Tulane beat USC 46-45 on a touchdown with nine seconds remaining to win the Cotton Bowl.
Tulane QB Michael Pratt hit TE Alex Bauman for a 6-yard TD and Valentino Ambrosio connected on the extra point to give the Green Wave 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. Pratt was 8-of-17 for 234 yards and two touchdowns. RB Tyjae Spears rushed for 205 yards and four TDs.
Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams ended the game with 462 yards passing and five touchdowns on 37-of-52 passing. He finishes the season with 42 TD passes, which is a new school record.
American Athletic Conference champion Tulane finished with a record of 12-2 and completed an FBS-record 10-win turnaround around after going 2-10 last season. They were in the New Year’s Six game as the highest-ranked Group of Five team.
USC ends head coach Lincoln Riley’s first year in charge 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.
Photo courtsey of USA Today Sports
