The 17th-ranked Tulane football team (8-1, 5-1 AAC), despite a strong comeback that produced 14 points in the final quarter, fell in American Athletic Conference play for the first time this season in a 38-31 loss to No. 22 UCF on Saturday at Yulman Stadium.
Tyjae Spears led the offensive charge for Tulane, rushing for 130 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Michael Pratt ended up going 23-for-39 for 236 yards and three passing touchdowns. He also ran for a score. Duece Watts totaled six catches for 56 yards and a touchdown. Jha'Quan Jackson picked up five catches for 88 yards. Shae Wyatt totaled four catches for 33 yards and a touchdown. Reggie Brown made his third catch of season count for six points, the first touchdown of his career.
Dorian Williams was all over the field with his 13 tackles. Devean Deal recorded a career-high 10 stops. Macon Clark tallied eight tackles including two stops for loss. Nick Anderson totaled seven tackles including a stop for loss. Darius Hodges had a stop for loss among his four tackles.
Tulane's offense ended the contest with 391 yards including 155 yards on the ground. The UCF offense proved potent and difficult to contain with 468 total yards including 336 yards on the ground, the most Tulane has allowed on the ground all season. The Green Wave lost the turnover battle as it fumbled twice, while the Knights stayed turnover -free.
For UCF, John Rhys Plumlee ran for 176 yards and two touchdowns. He also connected on 17 passes for 132 yards and a score.
UCF scored first as it got a 25-yard field goal from Colton Boomer at the 12:17 mark of the first quarter to finish off a nine play, 68-yard drive. After a defensive stop, UCF picked up a 67-yard rushing touchdown from Plumlee to put the lead at 10-0 at the 10:49 mark. Tulane got a much-needed answer the ensuing drive on a one-yard pitch and catch from Pratt to Watts to put the score at 10-7. The big play on the drive was a 69-yard rush from Spears. UCF, after a potential fumble recovery by the Tulane defense was reversed by the officiating crew upon review, scored its second touchdown of the opening quarter on the three-yard rush from Isaiah Bowser to put the score at 17-7 with 2:24 remaining. UCF scored first in the second quarter on a touchdown pass from Plumlee to Jaylon Baker to put the score at 24-7 with 7:18 before the intermission. Tulane scored a big touchdown before the break as Pratt rushed it from a yard out to make the score 24-14 headed into the half. UCF's offense kept its foot on the gas early in the second half as it scored its fourth touchdown of the contest on the nine-yard run from Plumlee to go up 31-14. Tulane drew to within two touchdowns on the made 23-yard field goal from Valentino Ambrosio at the 3:41 mark of the third quarter. Following an inspiring defensive stop, the Tulane offense came to life and marched down the field on a 10 play, 73-yard drive that was complete on the two-yard touchdown reception by Brown from Pratt. That drew Tulane to within one score, 31-24. UCF answered on the ensuing possession with a touchdown of its own to go up two scores on the one-yard rush from Bowser to finish off a 16-play drive. That made the score 38-24 with 3:32 remaining in the game. Tulane had one gasp left as Pratt connected with Wyatt in the back of the end zone to again get the squad to within a touchdown, 38-31, with 1:46 remaining in the contest. However, that was as close as the team got as the attempted onside kick was recovered by UCF who effectively ran most of the remaining time away.
Next, the Tulane football team finished up the home regular season and hosts SMU for Senior Day on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Yulman Stadium.
