No. 23/24 Football Earns 35-28 Homecoming Victory Over North Texas

Saturday, October 21

NEW ORLEANS

2:30 p.m.

Tulane University

6-1 , 3-0

North Texas (HOMECOMING)

3-4 , 1-2

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

North Texas

Tulane

Photo by: Parker Waters

No. 23/24 Football Earns 35-28 Homecoming Victory Over North Texas

Oct 21, 2023 | Football

Box Score

FINAL STATS | POSTGAME FRITZ PRESS CONFERENCE | RADIO HIGHLIGHTS | PHOTO GALLERY (BY PARKER WATERS)

NEW ORLEANS – Michael Pratt's 19-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter proved to be the difference in the No. 23/24-ranked Tulane's football team's (6-1, 3-0 AAC) thrilling 35-28 Homecoming victory over North Texas (3-4, 1-2 AAC) on Saturday at Yulman Stadium. The win also allowed Tulane to stay unbeaten in American Athletic Conference play and made the team bowl eligible for the second straight year and the fifth time since 2018.

With the game tied at 28 in the fourth quarter, Pratt and the Tulane offense calmly marched down the field on 13 play, 75-drive that chewed up 6:34 of the clock, featured four clutch third down conversions and ended on the 19-yard touchdown scamper to put the Green Wave up 35-28 with 2:34 remaining. The Tulane defense rose to the challenge by stopping the Mean Green attack on the ensuing drive on fourth down at midfield to secure the victory.

Pratt led the offensive charge for Tulane with 15 completions for 194 yards and three passing touchdowns. He also ran 15 times for 71 yards and a rushing score. Makhi Hughes ran 20 times for 121 yards and a touchdown. Lawrence Keys III hauled in five passes for 78 yards and a touchdown. Chris Brazzell II had a pair of catches for 50 yards. Alex Bauman caught a pair touchdown passes.

Lance Robinson totaled nine tackles to lead the defense. A.J. Hampton had eight stops, while Jared Small and Kam Pedescleaux each totaled six. Pedescleaux also had a pass breakup. Tyler Grubbs recorded a pair of tackles for loss, including a sack. Patrick Jenkins, Devean Deal, Keith Cooper Jr. and Matthew Fobbs-White all had a tackle for loss. Deal also forced a fumble that was recovered by Jenkins.

The Tulane offense put up 439 yards in the game including 245 on the ground. It was the second time that the Green Wave has run for 200+ yards as a team this season.

The Olive and Blue scored first as Pratt connected with Bauman to put the Green Wave up 7-0 with 9:34 remaining in the opening quarter. Hughes had the big play on the drive with a 31-yard rush.

Following the mentioned fumble recovery from Jenkins, the Green Wave offense marched down the field and scored the second touchdown of the contest on the 10-yard rush from Hughes to put the home team up 14-0 with 5:12 remaining in the second quarter.

Tulane added one more touchdown before the half as Keys brought in a 23-yard pitch-and-catch from Pratt to put the team up 21-0 at the break.

North Texas crept back into the game with a touchdown early in the third quarter with Chandler Rogers connecting with Ja'Mori Maclin on a two-yard score to pull the Mean Green to within two scores, 21-7, with 10:20 remaining in the third quarter.

Pratt and Bauman connected on their second touchdown of the game on the 21-yard reception with 4:39 remaining in the third quarter to again put the Green Wave up three scores at 28-7.

UNT then answered with three straight touchdowns to tie the game with just over nine minutes remaining.

Pratt and the offense gave Tulane the lead back for good with the late game heroics on what would be the contest's final score.

Next, the Tulane football team travels to take on Rice University on Oct. 28 at 3 p.m. in a game that will be shown on ESPN2

NOTES:

Head Coach Willie Fritz set the new Tulane record as this was his 95th career game leading the program…He broke the previous mark of 94 games set by Chris Scelfo (1998-06) and Clark Shaughnessy (1915-20, 1922-26)…Michael Pratt now has 29 multiple touchdown passing performances in his career and has thrown a touchdown pass in 39 of 40 career games…-Michael Pratt's rushing touchdown was his 27th career touchdown scored (26 rushing, 1 receiving) ties him with Jamaican Dartez for 10th all-time at Tulane in touchdowns scored…Tulane is 6-1 on the season for the second straight year under Coach Fritz (2023 and 2022)…Overall the program is 6-1 or better for the 14th time since 1893 (2023- 6-1, 2022 – 6-1, 1998 – 7-0, 1973 – 6-1, 1949 – 5-1-1, 1948 – 6-1, 1939 – 6-0-1, 1934 – 6-1, 1931 – 7-0, 1930 – 6-1, 1929 – 7-0, 1925 – 6-0-1, 1924 – 6-1, 1919 – 6-0-1, 1908 – 6-1)…The Green Wave are 3-0 in conference play for the second straight year under Willie Fritz and the ninth time overall (2023, 2022, 2019, 2013, 1998, 1997, 1949, 1939, 1934)…The win made Tulane 18-3 in its last 21 games over the last two seasons…The 18 victories since the start of the 2022 season ties Ohio State, at the moment, for the third-most in the country (Georgia – 22 wins and Michigan – 20 wins)…The 18 wins in 21 games is the fifth time the program has won at least 18 of 21 games dating back to the start of the program in 1893 (18-3 between 2022 and 2023, 18-3 between 1997 and 1998, 20-1 between 1930- 1931- 1932, 20-1 between 1929-1930-1931, 19-1-1 between 1928-1929-1930)…Tulane has run for 100 yards as a team in 93 of the last 97 games…Tulane is 38-6 when leading at halftime and 40-9 when leading or tied through three quarters under Willie Fritz…North Texas' successful on-side kick recovery was the first allowed by the program since giving one up to ECU during the 2020 campaign (11/7/20)…Makhi Hughes' 121-yard rushing was his third straight game topping 100-yards on the ground…It was the 204th time that a Tulane player has run for 100-yards or more in a game…The Tulane defense has now gone 28 straight games without allowing 100-yard individual rusher (10/2/21 against ECU's Keaton Mitchell – 222 yards rushing)… The announced attendance of 30,000 for the Homecoming Game is a sellout and ranks as tied for the third-largest in Yulman Stadium history, along with the stadium opener against Georgia Tech (30,000 – 9/6/14), the game against Ole Miss earlier this season (30,000 - 92/23) and behind Memphis (30,100 – 10/22/22). and UCF (30,118 - 12/2/22).

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