Arlington, Texas (AP) — There was a lot hypothesis about Michael Pratt’s future and whether or not the Tulane quarterback who caught curiosity from Energy 5 faculties has actually thought-about getting into the switch gate after the Inexperienced Wave landed a spot within the Cotton Bowl.
“When you could have success, alternatives current themselves, however I would not say it was very tempting as a result of that is my crew,” Pratt, the third-year freshman, mentioned, with out elaborating. “These are my buddies and the coaches who recruited me into the tradition and all the pieces, Coach (Willy) Fritz.”
Pratt has already mentioned he’ll return for his first season, and Bodily jogging Tejay Spears One final sport left earlier than this NFL prospect heads to the Senior Bowl. The explosive runner mentioned he by no means thought-about opting out of Tulane’s most necessary bowl sport in a long time.
“Man, it is the chance of a lifetime,” the Spurs mentioned of the bowl, which comes a season after Tulane’s 2-10 win.
“I believe it exhibits the brotherhood we have constructed and the household, and we do not need to step out on one another,” mentioned Honest Haynesworth, one of many crew captains. “Simply the most important sport Tulane’s had in a very long time, and it simply exhibits what we have put behind us and the way a lot all of us care about this and the way badly we would like it.”
American Athletic Convention Champion The Inexperienced Wave performs Southern California on Monday in an 11-2 crew sport On the house of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys. Their enchancment of 9 wins already matches the FBS document.
Tulane, who performed within the Sugar Bowl on New Yr’s Day 1940, completed because the highest-ranked Group 5 crew of the season (sixteenth within the closing faculty soccer rankings). 45-28 win over UCF Within the AAC Championship match she avenged her solely loss since September.
Pratt had 442 yards and 5 touchdowns within the title sport. Spurs rushed for 199 yards with a 60-yard TD, which included a leap over a teammate who was faltering, together with his FBS profession finest being prolonged to seven 100-yard video games in a row.
“We’re actually fortunate on offense as a result of our greatest gamers are our greatest leaders,” mentioned Tulane senior offensive coordinator Jim Svoboda. “These are two of them.”
Pratt has thrown for two,776 yards with 25 touchdowns and 5 interceptions this season. He is solely caught two assists in his final eight video games.
The Florida quarterback began Tulane’s final 9 video games in 2020, when he threw for 1,806 yards and his 20 TD passes are essentially the most nationally by a real freshman. He touched all however considered one of his 33 video games, together with his first 17.
Within the Greens’ 2021 season opener in opposition to Oklahoma, which was moved to Norman from the Tulane campus attributable to Hurricane Ida, Pratt accomplished 27 of 44 passes for 296 yards and three touchdowns. Then the Sooners’ defensive coordinator was Alex Grinch, who, together with Lincoln Riley, went to USC after that season.
“Powerful competitor. I believe he has anticipation expertise when it comes to throwing the ball. “Prepared to face within the pocket in some stress conditions,” the Grinch mentioned of Pratt. “Nothing however admiration. It seemed like a championship soccer crew which may have been on edge. It is easy to say now, join the dots this manner. However you positively noticed proof of that. And you’ve got a quarterback, you bought a shot. And so they positively have one.”
It was Spurs’ first sport after an ACL harm minimize brief his sophomore 12 months. He solely had six carries for 20 yards and caught three passes for six yards in opposition to the Sooners, however nonetheless ran for 863 yards that season.
After being restricted final spring by a pulled hamstring, and nonetheless rusty early this season, the Spurs broke via to turn into the primary non-quarterback to be named the AAC Offensive Participant of the Yr. He has 1,064 yards speeding over the previous seven video games whereas averaging 7.8 yards per carry.
“I had extra enjoyable than I ever had earlier than,” mentioned Spears.
“He is an incredible man,” Pratt mentioned. “He trains daily at 110 p.c. His perspective and energy daily, he is very constant. There is not a day when he is not the identical man.”
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