Makhi Hughes’ 131 Yards And Touchdown Help No. 20 Tulane Hold On Against Tulsa, 24-22 – News18

NEW ORLEANS: Makhi Hughes rushed for 131 yards and a landing, Shedro Louis returned a kickoff 100 yards for a rating and No. 20 Tulane defeated Tulsa 24-22 on Saturday to win its eighth straight recreation.

Michael Pratt handed for 194 yards and a landing to assist the Green Wave (9-1, 6-0 American Athletic Conference, No. 23 CFP) stay on monitor to defend their league title and probably obtain a bid to a second straight main New Year’s Day bowl recreation.

Louis’ return got here on the kickoff to open the second half and gave the Wave a 21-10 lead. It was his first landing since transfering from Liberty and got here when Tulane wanted some respiration room over a Tulsa workforce that delivered a fiesty efficiency because it tried to snap a dropping streak that has now reached 5 video games.

To put away the sport, Tulane wanted Pratt to hit Chris Brazzell over the center for 10 yards on third-and-9, adopted by Hughes’ 31-yard run on which he slid down within the open subject. Those performs set the Wave as much as run out the clock on a 3rd straight recreation determined by 3 or fewer factors.

Hughes, a redshirt freshman, eclipsed the 1,000-yard speeding mark and now has rushed for 100 yards ins six straight video games.

Kirk Francis handed for a profession-excessive 345 yards and a landing for Tulsa (3-7, 1-5), which outgained Tulane 477 yards to 357. Kamdyn Benjamin had eight catches for 157 yards and two scores. Benjamin’s second TD got here on a cross from Braylon Braxton, who began the sport and subsequently subbed in situationally. The play gave the Golden Hurricane an opportunity to tie it with 3:03 left, however Braxton’s cross on a 2-level conversion try fell incomplete behind the top zone.

Tulane scored touchdowns on two of its first three drives, taking a 14-0 lead on Hughes’ 1-yard, fourth down run and tight finish Alex Bauman’s 39-yard reception.

Then Tulsa subbed Francis in for Braxton — coach Kevin Wilson had foreshadowed utilizing each — and the Golden Hurricane responded with 10 straight factors.

Francis hit Benjamin with an 8-yard cross to make it 14-7 and Chase Meyer’s 37-yard subject objective reduce it to 14-10, a rating that stood till halftime.

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Tulane will stay within the AP Top 25. Whether they transfer up or down after narrowly escaping in a recreation they had been favored to win by three touchdowns stays to be seen.

THE TAKEAWAY

Tulsa: After Braxton struggled early, Francis, a stroll-on, made his case for extra enjoying time by main the Golden Hurricane to 10 unanswered factors. His third-quarter cross to Benjamin for 51 yards — which led to Meyer’s second subject objective — was the primary play of greater than 40 yards in opposition to Tulane’s protection this season. His yards passing complete was the second-highest in class historical past for a freshman. Meanwhile, Meyer’s third subject objective from 47 yards was a profession lengthy.

Tulane: The Green Wave entered the sport with out high deep menace Jha’Quan Jackson after which one other high receiver, Lawrence Keys, had a decrease leg damage within the first quarter. That didn’t assist as their offense stagnated for vital stretches. But this workforce has repeatedly come via on the finish of tight video games.

UP NEXT

Tulsa: Hosts North Texas on Saturday.

Tulane: Visits FAU on Saturday.

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AP school soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

(This story has not been edited by News18 employees and is printed from a syndicated information company feed – Associated Press)