Tulane impresses in valiant upset bid at No. 2 Oklahoma

For all observers including even the most ardent Tulane fan, the outcome was inevitable.

Second-ranked Oklahoma was going to defeat the Green Wave in a Tulane “home game” at Norman at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

The ultimate question was what the final margin would be?

Would it be the predicted blowout for Oklahoma or would Tulane find a way to be somewhat competitive?

How would Tulane’s offense look under new offensive coordinator Chip Long? How would Tulane’s defense look under new defensive coordinator Chris Hampton?

The answers were good and good, overall. Sometimes, the answer would be very good.

Spencer Rattler may be the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. If anyone believes he is that good, I hope they did not watch Saturday’s game. Rattler was rattled. He could have easily been picked off five times, at least four times.

Meanwhile, the Green Wave outplayed Oklahoma in three of four quarters.

Unfortunately, the one bad quarter was too bad and a bit too much to overcome in a 40-35 victory for the Sooners.

Oklahoma parlayed a 23-0 second quarter into a shaky, make that very shaky victory.

Simply put, a team which is either clearly overrated or clearly took Tulane lightly, perhaps very lightly, was lucky to escape with a victory.

Things started well for Tulane.

Nick Anderson made a nice play on a screen pass to start the game.

On the second play of the game, freshman defensive back Jadon Canady intercepted Rattler on a deep ball, thrown into double coverage, at the Tulane 42-yard line.

Michael Pratt quickly hit sophomore Ygenio Booker on a 24-yard completion to the Oklahoma 30-yard line.

Pratt capped the drive with a play-fake, six-yard touchdown pass to Cam Carroll, who was wide open, to give the Green Wave a 7-0 lead with 11:48 to play in the opening quarter.

Michael Pratt 6 yard TD to a wide open Cameron Carroll!!

Tulane strikes first! 7-0#Tulane #Oklahoma

pic.twitter.com/5DG6jcR7SQ

— Sideline CFB (@SidelineCFB) September 4, 2021

The drive covered 58 yards in eight plays, taking 3:08 off the clock. Tulane overcame a penalty and a dropped pass on the drive. Pratt was 4-of-6 for 51 yards and the touchdown, with a drop on the drive.

Oklahoma responded, going no-huddle and the hurry-up approach worked as Rattler found wide open receivers four times.

The Sooners tied the game on a one-yard touchdown run by Rattler to make it 7-7 with 5:59 to play in the opening quarter.

The drive covered 75 yards in 11 plays, taking 5:16 off the clock. The Sooners overcame a pair of false start penalties to even the score.

Undaunted, Tulane responded immediately.

Pratt hit Tyrick James for 43 yards to the Oklahoma 19-yard line.

Then, Toles scored on a 15-yard run, breaking a tackle and scoring standing up to make it 14-7 with 5:19 to play in the opening quarter.

Jaetavian Toles gives Tulane the lead over Oklahoma pic.twitter.com/QiNroCv1Gf

— Justin Groc (@justgroc) September 4, 2021

The drive covered 75 yards in just four plays, taking just 1:15 off the clock.

It took less than a minute for the Sooners to get even again as they needed just five plays to go 75 yards, using 2:06 on the drive.

First, Rattler his Marvin Mims Jr. for 50 yards to the Tulane one-yard line. Then, Caleb Williams scored from a yard out to make it 14-14 with 2:48 to play in the opening quarter.

Tulane’s offensive line just MOWING down Oklahoma pic.twitter.com/4naKwaffjO

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) September 4, 2021

The first quarter ended 14-14 with the teams combining for 301 total yards, including 154 for Oklahoma and 147 for Tulane.

Pratt was 7-of-10 for 105 yards and a score with two drops in the quarter and he rushed twice for nine yards.

Oklahoma got its first stop and the Sooner offense kept rolling to take the lead for the first time, driving 84 yards in nine plays with Kennedy Brooks scoring on fourth-and-goal from the one-yard line to make it 21-14 with 10 minutes to play in the first half. The Sooners converted twice on fourth down on the drive.

Then, it started to fall apart for Tulane as Sincere Haynesworth and Pratt could not execute a simple center/quarterback exchange. Pratt fumbled and Nick Bonitto recovered at the Tulane 11-yard line.

The Green Wave defense then came up big, getting a three-and-out with Gabe Brkic hitting a 26-yard field goal to give Oklahoma a 24-14 lead with 8:59 to play in the half.

