No. 17 SMU slips past Tulane in overtime
Shane Buechele passed for 384 yards and two touchdowns as No. 17 SMU edged Tulane 37-34 in overtime in an American Athletic Conference game Friday night in New Orleans.
Chris Naggar, whose 57-yard field-goal attempt with 15 seconds left in regulation bounced away from the right upright, hit a game-winning 34-yard field goal on the second possession of overtime.
The first OT possession ended when Brandon Crossley intercepted Tulane’s Michael Pratt on third-and-16.
Buechele completed 23 of 37 as the Mustangs (5-0, 2-0 AAC) had three 100-yard receivers in their first game since losing leading receiver Reggie Roberson to a season-ending knee injury.
Rashee Rice caught seven passes for 139 yards and a touchdown, and Danny Gray caught five passes for 133 yards and touchdown and also rushed for a touchdown. Tyler Page added four receptions for 101 yards.
Stephon Huderson rushed for 132 yards and a touchdown in 19 carries to lead the Green Wave (2-3, 0-3).
Pratt completed 12 of 29 for 192 yards and a touchdown and rushed for two touchdowns.
The score was tied at 17 after a first half that featured three lead changes.
The Green Wave jumped on top in the third quarter on Huderson’s 22-yard touchdown run.
The Mustangs tied the score again on Ulysses Bentley IV’s 2-yard touchdown run, two plays after Page completed a 55-yard pass to Rice.
Naggar’s 33-yard field goal gave SMU a 27-24 lead at the end of the third period.
Pratt ran 7 yards for a touchdown that gave Tulane a 31-27 lead with 12:59 left.
Buechele threw a 10-yard touchdown to Gray, capping a 14-play, 81-yard drive that gave the Mustangs a 34-31 lead with 7:12 remaining.
Merek Glover’s 27-yard field goal tied the score with 1:30 remaining.
Tulane took a 7-0 lead on its first possession when Pratt threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to Mykel Jones.
SMU evened the score on a 32-yard run by Gray before Naggar’s 48-yard field goal gave the Mustangs a 10-7 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Pratt ran 1 yard for a touchdown to give the Green Wave a 14-10 lead.
Buechele answered with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Rice that lifted the Mustangs to a 17-14 lead before Glover kicked a 34-yard field goal that pulled Tulane even at halftime.
–Field Level Media
