Tulsa Gets Comeback Win Over Houston 37-30

Saturday, November 26

Houston, TX

6:30 PM

Tulsa

5-7 , 3-5

Houston

7-5 , 5-3

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Tulsa

Houston

Photo by: John Knope/Houston Athletics

Tulsa Gets Comeback Win Over Houston 37-30

11/27/2022 12:07:00 AM | Football

Box Score

Gamebook (PDF) | Season Stats (PDF) | Postgame Notes (PDF)

HOUSTON, Texas –– Trailing by as many as 11 points in the first half, Tulsa mounted a 37-30 comeback victory over the Houston Cougars Saturday night in front of 21,785 fans at TDECU Stadium.

Redshirt freshman Braylon Braxton threw for his second straight 300+ passing game by completing 25-of-43 passes for 316 yards and a career-high three TDs. His main target on the night was JC Santana, who recorded a career-high 169 yards and two touchdowns on six receptions.

The Hurricane defense performed masterfully in the second half, holding the high-octane Houston offense to 177 yards after giving up 329 first-half yards, and had one takeaway.

Tulsa scored with 0:23 left before halftime to cut its deficit going into the locker room to four points at 24-20. The Hurricane scored on its first second-half possession for a 27-24 lead and scored 17 points in the second half while holding the Cougars to just two field goals.

The Hurricane closed out the season with a 5-7 record and 3-5 AAC mark, while Houston fell to 7-5 and 5-3 in league play.

Tulsa's opening second half score capped a 75-yard, six-play scoring drive which saw Braxton connect with Santana on a 52-yard touchdown pass, taking just two minutes off the game clock.

The score gave Tulsa its first lead of the game at 27-24 with 13 minutes left in the third quarter. On Houston's second possession of the half, the Cougars knotted the score at 27 on a 20-yard field goal, capping a 44-yard, seven-play drive.

The third quarter ended with the scored tied 27-27. Tulsa took a touchdown lead on a 25-yard pass from Braxton to Santana, capping a 50-yard, six-play drive, at the 8:13 mark. Long added his third field goal of the night on a 34-yarder with 2:51 left to make the score 37-27.

Houston marched the field but was held to a field goal at the 0:51 mark. Tulsa recovered the onside kick to close out the victory.

Houston scored the first points of the game on a 68-yard punt return after Tulsa's first possession to take a 7-0 lead at the 7:18 mark of the first period

The Hurricane responded with a 66-yard nine-play drive that resulted in a Zack Long 29-yard field goal, making the score 7-3 with 4:34 on the first-quarter clock. The Cougars wasted little time in going 84 yards in six plays, while taking 3:16 off the clock for a 14-3 lead.

Tulsa got into the red zone for the second straight possession, but again had to settle for a Long field goal. This time it was good from 35 yards to make the score 14-6 with 12:40 left in the second quarter.

Houston added a 42-yard field goal for a 17-6 lead with 8:10 left in the first half.

Tulsa took its third possession into the red zone, this time to the one-yard line, and on a 4^th-and-goal from the one-yard line a one-yard pass from Braxton to Stokes pulled the Hurricane to within four points at 17-13 after the PAT.

Houston took only 2:01 off the clock to make the score 24-13, capping the 75-yard, 5-play drive with a 13-yard touchdown pass. But, Tulsa took just 1:28 off the clock to go 77 yards in seven plays and score on a Braxton 37-yard run to cut Houston's lead going into halftime to 24-20.

At intermission, Houston had a 329 to 260-yard edge in total offense. Both quarterbacks completed 15 passes, as Houston's Clayton Tune threw for 256 yards and Tulsa's Braxton for 193 yards.