The collapse continued, though, as on the first play of the next drive, Pratt, scrambling, was stripped by Isaiah Thomas and fumbled with Clayton Smith recovering at the Tulane 35-yard line.

Once again, the defense held firm, forcing another three-and-out and Brkic drove home a 51-yard field goal to make it 27-14 with 7:58 to play in the half.

Still, the field goal could have been avoided as Rattler made an errant throw which hit Macon Clark in the hands and numbers but he could not come up with the interception. The ball was tipped but it was a play that could clearly have been made.

After the Tulane offense failed to move again and punted, Oklahoma took total control, driving 78 yards in seven plays, taking 3:03 off the clock with Rattler connecting with Mario Williams on a six-yard touchdown pass and it was 34-14 with 3:01 to play in the half.

Pratt took a big hit from Key Lawrence midway late in the second quarter and Justin Ibieta had to take over for a play but Pratt then returned.

Oklahoma then put the game away as Pratt was strip-sacked by Reggie Grimes with Jalen Redmond recovering at the Tulane 41-yard line.

Anderson then went down injured in the final minute of the half with what appeared to be a cramp.

Brkic came on and nailed a 56-yard field goal on the final play of the half to make it 37-14 at the half.

Oklahoma had the ball for 18:07 to just 11:53 for Tulane in the first half.

The Sooners ran up 312 yards to just 166 for the Green Wave as Tulane had just 19 total yards in the second quarter.

Tulane had just 33 yards rushing on 15 carries in the first half.

The Green Wave took the second half kickoff and drove 52 yards in 10 plays to the Oklahoma 24-yard-line but Graham Dable missed badly on a 41-yard field goal attempt.

Tulane finally got it going offensively after the defense got a big stop on fourth-and-one, using a short field to go 42 yards in 11 plays with Pratt scoring on a quarterback keeper from four yards out and Deuce Watts ran in the two-point conversion to make it 37-22 with 3:31 to play in the third quarter.

Oklahoma answered as Brkic drilled a 55-yard field goal to make it 40-22 with 1:01 to play in the third quarter. The drive covered 37 yards in seven plays, taking 2:30 off the clock.

Then, Clark atoned for his earlier drop by coming up with a fabulous interception of Rattler, fully laying out with a diving effort. He got his hands under the ball and kept it off the ground, giving Tulane the ball at the Oklahoma 47-yard line.

Tulane took total advantage, driving 47 yards in eight plays, taking 2:23 off the clock with Pratt hitting Carroll on a five-yard touchdown pass to make it 40-28 with 11:28 to play in the game.

Once again, Willie Fritz elected to go for two and this time, it failed as Pratt was stepped on trying to retreat from center and hit the ground. The call, like the previous one to go for two, was peculiar, as it left Tulane down 12 points, rather than 11 which would put the Green Wave within a touchdown and a field goal.

After Brkic missed a short field goal, Tulane responded with an 80 yard drive in eight plays, taking 2:45 off the clock with Pratt hitting tight end Will Wallace with a five-yard touchdown pass and the lead was 40-35 with 2:18 to play in the game.

Then, Casey Glover booted a very nice onside kick and Larry Brooks recovered it at the Tulane 47-yard line with 2:18 remaining.

TULANE RECOVERED THE ONSIDE KICK pic.twitter.com/oo17Rjmr1y

— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 4, 2021

Unfortunately, Pratt took a sack under heavy pressure and on fourth-and-13, Pratt came up a yard short as he was flushed out of the pocket right and tried to race for the first down.

In 2017, the halftime score at Norman was 28-14 Oklahoma. Then, the Sooners blitzed the Green Wave in the second half by a 28-0 margin to win 56-14.

If you want to measure progress in a program, take a look at that game, in the same location, with the same coaches, and look at the result Saturday.

It was over 100 degrees on the field. It is going to feel a bit hotter for OU now.

Tulane was picked seventh in the American Athletic Conference. Oklahoma has won the Big 12 six straight times. You would not have known by watching this game.

Ultimately, what sank Tulane were three turnovers and six drops.

Pratt overcame the three second quarter turnovers to complete 27-of-44 passes for 296 yards and three touchdowns and he rushed 15 times for 34 yards and a score.

James came up huge with six catches for 93 yards while Wallace had three catches for 27 yards and a score as the tight end position emerged as a real force for the 2021 Green Wave.

The score was not a fluke.

