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.
Meanwhile, Trojans fans reacted with equivalent agony. USC, which reeled off an 11–1 regular season, lost its second straight game following a 47–24 dud against Utah in the Pac-12 championship game.
The Trojans led the Green Wave 45–30 after kicker Denis Lynch hit a 43-yard field goal with 4:30 to play. Tulane scored 16 consecutive points, however, to capture its 12th win a year removed from a 2–10 season.
