If you were watching the NFL snoozefest that was Tennessee and Jacksonville, you missed out on one of the most exciting college football games of the young season. Tulane roared back from a 28-7 deficit to beat Houston in a game that electrified the school’s fan base, and the Green Wave did it off the back of two incredible plays.
Willie Fritz! pic.twitter.com/8vmcJsmKJF
— FootballScoop Staff (@FootballScoop) September 20, 2019
With only 18 seconds left in the fourth quarter, it looked like Houston and Tulane would go to overtime. The Green Wave had the ball on their own 29, and they lined up in what looked like a kneeldown formation.
However, they surprised Houston by running a trick play out of the look. Amare Jones picked up 18 yards on a run, giving Tulane the ball at their own 47. That gave the Green Wave the chance to get in position for a game-winning field goal, but Jalen McCleskey was having none of that.
Here’s the moment that Jalen McCleskey and Justin McMillan created a Tulane legend.
Cc: @RedditCFB pic.twitter.com/aK43siv6RB
— Fear the Wave (@FearTheWaveBlog) September 20, 2019
The Oklahoma State transfer made a great catch in traffic and then bounced off of three receivers to put Tulane ahead with three seconds to go. The score set off raucous celebrations among the Green Wave players and fans, with players running off the bench and onto the field to celebrate the touchdown.
Touchdown! pic.twitter.com/MP2D6IoFI9
— Big Nude Saturday (@thejasonkirk) September 20, 2019
It looked like McCleskey would certainly be stopped, but Houston’s defense showed why they are one of the worst defenses in the country. The Cougars have now dropped to 1-3 on the year, and anyone that bet on the Cougars to cover has to be sick to their stomach. Houston was a five-point underdog that would have covered even if Tulane kicked a game-winning field goal.
On a bittersweet note, Houston’s D’Eriq King did make some history in last night’s game. King broke Tim Tebow’s FBS record for most consecutive games with a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown, notching his 15th straight game with both types of scores.
H/T ESPN
