by Don Mooney.
Tulane scored 35 first half points which proved to difficult for Memphis to overcome. photo by Don Mooney
Memphis, TN —By halftime #25 Memphis Tigers playoff hopes were bleek. Tulane football team (7-2, 4-1 American) scored 35 points in the first half and withstood a fourth quarter Memphis comeback to earn a thrilling 38-32 victory over the No. 22 ranked Tigers (8-2, 4-2 American) on Friday night at the Liberty Bowl. The game was decided in the fourth quarter and with Tulane nursing a six-point advantage and facing a third down with just under two minutes to p-lay, Jake Retzlaff tucked it and ran for the game deciding first down to cement the team’s victory.
Brendon Lewis has rare play where he wasn’t under duress from Green Wave defense. photo by. Don Mooney
Tulane scored first as Retzlaff connected with Shazz Preston for a 65-yard touchdown on the team’s first offensive play of the game to put the Green Wave up 7-0 with 12:33 remaining in the opening quarter.
Memphis quickly tied the score up on a Brendon Lewis’ 55-yard touchdown pass to Jamari Hawkins at the 10:38 mark of the first quarter.
The Green Wave it two for two on scoring drives and marched down the field to take the 14-7 lead on Javin Gordon’s five yard touchdown rush with 4:58 remaining in a back-and-forth opening quarter.
Memphis tied the score up at 14 on the first play of the second quarter as Arrington Maiden ran it in from the 21 with 14:55 remaining in the second quarter. The Green Wave again took the lead on the ensuing drive, 21-14, as Retzlaff ran it for a 33-yard touchdown with 12:02 left in the second.
photo by Don Mooney
The Tulane offense kept things in high gear as Retzlaff connected with Anthony Brown-Stephens on a 54-yard score to put the team up two scores, 28-14, with 9:26 remaining in the second quarter. Memphis drew a field goal closer, 28-17, as Gianni Spetic knocked in a 49-yard field goal with 4:27 left before the break.
The Green Wave offense kept attacking and score the team’s fifth touchdown of the half as Retzlaff connected with Preston on a five-yard pitch-and-catch to give Tulane a 35-17 lead going into the half.
Tulane started the second half with a 30-yard Patrick Durkin field goal to extended the advantage to 38-17 at the 11:51 mark of the third quarter.
photo by Don Mooney
Memphis scored a touchdown on a Frank Peasant one-yard carry to open the fourth to draw to within two scores after the successful two-point conversion, 38-25.
The Tigers kept storming back and scored the team’s second touchdown of the quarter as Lewis connected with Brady Kluse to put the score at 38-32 with 7:49 remaining in the game in what would be the final score.