NEW ORLEANS — Michael Pratt threw two touchdowns in the second half, the second with 47 seconds left, and Tulane beat UAB 36-23 on Saturday in an American Athletic Conference opener.
UAB kicked a 36-yard field goal with 4:52 to play but the Green Wave, determined to run out the clock, converted a 4th-and-1 from the Blazers' 40 with 2:32 left and then faced a 4th-and-9 from the 32. After a timeout, Lawrence Keys III was on the receiving end of the surprising clincher.
Isaiah Jacobs ran for two touchdowns in the second quarter to help UAB take a 20-7 lead but Makhi Hughes scored in the final minutes of the first half and added another rushing touchdown on the first drive of the second half to put the Green Wave on top 21-20.
Pratt's 14-yard pass to Alex Bauman late in the third quarter pushed the lead to 28-20. UAB marched down to the Tulane 1, but Jacob Zeno fumbled the ball into the end zone and Bailey Despanie recovered for the Green Wave.
UAB forced a three-and-out but on the 4th-and-2 punt the Blazers were penalized five yards for too many men on the field. That allowed Tulane to chew up about five more minutes before missing a 45-yard field goal.
Hughes had 123 yards on 22 carries for the Green Wave (4-1) and Pratt was 14 of 23 for 184 yards.
Jacob Zeno was 27 of 35 for 236 yards for the Blazers. Jacobs had 95 yards on 18 carries.
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