Spears’ Career Night Not Enough as the Green Wave fall to Memphis, 33-28

Saturday, November 27

Memphis, TN

6:30 P.M.

Tulane University

2-10 , 1-7

Memphis

6-6 , 3-5

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Tulane

Memphis

Photo by: Parker Waters

Spears’ Career Night Not Enough as the Green Wave fall to Memphis, 33-28

Nov 27, 2021 | Football

Box Score

MEMPHIS, Tennessee – Redshirt freshman Tyjae Spears posted a performance for the ages Saturday night, but it was not enough, as the Tulane University football team suffered a 33-28 loss to the University of Memphis inside the Liberty Bowl.

Spears did everything in his power to ensure that the Tigers would come up just one win short of qualifying for a bowl.

Spears finished the night with a career-high 264 yards on just 30 carries (8.8 yards per carry). He also scored two touchdowns. The Louisiana native's 264-yard effort was the fourth highest rushing output in school history.

In addition, Spears became just the fifth running back in program history to surpass 250 yards rushing or more in a single game.

In his final seven games of the season, Spears rushed for 813 yards and eight touchdowns.

As a team, Tulane outgained the Tigers by a 452-392 count. In the end, Tulane was unable to overcome its four turnovers.

Quarterback Michael Pratt finished the night by going 15-of-34 through the air for 147 yards. He also accounted for a pair of scores. Defensively for Tulane, Nick Anderson, Dorian Williams, Macon Clark and Larry Brooks all tallied six tackles. Jaylon Monroe also chipped in defensively with a game-high four pass breakups.

With the loss, the Green Wave dropped to 2-10 on the year, while Memphis finished the regular season with a 6-6 record.

Tulane went toe-to-toe with the Tigers all night, as neither team led by more than seven points until the fourth quarter. The Green Wave opened up the early lead, as Pratt rushed in from 14 yards out with 8:17 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The Tigers evened the score at seven apiece on the ensuing drive, but the Green Wave answered with another score in the second quarter to make the count 14-7 with 12:34 remaining until halftime.

Memphis would then reel off 13 straight points over the next quarter to open up a 20-14.

The Green Wave would not go away, they went into to the fourth quarter with a 21-20 lead thanks to Spears' second touchdown of the game.

Memphis scored just three seconds into the fourth quarter to take a 26-21 lead and less than a minute later, Memphis opened up a 33-21 advantage thanks to quarterback Seth Henigan's third touchdown pass of the game.

Tulane continued to fight, as Pratt found Duece Watts in the endzone for a 21-yard touchdown pass to make the score 33-28 with 1:57 remaining.

On the kickoff following the score, the Green Wave were unable to convert on their fifth onside kick recovery of the season and Memphis ran out the clock to secure the win.

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