Tulane shocks USC 46-45 in Cotton Bowl

The Trojans led by 15 points with 4:30 to play

In an instant classic, No. 16 Tulane beat No. 10 USC 46-45 on a touchdown with nine seconds remaining to win the Cotton Bowl. 

Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt hit tight end Alex Bauman for a 6-yard TD and Valentino Ambrosio connected on the extra point to give the Green Wave (12-2) its first lead of the game.

Tulane had 539 yards of offense. The team trailed 45-30 with 4:30 to play before rattling off 16 straight points to win. 

The Green Wave scored its fifth touchdown of the game on a 4-yard carry from Tyjae Spears, which made the score 45-37 USC with 4:07 left.

On the ensuing Tulane kickoff, USC's Mario Williams called for a fair catch, but fumbled the ball out of bounds at the 1-yard line. On second-and-10 from their own 1-yard line, Trojans running back Austin Jones was tackled in the end zone for a safety. The defensive score for Tulane cut the team's deficit to six points, 45-39, with 3:20 to play. 

The Green Wave won the game with its next possession going 66 yards in 12 plays ending in Pratt's pass to Bauman. Tulane picked up two fourth down conversions on the drive. Pratt ended the game 8-of-17 for 234 yards and two touchdowns. Spears rushed for 205 yards and four TDs. 

Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams finished with 462 yards passing and five touchdowns on 37-of-52 passing. 

Head coach Lincoln Riley's first year in charge ends with an 11-3 record. With Williams returning next season, seven transfers committed and a top 15 2023 recruiting class, the future looks bright for Trojans fans, but Monday's Cotton Bowl defeat was a crippling blow that will lead to more questions about the USC defense. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

USC received the opening kick in the Cotton Bowl and marched 75 yards down the field in 17 plays to go up 7-0 on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Williams to Michael Jackson. Williams injured his hand on the drive and was examined in the injury tent following the touchdown, but the sophomore returned to the game. 

On the Trojans' next possession, Williams orchestrated a 95-yard drive that ended with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Terrell Bynum, which put USC up 14-0. Williams miraculously helped USC to convert a third-and-22 on the drive when he rolled left and connected with Brenden Rice along the left sideline for a gain of 30. 

With 9:30 to play in the second half, Tulane got on the board courtesy of a 3-yard touchdown run from Spears. The Green Wave's eight play, 75-yard touchdown drive made the score 14-7. 

Following a Williams interception, Tulane tied the game with an 87-yard touchdown pass from Pratt to Jha'Quan Jackson with 5:42 remaining in the second quarter. 

USC retook the lead with 2:21 to play in the first half on a 39-yard touchdown run from Raleek Brown. Following a Green Wave punt, USC added to its lead with 12 seconds remaining in the half when Williams hit Rice for a 4-yard TD. At the half, the Trojans led 28-14. 

Spears scored his second touchdown of the game to cut into USC's lead to begin the third quarter. The junior scampered into the end zone from seven yards out to make the score 28-21 Trojans with 11:55 left in the third. With 4:02 left in the quarter, Ambrosio hit a 42-yard field goal to make the score 28-24.

On USC's next drive, Williams and Rice worked more magic to give the Trojans some breathing room. On a third-and-10, Williams rolled to his left and hit Rice for a 19-yard touchdown. Rice caught the ball at the 2-yard line and tip toed along the sideline to get six to make the score 35-24 with 1:24 to play in the third quarter. 

But the Green Wave wouldn't go away. Three plays later, Tulane answered with another touchdown. Spears ran for 63 yards on the first play of the drive before being tackled at the 2-yard line. Two plays later, he ran in his third TD of the game from two yards out to make the score 35-30. Tulane went for a 2-point conversion, but the try failed. 

USC responded with its seventh touchdown of the game, Williams' fifth passing TD, when the sophomore hit Kyron Hudson for a 4-yard score with 12:09 to play. The touchdown extended the Trojans' lead to 42-30. 

With 10:46 to play, Spears fumbled and USC's Solomon Byrd recovered at the Trojans' 28-yard line, which set up a 43-yard field goal from Denis Lynch, extending USC's lead to 45-30.

But from there, Tulane scored the game's final 16 points to win.