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SMU football vs. Tulane - Oct. 16, 2020
37
Winner SMU SMU 5-0 , 2-0
34
Tulane TULANE 2-3 , 0-3
Winner
SMU SMU
5-0 , 2-0
37
Final
34
Tulane TULANE
2-3 , 0-3
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th OT F
SMU SMU 10 7 10 7 3 37
TULANE Tulane 7 10 7 10 0 34

Game Recap: Football |

No. 17 SMU Defeats Tulane, 37-34

Buechele Throws For 384, Mustangs Have Three With Over 100 Yards Receiving Each

Box Score | Postgame Notes
Photo Gallery  |  Video Highlights

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Brandon Crossley ended the first overtime possession with an interception and Chris Naggar made a 34-yard field goal to give No. 17 SMU a 37-34 victory over Tulane on Friday night.

Crossley intercepted Tulane freshman Michael Pratt's pass to put the Mustangs (5-0, 3-0 American Athletic) in position to win with the field goal.

"It's good to get a hard-fought win," SMU coach Sonny Dykes said. "We had our hands full and we were really fortunate to win. It's very difficult to be able to win a mid-week game on the road, especially with all the problems that we created for ourselves. We just didn't seem to be in sync on either side of the ball. We did a bunch of things that if you normally do, you lose ball games. But, we were able to win."

SMU is 5-0 for the second straight season, a feat it last accomplished in 1983.

"Being able to accomplish what we have these last two years says we are getting better as a program," Dykes said. "When you take over a program you want to always try and get better. It's a credit to the players for buying in and doing what we are asking them to do."

The Green Wave (2-3, 0-3) rallied to force overtime on Merek Glover's 27-yard field goal with 1:30 left.

"We went blow for blow with them," Tulane coach Willie Fritz said. "Unfortunately, they get the last one in. I saw a lot of good things from our guys. Really was impressed with the way we battled and fought back."

After Tulane took a 31-27 lead early in the fourth quarter on Pratt's 7-yard touchdown, the Mustangs pulled ahead 34-31 lead on Shane Buechele's 10-yard pass to Danny Gray.

Buechele completed 23 of 37 passes for 384 yards and two touchdowns. He entered the game second nationally in passing yards.

Rashee Rice had seven receptions for 139 yards and a touchdown, and Gray added five catches for 133 yards and a touchdown and had a 32-yard scoring run. Ulysses Bentley ran for 94 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries.

Tulane scored on its first possession of the game on Pratt's 31-yard pass to Mykel Jones, and its first possession of the second half on Stephon Huderson's 22-yard run

"I really appreciate the effort, playing the 17th-ranked team in the country, but we're at the point in our program where we want to win those games," Fritz said. "We've just got to play a little bit better in order to do that."

SPARSE CROWD

Only family members of players and the Tulane staff were allowed to attend the game at Yulman Stadium because of the coronavirus pandemic.

STALEMATE BROKEN

SMU took a 14-13 series lead.

FIRST DRIVE

Having caught only one pass in the first four games, Green Wave receiver Mykel Jones had three receptions for 40 yards on the first drive, the last the 31-yard scoring play.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

With so many big-time matchups between ranked teams Saturday, it's too early to tell whether or not the Mustangs will make a significant jump.

UP NEXT

SMU: Hosts Cincinnati next Saturday.

Tulane: At UCF next Saturday.

SMU Postgame Notes – October 16, 2020
[17/18] SMU 37, Tulane 34 (OT)
SMU (5-0, 2-0 American), Tulane (2-3, 0-3 American)
Yulman Stadium – New Orleans, Louisiana
 
NEXT GAME
Vs. [8/10] Cincinnati – Saturday, October 24 – 8 p.m. – Gerald J. Ford Stadium – Dallas, Texas
TV: ESPN2
Radio: KTCK The Ticket 96.7 FM/1310 AM | TuneIn app | SMU Mobile App
 
TEAM NOTES
 
Captains: Shane Buechele (#7, QB, Sr.), Reggie Roberson, Jr. (#8, WR, Sr.), Hayden Howerton (#75, OL, Sr.), Delano Robinson (#3, LB, Sr.), Brandon Stephens (#23, CB, Sr.)
 
SMU is 5-0 for the second straight season (started 8-0 in 2019)

  • 15-3 in last 18 games overall
  • 20-7 in last 27 games overall
 
SMU is now 3-1 in OT under Sonny Dykes
 
Chris Naggar hit a 34-yard FG in overtime for the winner
  • Second straight game with the winning FG (43-yard FG with 9 seconds left in the 30-27 win vs then-No. 25/24 Memphis)
 
SMU had 581 total yards (439 passing, 142 rushing)
  • 4th time this season with 500+ yards
  • 10th time in past 18 games with at least 500 yards
  • SMU entered the game fourth nationally in total offense (558.8) and fifth in scoring offense (44.0)
 
SMU had three 100-yard receivers: Danny Gray (5-133, TD), Rashee Rice (7-139, TD), Tyler Page (4-101)  
The Mustangs had 2 rushing TDs (have 14 this season after an SMU-record 35 rushing TDs in 2019)  
SMU had 4 sacks and 8 TFLs, now has 15 sacks and 40 TFLs on the season  
The Mustangs had a takeaway (interception)
  • Had at least one takeaway in 7 straight games and 27 of past 29 games
  • Interceptions: Brandon Crossley (OT) [3rd straight game with an interception]
 
Third downs – SMU was 10-18 (55.6%), Tulane was 5-14 (35.7%)
 
SMU led 10-7 at the end of the first quarter and was tied 17-17 at halftime.
  • SMU has been tied or leading after the first quarter in 16 of the past 17 games.
  • SMU has been tied or leading at halftime in 14 of the past 17 games.
 
 
SMU was 5-5 in the red zone (Now 26-28 for the season 19 TDs, 7 FGs)
 
SMU is among national leaders in explosive plays.
20+ 9 (now 35 on the season)
30+ 7 (now 20 on the season)
40+ 5 (now 13 on the season)*
50+ 2 (now 8 on the season)*
60+ 1 (now 5 on the season)^
* Entering the game, SMU led the nation
^ Entering the game, SMU was second nationally
 
SMU's first TD was a on a 5-play, 91-yard drive capped by Danny Gray's 32-yard TD run
  • That was the third scoring drive of at least 90 yards this season (93 and 90 at North Texas)
 
Series History: SMU is 14-13 vs Tulane
  • SMU has won 6 consecutive matchups
  • SMU has won 9 of the past 10
  • SMU has won 4 of the past 5 games in New Orleans
 
Video Highlights (via ESPN)  
SMU Radio Network Highlights https://soundcloud.com/user-274538678/sets/2020-10-16-17-smu-37-tulane-34
  • Rich Phillips (PxP), Scott Garner (Analyst)

 
Head Coach Sonny Dykes postgame https://soundcloud.com/user-274538678/2020-10-16-sonny-dykes-postgame-interview
 

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