Football
Year-By-Year Summaries (1960s)
 

 

  
 

1960 (3-6-1, 1-4-1 SEC)
Head Coach: Andy Pilney

All-American Tommy Mason had one of the great seasons in Tulane football history as he led the SEC in rushing and scored 13 touchdowns. A versatile performer, Mason set a single-season record for all-purpose yardage (1,452 yards) that endured 28 years.

Tulane finished 3-6-1 in 1960, but the losing season did not dim Mason's luster as far as pro scouts were concerned. He was the first player selected in the NFL draft that year, going to the Minnesota Vikings.

Quarterback Phil Nugent also had a fine season, as his 880 passing yards were the most by a Tulane player in 10 years. 

                                                  Ranking
Date  Opponent                Location            Tul/Opp  Score  Result  Attendance
S17   at California           Berkeley, Calif.             7-3      W     37,500
S24   Alabama*                New Orleans, La.     NR/5    6-6      T     42,000
O1    at Rice                 Houston, Texas               7-10     L     30,000
O15   Ole Miss*               New Orleans, La.     NR/1    13-26    L     72,000
O22   at Georgia Tech*        Atlanta, Ga.                 6-14     L     44,000
O28   William & Mary          New Orleans, La.             40-8     W     22,000
N5    at Texas Tech           Lubbock, Texas               21-35    L     15,000
N12   at Florida*             Gainesville, Fla.    NR/20   6-21     L     43,000
N19   at Vanderbilt*          Nashville, Tenn.             20-0     W     16,000
N26   LSU*                    New Orleans, La.             6-17     L     73,000

1961 (2-8, 1-5 SEC)
Head Coach: Andy Pilney

Andy Pilney's eight-year term as head coach, the second-longest in Tulane history, ended in a 2-8 season. Only Clark Shaughnessy lasted longer at the Green Wave helm, a testament to Pilney's coaching acumen in the face of restricted budgets and stiff academic standards.

Unable to effectively replace the graduated Tommy Mason, Tulane was shut out five times in 10 games, the final loss a 62-0 verdict to LSU. The two victories that season were over Virginia Tech and Vanderbilt. The season-ending loss to LSU began a school-record 17-game losing streak. 

                                                  Ranking
Date  Opponent                Location            Tul/Opp  Score  Result  Attendance
S23   at Stanford             Palo Alto, Calif.            7-9      L     20,562
S30   vs. Alabama*            Mobile, Ala.         NR/4    0-9      L     30,262
O6    Florida*                New Orleans, La.             3-14     L     23,794
O14   Virginia Tech           New Orleans, La.             27-14    W     14,892
O21   at Ole Miss*            Jackson, Miss.       NR/2    0-41     L     36,168
O28   Georgia Tech*           New Orleans, La.     NR/9    0-35     L     17,691
N4    at Clemson              Clemson, S.C.                6-21     L     22,073
N11   Miami (Fla.)            New Orleans, La.             0-6      L     13,662
N17   Vanderbilt*             New Orleans, La.             17-14    W     12,730
N25   at LSU*                 Baton Rouge, La.     NR/4    0-62     L     60,808

1962 (0-10, 0-7 SEC)
Head Coach: Tommy O'Boyle

Former Tulane All-American Tommy O'Boyle (1938-40), an assistant to Andy Pilney in 1961, was promoted to head football coach for the 1962 season. The 1962 team posted an 0-10 record, the first Green Wave squad to go winless since the 1910 team finished 0-7. End Clem Dellenger caught 39 passes to set a new season record that would last 17 years. 

