end zone, Corey Dauphine, Stephon Huderson and McMillan ran on the first five plays of the drive to get Tulane to the Louisiana-Lafayette 38. Then, McMillan found Encalade on a pass to the left side. Encalade shook one tackle and was gone for the 15th and final touchdown of his Tulane career.
Amare Jones made it three Tulane touchdowns on three drives late in the first quarter, getting in from 1 yard out on a tremendous second effort. The Green Wave offense was aided by 40 rushing yards from McMillan on that drive, and Bradwell eclipsed 1,000 yards for the season on that drive.
The Green Wave's 21 first-quarter points were the most points in any quarter in Tulane bowl history.
Team Stats
TLN
LA
Total Yards
482
258
Pass Yards
145
174
Rushing Yards
337
84
Penalty Yards
5
15
1st Downs
28
11
3rd Downs
7
4
4th Downs
2
1
TOP
40:31
19:29
1st Quarter
TLN 0, LA 7
LA - Calais,Raymond 38 yd run (Pfau,Kyle kick), 6 plays, 75 yards, TOP 2:35
TLN 7, LA 7
TLN - BRADWELL,D. 15 yd run (GLOVER,M. kick), 7 plays, 75 yards, TOP 2:36
TLN 14, LA 7
TLN - ENCALADE,T. 38 yd pass from McMILLAN, J. (GLOVER,M. kick) 6 plays, 55 yards, TOP 2:59
TLN 21, LA 7
TLN - JONES,A. 1 yd run (GLOVER,M. kick), 8 plays, 63 yards, TOP 2:36
2nd Quarter
TLN 24, LA 7
TLN - GLOVER,M. 38 yd field goal 9 plays, 35 yards, TOP 4:32
TLN 24, LA 10
LA - Pfau,Kyle 43 yd field goal 4 plays, 11 yards, TOP 0:23
3rd Quarter
TLN 24, LA 17
LA - Mitchell,Elijah 3 yd run (Pfau,Kyle kick), 6 plays, 62 yards, TOP 1:50
TLN 27, LA 17
TLN - GLOVER,M. 26 yd field goal 12 plays, 73 yards, TOP 4:51
4th Quarter
TLN 27, LA 24
LA - Jackson,Jarrod 13 yd pass from Nunez,Andre (Pfau,Kyle kick) 4 plays, 56 yards, TOP 1:04
TLN 34, LA 24
TLN - BRADWELL,D. 4 yd run (GLOVER,M. kick), 13 plays, 75 yards, TOP 6:27
TLN 41, LA 24
TLN - McMILLAN, J. 16 yd run (GLOVER,M. kick), 4 plays, 19 yards, TOP 0:22
Game Leaders
Passing Leaders
CMP
11
TD
1
YDS
145
INT
1
Players Mentioned
RB
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WR
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RB
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WR
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PK
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LB
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LB
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RB
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RB
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TE
/ FootballQB
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DE
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TE
/ FootballTulane Tuesday: HC Jon Sumrall - 9/23/25
Tuesday, September 23
Tulane Tuesday: S Bailey Despaine - 9/23/24
Tuesday, September 23
Tulane Tuesday: OL Shadre Hurst - 9/23/25
Tuesday, September 23
Postgame: HC Jon Sumrall and WR Anthony Brown-Stephens - 9/20/25
Sunday, September 21
