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Tulane Drops Final Home Game of Season to UAB, 41-24
Nov. 15, 2008
New Orleans-Tulane's last home game of the season didn't prove to be lucky as the Green Wave fell to the UAB Blazers, 41-24 Saturday afternoon in the Superdome, dropping their sixth straight to fall to 2-8 (1-5 in C-USA). Tulane honored their 16 seniors prior to kickoff of the Conference USA match up. The 2008 graduating football class is made up of Michael Batiste, James Dillard, Scott Elliott, Jordan Ellis, Craig Gelhardt, Justin Kessler, Brian King, Troy Kropog, Evan Lee, Josh Lumar, Michael Parenton, Reggie Scott, Julian Shives-Sams and David Skehan. Chris Dunn and Matt Harding joined the group as both players are seniors in their degree field. As pregame honors wrapped up, UAB got down to business, scoring early and often. The Blazers got on the board first when quarterback Joe Webb led his offense 96 yards in 10 plays. Webb, who carried the ball 18 times for 130 yards, picked up 31 yards to get UAB in the end zone with 8:23 left in the first quarter. Swayze Waters' kick put the Blazers up 7-0. Redshirt freshman J.T. McDonald scored his first collegiate touchdown on the next drive to put Tulane on the board. Ross Thevenot's PAT kick tied the game 7-7 with 4:02. McDonald, a redshirt freshman, surpassed his career carries and rushing yards in a game, finishing the contest with 12 carries for 41 yards, as well as setting new personal bests in a game for receptions (3) and receiving yards (67). The Green Wave couldn't contain the Blazers' offense, as running back Rashaud Slaughter (15 carries for 58 yards) found the end zone on a 1-yard run with 9:09 left in the first half. The PAT kick was good to give UAB the advantage, 14-7. The scoring seesaw continued when McDonald recorded his first collegiate touchdown reception on a 27-yard pass from Tulane quarterback Kevin Moore with 6:07 left in the first half. The PAT kick was good and Tulane tied the contest, 14-14. Two minutes later, a Blazer 41-yard field goal off the foot of Waters gave UAB a three yard cushion, 17-14, with 4:05 left to play in the first half. The Blazers got their offense going again in the second half on a 3-yard run from Webb. The PAT kick was good, lifting UAB 24-14 with 9:14 left in the third quarter but McDonald wasn't finished visiting the end zone, running in for the score from 13 yards out with 6:47 left in the third quarter of play for his third TD of the game. The score brought Tulane within three, 24-21. The last Tulane player to score three touchdowns in a game was junior running back André Anderson on October 11, 2008 against UTEP. UAB answered back on the ensuing drive when Webb scampered in on a 2-yard rush after taking the Blazers 65 yards on 11 plays. Webb, who finished the night 15-of-21 passing with 154 yards, extended the Blazers lead 31-21 with 1:44 left in the third quarter. But Tulane got a chance to put some more points on the board with the help of place kicker Thevenot, who booted a career-long 50-yard field goal. The kick brought the Green Wave within seven, 31-24, with 12:10 left in the contest. The last time a Green Wave kicker connected for a 50-yard field goal was also against the Blazers, on October 23, 2004 by Nick Beucher. Tulane got another chance to close the gap when junior defensive back Charles Harris recovered a fumble knocked loose by Justin Adams. The fumble recovery was the first in Harris' career. The Green Wave got the ball on the UAB 45 yard line but couldn't convert it into a score and turned the ball over on downs four plays later, which lead to a Blazers field goal, putting them up 34-24 with 5:28 to go in the game. The Blazers scored again when Matt Taylor picked off Moore's pass and ran it 36 yards into the end zone, extending UAB's lead. The PAT was good, making it 41-24 with 3:34 left in the game, but that was the Blazers needed to close out the contest and take control of the series against Tulane 4-3. The Green Wave will travel to Tulsa next Saturday to take on the Golden Hurricane. Kickoff is slated for 2pm.
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