                                                  Ranking
Date  Opponent                Location            Tul/Opp  Score  Result  Attendance
S21   Stanford                New Orleans, La.             3-6      L     24,446
S28   Alabama*                New Orleans, La.     NR/1    6-44     L     30,995
O6    at Texas                Austin, Texas        NR/3    8-35     L     50,000
O12   Mississippi State*      New Orleans, La.             6-35     L     19,053
O20   at Ole Miss*            Jackson, Miss.       NR/5    0-21     L     21,000
O27   at Georgia Tech*        Atlanta, Ga.                 12-42    L     46,370
N3    Virginia Tech           New Orleans, La.             22-24    L     13,687
N10   at Tennessee*           Knoxville, Tenn.             16-28    L     19,965
N17   at Vanderbilt*          Nashville, Tenn.             0-20     L     16,000
N24   LSU*                    New Orleans, La.     NR/8    3-38     L     37,811

1963 (1-8-1, 0-6-1 SEC)
Head Coach: Tommy O'Boyle

The 1963 team dropped its first six decisions before beating South Carolina 20-7 on the road to snap a school-record 17-game losing streak. A 10-10 tie with Vanderbilt later in the year resulted in a 1-8-1 record.

The team struggled offensively and was shut out six times as Coach Tommy O'Boyle fought to rebuild Green Wave football fortunes. The 43 points scored by the 1963 team were the fewest by a Tulane squad since the winless 1910 team scored only six points.

Ron Chapoton led the team in receptions, the last running back to do so before Mewelde Moore accomplished the feat in 2001. 

                                                  Ranking
Date  Opponent                Location            Tul/Opp  Score  Result  Attendance
S20   Texas                   New Orleans, La.     NR/5    0-21     L     19,881
S28   vs. Alabama*            Mobile, Ala.         NR/2    0-28     L     29,177
O4    Miami (Fla.)            New Orleans, La.             0-10     L     16,432
O12   at Mississippi State*   Jackson, Miss.               10-31    L     18,126
O19   Ole Miss*               New Orleans, La.     NR/5    0-21     L     16,288
O26   Georgia Tech*           New Orleans, La.             3-17     L     13,336
N2    at South Carolina       Columbia, S.C.               20-7     W     15,942
N9    Tennessee*              New Orleans, La.             0-26     L     11,242
N16   Vanderbilt*             New Orleans, La.             10-10    T     10,860
N23   at LSU*                 Baton Rouge, La.             0-20     L     57,393

1964 (3-7, 1-5 SEC)
Head Coach: Tommy O'Boyle

Coach Tommy O'Boyle's third Tulane team showed definite improvement, playing much better than its 3-7 record would indicate. After five losses to open the season, the team rallied to a 3-2 finish that included a 17-0 win in the season finale with Duke highlighted by a then-Tulane record 53-yard field goal by Don Bright.

The Duke game was postponed to season's end by Hurricane Hilda, and it marked the first time the Green Wave did not play LSU in its final game since the 1946 season.

George Smith, who led the team in rushing for the second consecutive season, had a big game against VMI, rushing for 112 yards in a 25-6 win. Quarterback Dave East set a season record with 85 completions. 

                                                  Ranking
Date  Opponent                Location            Tul/Opp  Score  Result  Attendance
S19   at Texas                Austin, Texas        NR/4    0-31     L     57,543
S26   vs. Alabama*            Mobile, Ala.         NR/4    6-36     L     29,088
O10   at Mississippi State*   Starkville, Miss.            6-17     L     12,796
O17   Ole Miss*               New Orleans, La.             9-14     L     18,727
O24   at Georgia Tech         Atlanta, Ga.                 6-7      L     45,129
O31   VMI                     New Orleans, La.             25-6     W     14,838
N6    at Miami (Fla.)*        Miami, Fla.                  0-21     L     31,209
N14   at Vanderbilt*          Nashville, Tenn.             7-2      W     14,808
N21   LSU*                    New Orleans, La.     NR/8    3-13     L     46,703
N28   Duke                    New Orleans, La.             17-0     W     11,676
      NOTE: Miami (Fla.) game was designated SEC game

1965 (2-8, 1-5 SEC)
Head Coach: Tommy O'Boyle

Tulane's 1965 team competed well in the early going, then fell into a tailspin that cost Coach Tommy O'Boyle his job. Preseason practice was disrupted when Hurricane Betsy hit New Orleans about a week before the season opener with Texas, which was hurriedly moved from Tulane Stadium to Austin.

A game Tulane team hung tough before losing road encounters to Texas and Alabama, then rode the passing and running of sophomore phenom Bobby Duhon to a 24-16 upset of Miami. Duhon's 71-yard TD pass to Lanis O'Steen in his first collegiate start highlighted the win.

