The 19th-ranked Tulane football team (10-2, 7-1 AAC) continued to be arguably the best story in college football this season in earning the 27-24 road win over No. 24 CFP Cincinnati (9-3, 6-2 AAC) on Friday at Nippert Stadium.
The win propelled the Green Wave to the school's first-ever American Athletic Conference regular season football championship and means that Tulane will host the conference title game next Saturday at Yulman Stadium (3 p.m. CT).
The win also snapped the Bearcats' 32-game home winning streak. The win was also the first time that Tulane has beaten a ranked team since 1984 and the first time that the Green Wave have won a ranked-against-ranked match up since 1956 against Ole Miss.
Tyjae Spears led the charge with his 181 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 35 carries. Michael Pratt totaled 162 yards passing and a touchdown. He also ran for 30 yards. Lawrence Keys led the team with his five catches for 55 yards. Shae Wyatt had three catches for 62 yards. Duece Watts made his one catch of the game count as it was the go-ahead score for the program with just over five minutes remaining in the contest.
Dorian Williams tied for the team lead with his 12 tackles. He also had an interception. Nick Anderson tallied 12 tackles as well. Larry Brooks recorded six tackles and Jarius Monroe totaled five. Keith Cooper had five tackles and a sack on the Bearcats' final drive.
Tulane's offense ended the contest with 383 yards (221 rushing and 162 passing). The program's defense limited the Bearcats to a total of 337 yards.
Tulane continued the trend of scoring first as Valentino Ambrosio knocked in the 34-yard attempted to finish off the eight play, 37-yard drive and give the Green Wave a 3-0 advantage with 5:17 remaining in the first quarter.
Cincinnati tied the game to start the second quarter on the 28-yard field goal from Ryan Coe. Tulane took the lead back on an epic 15 play, 77-yard drive that covered 8:25 in clock time that finished off on the 11-yard touchdown run from Spears. It was the longest time-consuming drive for Tulane this season.
Cincinnati tied the game on its next drive on a 35-yard touchdown run.
Ambrosio gave Tulane the 13-10 lead right before the break with his Tulane career-long 47-yard field goal to complete the seven play, 45-yard drive. Tulane added on a touchdown midway through as Spears rushed it in from two yards out to put the Green Wave up 20-10 with 6:59 remaining in the third quarter.
Cincinnati rallied for a touchdown on its next possession as Ryan Montgomery ran it in from eight yards out to put the score at 20-17 late in the third quarter.
Cincinnati took its first lead of the game as Montgomery ran it in from the 15 to put the Bearcats up 24-20 with 6:27 remaining in the contest.
Tulane calmly took the lead back at Pratt connected with Duece Watts from 30 yards out to complete the 75-yard drive and give the Green Wave the lead back at the 5:10 mark of the fourth quarter.
The Green Wave will face either UCF, Cincinnati or Houston in that Saturday matchup.
