Pratt breaks school career touchdown passing record as Tulane defeats Nicholls, 36-7

NEW ORLEANS – Michael Pratt broke the school touchdown passing record to lead the Tulane football team (3-1) to a 36-7 victory over Nicholls (0-3) on Saturday at Yulman Stadium.

Pratt, in his return to the starting lineup, led the offensive attack as he went 18-for-23 for 190 with two passing touchdowns and one rushing score. He also ran for 33 yards on nine carries. Makhi Hughes totaled 29 yards rushing on his five carries. Arnold Barnes was the squad’s leader with 71 yards rushing. which included a 65-yard carry. Lawrence Keys III led the team with his four catches for 77 yards and a pair of scores. Yulkeith Brown also had four catches for 55 yards with a long of 34. Chris Brazzell II picked up four catches for 42 yards. Dontae Fleming had three catches for 25 yards. Jesus Machado had 10 tackles and an interception. Bailey Despanie totaled four tackles. Darius Hodges recorded four tackles and a stop for loss. Jared Small had four tackles including a sack. Keith Cooper Jr. totaled a sack on his two tackles. Devean Deal also picked up a sack. Jarius Monroe, Lance Robinson and Gabe Liu all recorded an interception.

Tulane scored first as Shi’Keem Laister returned a low punt for a touchdown at the 10:32 mark of the first quarter to put the Green Wave up 7-0. The returned punt touchdown started on a bad snap that went over the punter’s head forcing a hurried attempt from near his goal line.

The Green Wave added a field goal to the lead as Valentino Ambrosio knocked in a 32-yard field to put the score at 10-0 at the 1:30 mark of the opening quarter.

After an interception from Monroe, Pratt connected with Keys on the 40-yard score just before the end of the quarter to put the score at 17-0 with 12 seconds remaining in the first. The touchdown pass was the 73rd in the career of Pratt to break the all-time school record previous held by Patrick Ramsey.

After another forced turnover by the Tulane defense, an interception by Lance Robinson, set up a short field, which the Green Wave offense quickly capitalized as Pratt connected with Keys on his second touchdown pass of the game to put Tulane up 24-0 with 9:08 remaining in the second quarter.

Following a Nicholls touchdown, the Tulane offense kept its foot on the gas and scored just before the break as Ambrosio knocked in a 45-yard field goal to put the Green Wave up 27-7 at the half.

A Tulane interception by Machado resulted in a short field and one-yard touchdown run from Pratt to put Tulane up 33-7 with 4:01 remaining in the third quarter after the failed two-point attempt.

Ambrosio made his third field goal of the game, this one from 31 yards, to put the Green Wave up 36-7 in what would be the final score.

Next, the Tulane football team keeps the homestand going and hosts UAB in the AAC opener at Yulman Stadium at 11 a.m. The game will also be shown live on ESPN2.

NOTES:

Michael Pratt’s first quarter touchdown pass was the 73rd of his career and broke Patrick Ramsey’s (1998-01) 22-year old school record…He added to the total and now has 74 career touchdown passes… Pratt now has 26 multiple touchdown passing performances during his career and has thrown a touchdown pass in 36 of 37 career games…The Green Wave is 19-0 in its last 19 games against Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) opposition dating back to 2000..This was Tulane’s first game against an FCS opponent since taking on Alcorn State last season…Tulane is 16-0 all-time against current schools in the Southland Conference with the last meeting coming in 2018 against Nicholls…Tulane has outscored the four opponents it has taken on from the Southland (Nicholls, McNeese State, Northwestern State and Southeastern Louisiana) by a 597-215 margin…Tulane has won 12 of the last 13 games when forcing a turnover…The win was the 200th win in the FBS career of head coach Willie Fritz…Fritz ran his all-time record to 54-8 against FCS opponents…He has played an FCS opponent in each of the last three season at Tulane and is 6-0 against FCS opponents while at Tulane…His last loss to an FCS opponent came when his team was also playing FCS football while at Sam Houston State in a 30-29 victory by Southeastern Louisiana during the playoffs…Tulane has run for 100 yards as a team in 90 of the last 94 games…Since the start of the 2016 season, Tulane is now 39-10 when leading at the half…Tulane is 3-1 on the season for the second straight year and the fourth time under Willie Fritz (2023, 2022, 2019 and 2016)…Overall, the program is 3-1 or better for the 44th time since 1893 (2023 – 3-1, 2019 – 3-1, 2016 -3-1, 2003 – 3-1, 1998 – 4-0, 1988 – 3-1, 1979 – 3-1, 1974 – 4-0), 1973 – 4-0, 1972 – 3-1, 1970 – 3-1, 1966 – 3-1, 1956 – 3-1, 1949 – 3-1, 1948 – 3-1, 1944 – 3-1, 1941 – 3-1, 1939 – 3-1, 1937 – 3-1, 1936 – 3-0-1, 1934 – 4-0, 1931 – 4-0, 1930 – 3-1, 1929 – 4-0, 1925 – 3-0-1, 1924 – 4-0, 1923 – 4-0, 1923 – 3-1, 1922 – 4-0, 1921 – 3-1, 1920 – 3-1, 1919 – 4-0, 1918 – 3-1, 1917 – 4-0, 1916 – 3-1, 1915 – 3-1, 1912 – 4-0, 1911 – 4-0, 1909 – 3-1, 1908 – 3-1, 1907 – 3-1, 1904 – 3-1, 1901 – 3-1 and 1900 – 4-0)…Tulane is 15-3 in its last 18 games (3-1 in 2023 and 12-2 in 2022)…That is the team’s best 18-game stretch since also going 15-3 between the 1998 and the 1999 seasons…The 15 wins in 18 games is the 10th time that program has won 15 out of 18 games or better dating back to the start of the program in 1893 (15-3 between 2023 and 2022, 15-3 between in 1998 and 1999, 15-2-1 between 1948 and 1949, 15-2-1 between 1933 and 1934, 15-2-1 between 1931 and 1932, 18-0 from 1930 to 1931, 17-1 between 1929 and 1930, 15-3-1 between 1928 and 1929, 16-1-1 from 1928 through 1930, 17-1-1 between 1924 to 1925….Arnold Barnes’ 65-yard rush was the longest for Tulane since Tyjae Spears had a 70-yard carry against USC in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl (1/2/23)…Shi’Keem Laister’s punt return touchdown in the first quarter was the first for Tulane since Jha’Quan Jackson’s 90-yard return for a score against Memphis last season (10/22/22).

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