Winning a major bowl game for the first time in 88 years tends to trigger an emotional release.
Appropriately, Tulane's shocking 46-45 upset of USC in the Cotton Bowl was met with a cathartic reaction from the significant contingent of Green Wave fans who made the nearly 500-mile trip from New Orleans to Dallas.
Tulane essentially clinched victory with nine seconds left, as quarterback Michael Pratt found tight end Alex Bauman for a touchdown that was initially ruled incomplete before being overturned on review. Kicker Valentino Ambrosio booted the go-ahead extra point to secure the Green Wave's first major bowl win since the 1935 Sugar Bowl, in which Tulane defeated Temple 20–14.
