First Half Plays, Commentary and Stats - Tulane 21 - FAU 10
In this story:
Earlier this afternoon, Navy defeated South Florida, 41-38. Tulane has a chance at having their future in the American Conference championship game in their own hands. If the Green Wave win out, they are in a much better position to make it to the trophy game.
Tulane came in as a 16+ point favorite over Florida Atlantic. The 3:00 p.m. kickoff had a temperature of 78-degrees with humidity at 53% and winds out of the South at 5-miles-per-hour.
FAU won the toss and decided to receive the opening kickoff. The Owls will be going into the wind. After the touchback, Owls start at their 25. An incomplete pass is followed by a 16-yard completion for a first down. Three short plays pick up a 1st at the TU 49. FAU going no huddle. 11-yard run, then a 13-yard completion to the TU 27. INTERCEPTION IN THE TU END ZONE. THE BALL IS TIPPED IN THE AIR BY E'ZAIH SHINE. BAILEY DESPANIE GETS THE TIP DRILL TO WORK AND MAKES THE INT.
Tulane starts at their own 20. Short pass for five, then a short run of three. Three and out for the Wave. Alec Clark puts an end over end 47-yard punt, but a good roll to the FAU 27. A short run, then a short pass, sets up a 3rd and 9. Pass over the middle picks up the first down at the FAU 38. Pick up of 7 on an out pass. Run loses three. 3rd down an 6. Pressure forces the FAU QB out of the pocket, throws to the TU 30, but the ball is dropped. Fourth down at their 47. Short punt to the TU 27.
Tulane starts at their own 27 with the wind at their back. Four yard run, followed by a two yard gane, setting up Third and three. Short completion is shy of the 1st down. Clark back in to punt, puts up a bullet that is MUFFED BY FAU'S EASTON MESSER AT THE OWLS 14 AND IS RECOVERED BY TULANE. ON THE VERY NEXT PLAY, AN END AROUND TO JIMMY CALLOWAY TO THE RIGHT SIDE PICKS UP A 14-YARD TOUCHDOWN RUN.
Tulane 7 - FAU 0 6:38 to go in the 1st Quarter
After the touchback on the kickoff, Florida Atlantic starts at their own 25. Pass interference by FAU, backs them up to their own 12. 1st and 22, then a short post turns into a 38 yard gain with many ;missed tackles. Then, a 28-gard gain to the TU 10. SACK TU LOSES 11. Pass interference by TU short of the end zone. 1st and goal at the TU 6. Short pass to the five. No gain on a run. 3rd and goal at the TU five. Run stopped at the TU 2. Fourth and goal from there. FAU going for it. Owls called for an illegal formation and forced to get a field goal. GARRISON SMITH HITS A 25-YARD FIELD GOAL.
Tulane 7 - FAU 3 2:06 to go in the 1st Quarter
A 100-yard run back is called back for holding. Assessed from the 30, Tulane starts at their own 20. Swing pass to Anthony Brown-Stephens picks up 21. A post pass over the middle picks up 26 to the FAU 33. Two straight dropped passes set up a 3rd and 10 at the FAU 33. Draw play picks up five. End of the 1st quarter.
End of the First Quarter: Tulane 7 - FAU 3
In the 1st quarter, FAU has almost doubled Tulane's offensive output: FAU 134-yards Tulane 79. However, the Owls rush game has -1 yards. FAU has possessed the ball 9:30 to the Green Wave's 5:30 in quarter #1.
Tulane going for it on 4th and 5. ON THE FIRST PLAY OF THE 2ND QUARTER, JAKE RETZLAFF ON A GO ROUTE TO BRYCE BOHANNON FROM 29-YARDS OUT FOR A TOUCHDOWN.
Tulane 14 - FAU 3 14:54 to go in the 2nd Quarter
After Patrick Durkin's kickoff sails through the end zone, FAU starts at their own 25. An incomplete pass, with pressure on the FAU QB begins the drive. A short pass picks up four. Third and 6 at at heir 29, A short out is complete again picks up 14 and a 1st. These passes are VERY close to pick plays. Short pass across the middle to the TU 39 another 1st, then another 11-yarder to the TU 28. False start by FAU backs them up to the TU 33. T13-yard pass to the TU 20, then a short rush picks up the 1st at the TU 17. Holding by TU pushes the ball to the TU 9, 1st and goal. Pass to the goal line is overthrown. Good pressure by TU on the QB to force the ball to be overthrown to a wide open receiver. Run to the TU 4, sets up a 3rd and goal. Incomplete pass through the end zone sets up a 4th and goal. 11:12 to go in the 2nd quarter. FOUR YARD TOUCHDOWN PASS TO THE BACK OF THE END ZONE FROM CADEN VELTKAMP TO JAYSHON PLATT .
Tulane 14 - FAU 10 11:06 to go in the 2nd Quarter
Tulane starts at their own 25 after the touchback. Six yard run up the middle to start by Arnold Barnes. Retzlaff down for no game. TU with mass substitutions, 3rd and four at their 31. Pass to the TU 37 picks up a 1st. Run off the left picks up 4. Throw to the Tulane sideline incomplete. Deep post to the FAU 40 to Shazz Preston for a 1st. 25-yard sprint up the middle by Jamauri McClure. PASS TO THE END ZONE FROM JAKE RETZLAFF TO ANYTHONY MILLER FOR A TOUCHDOWN FROM 14-YARDS OUT.
