Green Wave gores Bulls in Tampa, 41-15

TAMPA, Fla. – The Bulls got gored.

The Tulane football team crushed USF at Raymond James Stadium on Saturday evening, defeating the Bulls 41-15 and recording back-to-back road wins for the first time since 2007.

Corey Dauphine rushed for two touchdowns, Darius Bradwell, Justin McMillan and Amare Jones had one each and the Green Wave defense held USF’s high-powered offense – which averaged 500.2 yards and 35.6 points per game entering the day – to just 411 total yards and two touchdowns.

The Green Wave (4-5, 3-2 American Athletic Conference), already leading by 24 late in the third quarter, sealed the victory in a two-play sequence. With USF (7-2, 3-2) threatening and seemingly ready to score its first touchdown of the day, the Bulls bobbled a pass straight up into the sky. Zachery Harris got under the ball and snagged it out of the air with only his left hand for his first career interception.

On the next play, Bradwell found a hole in the offensive line and took the ball a career-high 73 yards for a touchdown and a 34-3 lead. The touchdown marked his seventh straight game with a rushing score, and the game was out of reach from there.

Bradwell (134) and Dauphine (120) had tremendous days running the ball, becoming Tulane’s first 100-yard rushers in the same game since Josh Rounds (166) and Dontrell Hilliard (124) at Tulsa on Oct. 22, 2016.

Tulane has now rushed the ball for 100 yards as a team for 36 straight games, and Saturday marked Tulane’s first game with four different rushers scoring a touchdown since Oct. 7, 2017 against Tulsa.

The win also evened Tulane’s lifetime record against USF at 1-1.

As explosive as the offense was throughout, the defense may have played even better. Tulane’s defensive unit finished with 3.5 sacks, two recovered fumbles and an interception while keeping the Bulls to just 3 points in the game’s first 44 minutes.

After USF got on the board first, Tulane responded immediately. Following his 39-yard game-winning touchdown run at Tulsa last weekend, McMillan ran through the left side of the USF defense for 33 yards on Saturday, finding the end zone untouched thanks to tremendous blocking. The touchdown gave Tulane a 7-3 lead late in the first quarter.

Merek Glover knocked one through the uprights early in the second quarter from 38 yards out, extending Tulane’s lead to 10-3.

Following another 3-and-out by the USF offense, the Green Wave went up two touchdowns. McMillan evaded pressure from the Bulls defense, rolled out to his right and hit Darnell Mooney streaking down the right sideline for 39 yards. Two plays later, Dauphine punched it in from one yard out and the Green Wave lead ballooned to 17-3.

Tulane managed to fit two more scores into the first half. Following a muffed punt return by the Bulls, Mooney caught a 39-yard pass from McMillan to set Tulane up with a first-and-goal at the 3. Two plays later, Dauphine punched it in from the 1-yard line for his second TD of the day.

And after converting a fourth-and-1 at midfield with three minutes left in the half, Tulane drove inside the 20 and Glover got his second field goal of the day to make it a 27-3 halftime lead.

After USF scored two touchdowns late to creep back closer, Tulane slammed the door with a fourth-down stop and a final rushing touchdown by Jones.

Tulane is back in action on Saturday when it hosts ECU for Homecoming. Kickoff against the Pirates is set for 3 p.m. on ESPNews.

TULANE 41, USF 15 – POSTGAME NOTES (31,388 – Attendance)

TEAM NOTES

• Tulane’s matchup with USF marked the second meeting between the two schools. With the win, the Green Wave improved to 1-1 all-time against USF.
• Tulane’s win over USF is the Green Wave’s first win in the state of Florida since 1977. The win also was the Green Wave’s first victory on the road against a team with a winning record since 1998.
• Tulane’s win at USF marked its second straight road win. The Green Wave have not won back-to-back road games since 2007.
• Team captains for today’s game were RB Corey Dauphine, RB Jared Bertrand, DE Patrick Johnson and DL De’Andre Williams.
• Freshman RB Lawrence Graham carried the No. 18 flag in honor of Devon Walker.
• Following the win, Fritz improved to 206-94-1 all-time. He also improved to 39-23 all-time in November.

OFFENSIVE NOTES

• The Green Wave offensive starters were QB Justin McMillan, RB Corey Dauphine, WR Darnell Mooney, WR Terren Encalade, WR Jabril Clewis, TE Will Wallace, OL Noah Fisher, OL Dominique Briggs, OL Corey Dublin, OL John Leglue and OL Joey Claybrook.
• Encalade and Leglue each made their 33rd consecutive start. Encalade’s start was the 40th of his career.
• Dauphine and Claybrook both made their first career starts.
• Bradwell’s 73-yard touchdown run was the longest of his career. Bradwell has now scored a touchdown in seven straight games.
• Bradwell surpassed 100 yards rushing for the second time this season.
• Dauphine rushed for over 100 yards for the third time this season. He also scored a pair of rushing touchdowns from a yard out and 21 yards out. Dauphine has scored multiple touchdowns in three games this season.
• Tulane had two running back surpass 100 yards rushing in the same game for the first time since its matchup at Tulsa on Oct. 22, 2016.
• McMillan scored the Green Wave’s first rushing touchdown of the game as he dashed in from 33 yards out.
• Tulane has now rushed for 250 yards or more in four games season.
• The Green Wave have now surpassed 100 yards rushing in 36 straight games.
• Tulane also surpassed 300 yards rushing for the second straight game for the first time since 2007.
• The Green Wave tallied over 400 yards of total offense for the 14th time in the Willie Fritz era.

DEFENSIVE NOTES

• The Green Wave defensive starters were CB Donnie Lewis Jr., S Roderic Teamer Jr., S P.J. Hall, Nickel Will Harper, CB Jaylon Monroe, LB Marvin Moody, LB Zachery Harris, DL Patrick Johnson, DL De’Andre Williams, DL Cameron Sample and DL Jeffery Johnson.
• Lewis made his 40th career start. His 40 career starts are the most of any current player on the defense.
• CB Jaylon Monroe posted a career high nine tackles.
• Harris recorded his first career interception in the third quarter.
• Sophomore S Tirise Barge forced his second career fumble. The fumble was recovered by P.J. Hall. Hall’s fumble recovery was the first of his career.
• Johnson totaled a sack for the sixth straight game. He has now tallied a tackle for loss in eight straight games.
• Tulane finished with five sacks. Through nine games this season, Tulane has registered 25 sacks. The Green Wave finished 2017 with 14 sacks.

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES

• K Merek Glover scored a pair of field goals, as he connected from 38 and 24 yards out.
• S Rod Teamer blocked USF’s PAT attempt in the third quarter. Teamer’s block was the first of his career.
• S Larry Bryant recovered a fumble on a USF muffed punt return in the second quarter.