After tough losses to nationally-ranked Georgia Tech and Ole Miss, the Green Wave upset Mississippi State at home. Captain Bill Goss, an All-SEC linebacker, led a defensive unit, dubbed the "Posse," that was keeping Tulane in football games.

A run of injuries decimated squad depth as the season went on, however, and narrow losses to Vanderbilt and Stanford were followed by devastating defeats to Top Ten teams Florida and LSU, the latter by another 62-0 margin. The 2-8 finish led Tulane to seek its third head coach of the decade. 

                                                  Ranking
Date  Opponent                Location            Tul/Opp  Score  Result  Attendance
S17   at Texas                Austin, Texas        NR/2    0-31     L     41,778
S25   vs. Alabama*            Mobile, Ala.                 0-27     L     31,920
O2    Miami (Fla.)            New Orleans, La.             24-16    W     19,303
O9    Georgia Tech            New Orleans, La.             10-13    L     28,730
O16   at Ole Miss*            Jackson, Miss.               7-24     L     17,316
O22   Mississippi State*      New Orleans, La.             17-15    W     21,391
O30   Vanderbilt*             New Orleans, La.             0-13     L     20,172
N6    Stanford                New Orleans, La.             0-16     L     16,264
N13   at Florida*             Gainesville, Fla.            13-51    L     35,907
N20   at LSU*                 Baton Rouge, La.             0-62     L     63,836

1966 (5-4-1)
Head Coach: Jim Pittman

Coach Jim Pittman took over the coaching reins in 1966, the year the Green Wave left the Southeastern Conference, went intersectional with its schedule and turned in Tulane's only winning team of the decade. Tulane's wing-T offense was a showcase for the athletic ability of junior quarterback Bobby Duhon, whose 748 yards rushing that season are the most ever by a Green Wave signal caller.

The Green Wave defense pitched a shutout in the 1966 opener as Virginia Tech fell 13-0. The next weekend, Duhon scored twice and defensive guard Vic Eumont recovered a fumble in the Texas A&M end zone as Tulane beat the Aggies 21-13 to give Tulane its first 2-0 start since 1949.

The record became a heady 4-1 when, after a loss to Stanford, the Green Wave whipped Virginia and Cincinnati. Tailback/defensive back Pete Johns and tight end/defensive end Jerry Colquette were two-way performers, among the last of a dying breed as college football went to unlimited substitution.

The Green Wave got its fifth win with a fourth-quarter goal-line stand against Vanderbilt, then fought heavily-favored Miami to a 10-10 tie to ensure a winning season (the last tie in Tulane history). In the season finale, 82,567 fans packed Tulane Stadium to watch LSU win a hotly-contested game in the fourth quarter as both teams finished 5-4-1. 

                                                  Ranking
Date  Opponent                Location            Tul/Opp  Score  Result  Attendance
S17   Virginia Tech           New Orleans, La.             13-0     W     19,074
S24   Texas A&M               New Orleans, la.             21-13    W     28,082
O1    at Stanford             Palo Alto, Calif.            14-33    L     27,307
O8    at Virginia             Charlottesville, Va.         20-6     W     19,649
O15   Cincinnati              New Orleans, La.             28-21    W     29,267
O22   at Georgia Tech         Atlanta, Ga.         NR/6    17-35    L     44,355
O29   at Vanderbilt           Nashville, Tenn.             13-12    W     12,614
N5    Miami (Fla.)            New Orleans, La.             10-10    T     35,231
N12   at Florida              Gainesville, Fla.            10-31    L     45,102
N19   LSU                     New Orleans, La.             7-21     L     82,567

1967 (3-7)
Head Coach: Jim Pittman

Reality returned to Tulane football, as the previous season's resurgence was followed by a slide to 3-7. Coach Jim Pittman's second Tulane squad was again competitive, but the football began bouncing the wrong way and a lack of depth spelled defeat in several close contests.

Midway through the season, junior Warren Bankston moved from backup quarterback to running back and led all Wave rushers. Quarterback Bobby Duhon, who went on to a fine NFL career as a running back with the New York Giants, became the first Tulane player to amass more than 1,000 yards of total offense in three straight seasons.

