CFP No. 17 Tulane Falls to No. 22 UCF, 38-31

Saturday, November 12

New Orleans, LA

2:30 PM

Tulane University

8-2 , 5-1

University of Central Florida

8-2 , 5-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

UCF

Tulane

Photo by: Parker Waters

Nov 12, 2022 | Football

Box Score

FINAL STATS | POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE | GALLERY BY PARKER WATERS

NEW ORLEANS – The 17th-ranked Tulane football team (8-1, 5-1 AAC), despite a strong comeback that produced 14 points in the final quarter, fell in American Athletic Conference play for the first time this season in a 38-31 loss to No. 22 UCF on Saturday at Yulman Stadium.

Tyjae Spears led the offensive charge for Tulane, rushing for 130 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Michael Pratt ended up going 23-for-39 for 236 yards and three passing touchdowns. He also ran for a score. Duece Watts totaled six catches for 56 yards and a touchdown. Jha'Quan Jackson picked up five catches for 88 yards. Shae Wyatt totaled four catches for 33 yards and a touchdown. Reggie Brown made his third catch of season count for six points, the first touchdown of his career.

Dorian Williams was all over the field with his 13 tackles. Devean Deal recorded a career-high 10 stops. Macon Clark tallied eight tackles including two stops for loss. Nick Anderson totaled seven tackles including a stop for loss. Darius Hodges had a stop for loss among his four tackles.

Tulane's offense ended the contest with 391 yards including 155 yards on the ground. The UCF offense proved potent and difficult to contain with 468 total yards including 336 yards on the ground, the most Tulane has allowed on the ground all season. The Green Wave lost the turnover battle as it fumbled twice, while the Knights stayed turnover -free.

For UCF, John Rhys Plumlee ran for 176 yards and two touchdowns. He also connected on 17 passes for 132 yards and a score.

UCF scored first as it got a 25-yard field goal from Colton Boomer at the 12:17 mark of the first quarter to finish off a nine play, 68-yard drive. After a defensive stop, UCF picked up a 67-yard rushing touchdown from Plumlee to put the lead at 10-0 at the 10:49 mark. Tulane got a much-needed answer the ensuing drive on a one-yard pitch and catch from Pratt to Watts to put the score at 10-7. The big play on the drive was a 69-yard rush from Spears. UCF, after a potential fumble recovery by the Tulane defense was reversed by the officiating crew upon review, scored its second touchdown of the opening quarter on the three-yard rush from Isaiah Bowser to put the score at 17-7 with 2:24 remaining. UCF scored first in the second quarter on a touchdown pass from Plumlee to Jaylon Baker to put the score at 24-7 with 7:18 before the intermission. Tulane scored a big touchdown before the break as Pratt rushed it from a yard out to make the score 24-14 headed into the half. UCF's offense kept its foot on the gas early in the second half as it scored its fourth touchdown of the contest on the nine-yard run from Plumlee to go up 31-14. Tulane drew to within two touchdowns on the made 23-yard field goal from Valentino Ambrosio at the 3:41 mark of the third quarter. Following an inspiring defensive stop, the Tulane offense came to life and marched down the field on a 10 play, 73-yard drive that was complete on the two-yard touchdown reception by Brown from Pratt. That drew Tulane to within one score, 31-24. UCF answered on the ensuing possession with a touchdown of its own to go up two scores on the one-yard rush from Bowser to finish off a 16-play drive. That made the score 38-24 with 3:32 remaining in the game. Tulane had one gasp left as Pratt connected with Wyatt in the back of the end zone to again get the squad to within a touchdown, 38-31, with 1:46 remaining in the contest. However, that was as close as the team got as the attempted onside kick was recovered by UCF who effectively ran most of the remaining time away.

Next, the Tulane football team finished up the home regular season and hosts SMU for Senior Day on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Yulman Stadium.

Notes: The loss makes Tulane 8-2 overall and 5-1 in the American Athletic Conference….The loss also knocks Tulane into a tie with UCF and Cincinnati for the conference lead ... It is the eighth time the program is 8-2 or better in its history (2022 {8-2}, 1998 {10-0}, 1973 {8-2}, 1948 {9-1}, 1934 {9-1}, 1931{10-0}, 1929 {9-0}, 1925 {9-0-1}….The loss ends Tulane's winning streak at five games…It was the first time since 1998 that team had won five or more consecutive games and only the 16th time in school history (2022 {5}, 1998 {12}, 1980 {5}, 1974 ({5}, 1973 {6}, 1950 {5}, 1948 {8}, 1939 {5}, 1934 {6}, 1931 {11}, 1930 {7}, 1929 {9}, 1925 {8}, 1924 {5}, 1919 {6}, 1908 {6}, 1900 {5})…This game, where Tulane was ranked at No. 16 and UCF was ranked at No. 22 in the AP Poll, was the first ranked on ranked matchup that Tulane has hosted since 1949 when the program lost to LSU, when both scores were members of the Southeastern Conference….Michael Pratt, with three touchdown passes today, has now thrown at least one touchdown pass in 30 of his 31 career games…The game was the fifth time this season and the fourth straight game that Tyjae Spears has gone over 100 yards rushing as he posted 130 yards…It was the 11th time he has topped the century mark on the ground in his career (2x in 2020, 4x in 2021 and 5x in 2022)…Tulane has now run for 100 yards as a team in 82 of the last 86 games….The announced attendance at the game was 27,317, which ranks as the fifth-largest ever at Yulman Stadium.

TICKETS
Tickets for the 2022 season can be purchased by calling 504-861-WAVE (9283), logging on to TulaneTix.com or visiting the ticket office at the James W. Wilson Jr. Center.

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