Oklahoma gained 430 yards to 396 for Tulane.

The real difference in the game was Brkic making three field goals in-excess of 50 yards, tying an FBS record, while Tulane missed a 41-yard field goal. The kicking game matters.

Tulane was displaced by Hurricane Ida and had to give up a cherished home game, perhaps the best home game since the last time the Green Wave hosted LSU in 2007.

Moral victories are pointless and empty but anyone watching this one had to impressed with Tulane. I certainly was.

Tulane has not beaten a top 10 team since the infamous 1973 victory over LSU and has never beaten a top five team. It was the first time Tulane scored more than 17 points against a top five-ranked team.

Tulane will step way down in class to face Morgan State next Saturday at Birmingham’s Legion Field.

If the Green Wave can match the effort and performance level on display at Norman, it is going to be a good season for Tulane.

TULANE 35, NO. 2 OKLAHOMA 40 – POSTGAME NOTES (42,206)

TEAM NOTES

· Tulane’s matchup with Oklahoma was moved to Norman, Oklahoma, as a result of the effects of Hurricane Ida.

· The Green Wave’s matchup with Oklahoma marked he 128th season of Tulane football.

· With the loss, Tulane suffered its first season-opening loss since 2018.

· Tulane scored on its first drive of the game, as it went 55 yards in eight plays.

· The Green Wave and Sooners were tied at 14 after the first quarter, but Oklahoma reeled off 23 unanswered points in the second quarter to take a 37-14 lead into the locker room.

· Tulane responded in a big way, as it outscored Oklahoma 21-3 in the second half and had the ball with less than 2:30 remaining, but were unable to pick up the go-ahead score.

· Tulane’s matchup with Oklahoma marked the 39th Top 5 opponent the Green Wave have faced in program history.

· The Green Wave’s 35-point effort was the most points Tulane has posted against a Top 5 team in program history.

· Tulane fell just shy of picking up its first-ever victory over a Top 5 opponent.

· The Green Wave faced Oklahoma for just the second time in program history. Oklahoma has defeated Tulane in both of its all-time meetings.

· Tulane offensive lineman Sincere Haynesworth carried the Wave of Change flag and Green Wave cornerback Jaylon Monroe carried the No. 18 flag in honor of former Tulane student-athlete Devon Walker.

· With the loss, Tulane head coach Willie Fritz fell to 222-108-1 all-time.

OFFENSIVE NOTES

· Offensive starters for the Green Wave were QB Michael Pratt, WR Jaetavian Toles, WR Phat Watts, WR Shae Wyatt, RB Cameron Carroll, TE Tyrick James, OL Sincere Haynesworth, OL Corey Dublin, OL Joey Claybrook, OL Rashad Green and OL Caleb Thomas.

· Dublin’s start was the 50th of his career.

· Wyatt and Green both logged their first career starts for the Olive and Blue.

· Pratt finished the game with a career-high three touchdown passes and added one rushing touchdown. The freshman signal caller has now thrown for multiple touchdown passes in nine career games. He also has thrown for a touchdown in every game he has appeared in for the Green Wave.

· Pratt’s 296-yard effort was a single-game career high.

· Tight end Tyrick James had career-highs with six receptions and 93 yards receiving.

· Senior wide receiver Jaetavian Toles collected his first career rushing touchdown in the first quarter.

· Redshirt sophomore running back Cam Carroll caught a career-high two receiving touchdowns.

· As a team, Tulane also rushed for 100 yards or more for the 65th time in its last 66 games.

DEFENSIVE NOTES

· Defensive starters for the Green Wave were LB Dorian Williams, LB Nick Anderson, CB Lance Robinson, CB Jaylon Monroe, DB Jadon Canady, DB Ajani Kerr, DB Macon Clark, DL JoJo Dorceus, DL Adonis Friloux, DL Angelo Anderson and DL Jeffrey Johnson.

· As a team, Tulane held Oklahoma to just 118 yards of total offense and forced the Sooners into one turnover in the second half.

· Canady was the only true freshman to start on defense.

· Nick Anderson led the team with 8.0 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.

· Tulane tallied a pair of interceptions. Canady collected his first career interception, while Clark recorded his fourth interception.

· As a team, Tulane finished the game with 6.0 tackles for loss and 1.0 sack.

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES

· Ryan Wright finished the game with three punts for 149 yards (49.7 yard average).

· Graham Dable made his first career appearance and connected on a pair of extra points.