The defense was staggered midway through the season when co-captain Jim Jancik, a stellar defensive back, went down with a knee injury. 

                                                  Ranking
Date  Opponent                Location            Tul/Opp  Score  Result  Attendance
S23   Miami (Ohio)            New Orleans, La.             3-14     L     26,272
S30   at North Carolina       Chapel Hill, N.C.            36-11    W     15,128
O6    at Miami (Fla.)         Coral Gables, Fla.           14-34    L     33,530
O14   Florida                 New Orleans, La.             0-35     L     23,289
O21   Air Force               New Orleans, La.             10-13    L     18,851
O28   Georgia Tech            New Orleans, La.             23-12    W     23,545
N4    Vanderbilt              New Orleans, La.             27-14    W     17,799
N11   at Tennessee            Knoxville, Tenn.     NR/2    14-35    L     54,828
N18   Virginia                New Orleans, La.             10-14    L     17,812
N25   at LSU                  Baton Rouge, La.             27-41    L     58,702

1968 (2-8)
Head Coach: Jim Pittman

The record slipped again to 2-8, but Coach Jim Pittman was bringing in folks like Rick Kingrea and Ray Hester who would one day be the keys to a Tulane football turnaround. Running back Warren Bankston, who went on to a long NFL career as a tight end with the Oakland Raiders, led the team in rushing despite missing several early-season games with a leg injury. Quarterback Wayne Francingues' 1,376 yards of total offense were the second-highest in Green Wave history to that point. 

                                                  Ranking
Date  Opponent                Location            Tul/Opp  Score  Result  Attendance
S14   at Houston              Houston, Texas               7-54     L     35,277
S28   Texas A&M               New Orleans, La.             3-35     L     19,637
O5    Tampa                   New Orleans, La.             14-17    L     10,461
O12   at Florida              Gainesville, Fla.    NR/7    3-24     L     48,106
O19   Boston College          New Orleans, La.             28-14    W     12,867
O26   at Georgia Tech         Atlanta, Ga.                 19-23    L     47,481
N2    at Vanderbilt           Nashville, Tenn.             7-21     L     16,469
N9    Tulsa                   New Orleans, La.             25-15    W     9,665
N16   at Virginia             Charlottesville, Va.         47-63    L     15,994
N23   LSU                     New Orleans, La.             10-34    L     52,263

1969 (3-7)
Head Coach: Jim Pittman

The record improved only slightly to 3-7, but Jim Pittman's recruiting efforts began to pay off as a strong sophomore class headed by three-year starters like Steve Barrios, Joe Bullard, Paul Ellis, David Hebert and Bob Waldron moved up to varsity. After an 0-4 start, the team broke even the rest of the way, beating Pitt, Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt.

Bullard established himself as Tulane's all-time best punt returner that fall, setting season records for yards and average per return that have not been approached. His 92-yard return against Vanderbilt is the longest in Green Wave history.

With Barrios as his favorite target, sophomore Rusty Lachaussee became Tulane's first 1,000-yard passer. The defensive unit that would dominate opponents and catapult Tulane to its first bowl bid in over 30 years was beginning to come together, as junior linebackers Rick Kingrea and Ray Hester got better and better. Tulane got better and better right along with them. 

                                                  Ranking
Date  Opponent                Location            Tul/Opp  Score  Result  Attendance
S20   at Georgia              Athens, Ga.          NR/8    0-35     L     55,235
S27   West Virginia           New Orleans, La.             17-35    L     14,117
O4    at Boston College       Boston, Mass.                24-28    L     15,500
O11   at Florida              Tampa, Fla.          NR/12   17-18    L     43,102
O18   at Pittsburgh           Pittsburgh, Pa.              26-22    W     23,784
O25   Notre Dame              New Orleans, La.     NR/12   0-37     L     37,768
N1    Vanderbilt              New Orleans, La.             23-26    L     7,927
N8    Georgia Tech            New Orleans, La.             14-7     W     10,333
N15   Virginia                New Orleans, La.             31-0     W     8,646
N22   at LSU                  Baton Rouge, La.     NR/10   0-27     L     67,400

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