By: TRACEY
JAGNEAUX
Sports Editor
ORLANDO, FL – Behind running back Darius Bradwell’s career high 35 carries, 150 yards rushing and two touchdowns, the Tulane Green Wave rolled past the ULL Ragin’ Cajuns 41-24 here Saturday in the AutoNation Cure Bowl. It is the first bowl win for the Green Wave in 16 years and only the fifth bowl win in 13 attempts.
ULL looked as if they might run away with the game, scoring on the opening possession. After five successful plays in a row, Raymond Calais took a handoff over the left side of the Tulane defense and sprinted untouched for 38 yards to cap off a 75 yard drive. The extra point was good by Kyle Pfau, giving the Ragin’ Cajuns an early 7-0 lead.
Undeterred, the Green Wave answered right back. Behind the rushing of Bradwell and the timely passing of quarterback Justin McMillian, Tulane drove 75 yards in seven plays, punctuating the possession with a 15-yard touchdown run by Bradwell. Merek Glover converted the extra point and with 9:49 left in the first quarter the game was tied 7-7.
That touchdown started a run for the Green Wave that did not stop until they had blasted forward for a 24-7 lead.
The run of points began just 4:28 later when McMillan found Terran Enclade on an out route that turned into a 38 yard touchdown pass. Glover added the point after and at the 5:21 mark of the first quarter, Tulane owned a 14-7 lead.
After holding ULL to their second three and out, the Green Wave wasted little time in putting up more points on the scoreboard. The drive that began at the Tulane 37-yard line, turned into the Bradwell and McMillian show, as the two players combined for 36 yards rushing and passing, leading to a one-yard touchdown run by freshman Amare Jones with only 48 seconds to go in the first quarter. Glover was true on the extra point, putting the Green Wave up 21-7.
Bradwell was not done putting his stamp on the game in the second quarter. Another shut down effort by the Tulane defense gave the Green Wave the ball at their 44-yard line, following the Ragin’ Cajun punt.
From there, Bradwell carried the ball five of nine plays for 29 yards. Facing a third and nine from the ULL 18-yard line, McMillan tried a quarterback draw that collected only three yards. That set up a 38 yard field goal attempt from Glover that sailed through the uprights and gave the Green Wave a 24-7 lead with 10:14 left in the second quarter.
The final points of the first half came via the leg of ULL’s Pfau. With 7:09 left to go in the half, Tulane began what looked like a promising drive. Starting at their 11-yard line, the Green Wave marched the ball all the way down to the Ragin’ Cajun 23-yard line.
Trying to get another score in before halftime, McMillan forced a pass toward the middle of the field at the goal line, which was intercepted by Bralen Trahan, who returned it 63 yards to the Tulane 37-yard line. Four plays later, ULL had to settle for a Pfau 43-yard field goal as time expired, making it a 24-10 game.
The Green Wave took the second half kickoff and drove the ball down to the Ragin’ Cajun 34-yard line in five plays. But, the ULL defense stepped up, dropping McMillan for a four yard loss on fourth and two.
From there the Ragin’ Cajuns opened up the passing game, getting quarterback Andre Nunez going. Nunez connected on two of the six plays in the drive, as running backs Trey Ragas and Elijah Mitchell made the most of their runs, putting ULL in the end zone for the first time since the first quarter.
Mitchell’s three yard run with 9:46 left in the third quarter and Pfau’s extra point, cut the Green Wave lead down to 24-17.
Tulane got back on the board two possessions later when Glover hit on a 26 yard field goal, putting the Green Wave back up by 10. The drive that began at the Tulane 18-yard line, ate up 73 yards, consumed 4:51 seconds and used up 12 plays.
ULL made a game of it in the fourth quarter. On their first full possession of the final period, the Ragin’ Cajuns put together a four play 56 yard drive that was capped off by a 13 yard pass from Nunez to Jarrod Jackson, taking only 1:04 off the clock. Pfau added the extra point, leaving ULL down by only three points, 27-24, with 10:16 left to go in the contest.
But, the Green Wave would not allow the Ragin’ Cajuns any closer, scoring touchdowns on their next two drives.
The first, a four yard Bradwell run ended a 13 play 75 yard drive that took up 6:27. The second a 16 yard McMillan run on fourth and seven completed a four play, 19 yard possession that finished with 3:06 left on the clock. Glover connected on both PAT’s, leaving Tulane with a 41-24 lead.