New Orleans — For the second-straight season, Tulane’s football team is bowl eligible, after beating Tulsa 38-26 and improving to (6-3). To reach this milestone for wins with still 3 games remaining was a big step for the program.
“To this team is means a lot just to know the strides we’ve came,” said Tulane quarterback Justin McMillan. “Talking to people like PJ [Hall] and Dre. I just got here and I didn’t understand fully what Tulane has been through in the past 2, 4, 5 years ago. And I heard it wasn’t good. To know that we’re bowl eligible with 3 games left? It just shows where we’re heading.”
“It feels good,” said Tulane nose tackle DeAndre Williams. “This is one of our goals and we’re happy that we accomplished it so early. We’re ready to take it another week at a time and get ready to keep playing.”
“It’s big for us,” said Tulane Head Football Coach Willie Fritz. “I think the ’79-’80 team went back-to-back bowl games. The 97-98 team qualified but they didn’t go in ’97. But obviously they went in ’98. I just want to keep winning and see what kind of good bowl we can get into.”
After slows starts in their last two games, Tulane jumped-out to a 10-0 lead by the end of the first quarter and led the Golden Hurricane 24-16 at the break. From there, Tulsa got with-in 5 in the 4th quarter, but Tulane added a touchdown with 4:53 to play to put it out of reach and snap a 2-game losing-streak.
Justin McMillan threw for a touchdown and ran for 3 more in the win, finishing 12-16 passing for 184 yards and two interceptions. He also rushed for 73 yards on 12 carries. Stephon Huderson was their leading rusher with 100 yards on 7 carries.
Tulane is off next week, before traveling to take-on Temple on Saturday, November 16.