Tulane 21 - FAU 10 7:08 to go in the 2nd Quarter
Florida Atlantic starts at their own 25 after Patrick Durkin's kickoff gets into the end zone. Long post to the fifty falls incomplete. Deep route down the left side broken up by LJ Green. 3rd and 10. Pass over the middle is incomplete. A blind side hit by TU's Bailey Despanie is called targeting by the officials. After review, Bailey Despanie is disqualified for the penalty. 1st and 10 at their own 40 for FAU. Short run, then off setting penalties set up a 2nd and 8. Deep post to the TU 33. An 11-yard out to the TU 23. Short pass picks up six to the TU 18. Tulane calls a timeout, as TU defense was not ready for the next play. 5:09 to go in the 2nd quarter. Gain of two on a run, sets up 3rd and two at the TU 15. Pass to the tight end over the middle sets up a 1st and goal at the TU 7. Loss of one on a QB keeper. Short pass to the TU 2, sets up a 3rd and goal for FAU. Shuffle pass gets to the TU 1. Time out Florida Atlantic. 4th and goal FAU at the Tulane 1. TULANE DEFENSE HOLDS THE OWLS OUT OF THE END ZONE AT THE ONE.
Tulane takes over inside their own one with 2:08 to go in the 2nd quarter. FAU called for offsides, pushing the ball shy of the Tulane 6. 1st and five. Zuberi Mobley picks up four as we get to the Two Minute Timeout
Tulane 21 - FAU 10 2:00 to go in the 2nd Quarter
Tulane has a 2nd and 1 at their own 10. Both teams have two timeouts remaining. Quarterback sneak picks up a 1st down for TU at their 12. Up the middle on the run loses a yard. Brendan Sullivan checks in and runs off the left side for six, setting up a 3rd and 5 at the TU 17. FAU calls their 2nd timeout of the half. A run by Sullivan picks up 1, setting up a 4th and 4 as the Owls call their final timeout with :58 to go in the first. Alec Clark pooches a 38-yard punt to the FAU 44. :49 to go in the 2nd quarter.
FAU picks up 10 to the TU 46. Pass over the middle complete to the TU 29. ISAIAH WADSWORTH PICKS OFF THE PASS AT THE TULANE 1. THIRD TURNOVER OF THE GAME BY FAU.
Tulane starts at their own 1 with :24 to go in the half. Retzlaff quarterback sneaks to end the 1st half.
Halftime: Tulane 21 - Florida Atlantic 10
In a bend-but-don't break fashion, the Tulane defense is keeping the Green Wave on top in this one. The first and last drives by FAU ended up in interceptions by the Wave D, the first in the Tulane end zone, the second by a diving Isaiah Wadsworth at the Tulane 1. The TU offense had back-to-back-to-back touchdown drives from the midway point of the 1st quarter into the 2nd period.
FAU is getting their intermediate passes, especially over the middle. TU was having a hard time keeping up with the pace of the Owls. The timeout taken by TU toward the end of the 2nd quarter felt more like what a basketball coach will call when the opposition is moving the ball at will. Great call by TU's coaching staff.
Statistic | FAU | Tulane |
|---|---|---|
Total Yards | 291 | 196 |
Passing Yards | 282 | 120 |
Rushing Yards | 9 | 76 |
Penalties | 4-28 | 4-49 |
1st Downs | 20 | 9 |
3rd Down Efficiency | 4-8 | 2-6 |
4th Down Efficiency | 1-2 | 1-1 |
Total Plays | 46 | 27 |
Red Zone | 2-3 | 2-2 |
Time of Possession | 18:43 | 11:17 |
Turnovers | 3 | 0 |
Fumbles - Lost | 1-1 | 1-0 |
Sacks by | 0 | 1 |
Doug has covered a gamut of sporting events in his fifty-plus years in the field. He started doing sideline reporting for Louisiana Tech football games for the student radio station. Doug was Sports Director for KNOE-AM/FM in Monroe in the mid-80s, winning numerous awards from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association for Best Sportscast and Best Play-by-Play. High school play-by-play for teams in Monroe, Natchitoches, New Orleans, and Thibodaux, LA dot his resume. He did college play-by-play for Northwestern State University in Natchitoches for nine years. Then, moving to the Crescent City, Doug did television PBP of Tulane games and even filled in for legendary Tulane broadcaster, Ken Berthelot in the only game Kenny ever missed while doing the Green Wave games. His father was an alumnus of Tulane in the 1940s, so Doug has attended Tulane football games in old Tulane Stadium, the Superdome, and Yulman. He was one of the 86,000 plus on December 1, 1973, sitting in the North End Zone to seeTulane shutout the LSU Tigers, 14-0. He was there when the Posse ruled Fogelman and in Turchin when the Wave made it to the World Series. He currently is the public address voice of the Tulane baseball team.