Michael Pratt threw two touchdown passes and ran for another as No. 22 Tulane held off host Rice 30-28 in an American Athletic Conference game Saturday in Houston.
Pratt completed 22 of 30 passes for 263 yards and Makhi Hughes rushed for 153 yards on 23 carries for the Green Wave (7-1, 4-0 AAC).
JT Daniels passed for 189 yards and two touchdowns, and Juma Otoviano ran for two scores for the Owls (4-4, 2-2).
Rice received the second-half kickoff and drove 75 yards on 12 plays, capped by Otoviano’s 3-yard touchdown run that cut the Green Wave’s lead to 27-14.
Tulane was approaching field-goal range on the ensuing possession when Gabriel Taylor intercepted Pratt and returned 72 yards to the Green Wave 3. Two plays later Daniels threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Boden Groen to trim the lead to 27-21 at the end of the third quarter.
Valentino Ambrosio kicked a 43-yard field goal that increased the lead to 30-21 early in the fourth quarter.
Daniels threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Luke McCaffrey to get the Owls within 30-28 midway through the fourth quarter.
On the ensuing possession the Green Wave drove to a fourth-and-1 at the Rice 6 and Pratt rushed 2 yards for the first down. Tulane turned the ball over on downs with 4 seconds left, and Rice’s desperation final play failed.
Tulane received the opening kickoff and drove to Ambrosio’s 44-yard field goal. Pratt’s 26-yard touchdown pass to Yulkeith Brown increased the lead to 10-0.
Otoviano’s 5-yard touchdown run trimmed the lead to 10-7 at the end of the first quarter.
On the third play of the second quarter Pratt ran 1 yard for a touchdown and 17-7 lead. He threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Alex Bauman for a 24-7 lead.
DJ Douglas intercepted Daniels with less than a minute remaining in the period and Pratt completed two passes for 35 yards, setting up Ambrosio’s 41-yard field goal and a 27-7 halftime lead.
–Field Level Media
