Michael Pratt found Tyrick James on a 4-yard touchdown pass with 4:27 left as Tulane pulled a huge 17-10 upset over double-digit favorite Kansas State in Manhattan, Kan.
The Green Wave drove for the winning points after stopping Kansas State on fourth down with 6:38 to play.
It was Tulane’s first road victory over a Power 5 conference school since defeating Rutgers in 2010.
Pratt was just 13-of-26 for 176 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions, but he engineered a 52-yard drive for the go-ahead score for Tulane (3-0).
Adrian Martinez finished 21-of-31 passing for 150 yards for Kansas State (2-1). Deuce Vaughn, who had rushed for 100 or more yards in eight straight games, was held to 81 yards on 20 carries. He was also held out of the end zone for the first time in 10 games.
Tulane used a nine-play, 91-yard drive to get on the board first. Tyjae Spears punched it in from the 1-yard line from the Wildcat formation. The key play on the drive was a 38-yard completion from Pratt to Dea Dea McDougle. The Green Wave dominated the stats in the first quarter. Even going against a stiff wind, they outgained the Wildcats 125-46 in the quarter.
Things got a little better for the Wildcats in the second quarter, but it took a perfect throw from Martinez to his former Nebraska teammate Kade Warner on a 21-yard touchdown pass to tie the score at 7. It capped an eight-play, 75-yard drive for K-State.
Tulane appeared to be heading toward a halftime lead as the Green Wave moved into K-State territory. But Daniel Green picked off a Pratt interception at the Wildcats’ 28-yard line and returned it 49 yards. K-State’s drive stalled at the Tulane 4-yard line and Chris Tennant’s 22-yard field goal as time expired gave the Wildcats their first lead of the game at 10-7.
Tulane held Deuce Vaughn to 36 yards rushing on 13 carries in the first half.
After turning over the Wildcats on downs to start the second half, Tulane responded with a 30-yard field goal by Kriston Esnard to tie the score.
The Green Wave stopped the Wildcats on fourth and short twice in the third quarter and once in the fourth. K-State finished the day 1-for-5 on fourth down.
–Field Level Media
