Another incredible comeback win for Tulsa
The legend of Zaven Collins keeps growing. And what Davis Brin did was truly legendary.
In one of the most unbelievable comebacks in Tulsa history, Collins ended the epic double-overtime battle with Tulane on a 96-yard interception return for a touchdown as No. 25 Tulsa prevailed 30-24 Thursday night at H.A. Chapman Stadium.
"Why is that guy not in the running for the Heisman?," Tulsa coach Phillip Montgomery said about Collins. "Tell me somebody else who has affected more games than that guy. If we want to talk about the best football players in college football, in my opinion, he's there. He's a part of it.
"Here is what I'll say about Zaven. Unbelievable kid. Unbelievable teammate. Great leader. Makes plays at big times."
It is hard to upstage a Hail Mary pass by a third-string quarterback. Collins didn't necessarily overshadow Brin's amazing Hail Mary to end regulation, but they both rank on the same plane.
Brin commanded two terrific comebacks in the fourth quarter in his first significant playing time of his college career as a redshirt sophomore.
On the last play of regulation, Brin's desperation 37-yard touchdown pass to J.C. Santana in the back of the end zone was a stunner on a play that started with six seconds remaining.
Santana's leaping grab over Tulane's defenders was one for the ages. Brin had scrambled around buying time and threw the laser pass before getting popped to the ground.
After Zack Long's extra point tied the game at 21-21, the two teams traded field goals in the first overtime. That set up Tulane having the first possession in the second overtime.
The Green Wave was facing third-and-goal at the 3-yard-line when Michael's Pratt's pass to the right was intercepted by Collins, whose coast-to-coast sprint spurred a massive celebration by his teammates.
When Collins intercepted the pass, there was no doubt about what he was going to try to do with it, knowing he had to score on the play to end the game. A long return without getting to the end zone would have given Tulsa the definite upper hand, but nothing was certain.
"Yes sir, I was going for the win," Collins said of his thinking about scoring with the interception right after he caught it. "There's not much else I could do there but run as fast as I can as far as I can. Luckily enough, J Dub, Justin Wright, hit the QB pretty good, and was kind of by myself when I took off."
Tulsa (5-1, 5-0 AAC) was in deep trouble with starter Zach Smith knocked out of the game late in the first quarter with an apparent rib injury. Tulsa squandered scoring opportunities with a missed field goal and three turnovers (two fumbles and an interception) in scoring territory heading into the fourth quarter.
Just the fact that Brin was playing at all was highly unlikely. But he came in firing when he got the chance.
When second string QB Seth Boomer came into the game to replace Smith early in the second quarter with the score 0-0, Tulsa moved the ball, but couldn't take advantage.
Boomer got knocked out of the game with a serious knee injury where he had to be carted off the field with 2:09 left in the third quarter and TU trailing 14-0.
In comes Brin, who on his first series gets a first down after being backed up on a 2nd-and-27. Unfortunately, the ball was fumbled away. But no matter. Brin was just getting started.
Brin passed for 266 yards and two touchdowns in his abbreviated playing time, and rushed for another.
"I had prepared for the last three years, waiting for my opportunity to take advantage of it," Brin said. "And I got that call, and I knew what I had to do. I felt really confident about it."
Brin's 18-yard scamper for a score with 9:17 left in the fourth quarter narrowed the margin to 14-7 after an impressive drive that started from the TU 16-yard-line on Brin's first full series of the game.
Then in what would be perhaps the play of the year under different circumstances, Brin overcame 4th-and-15 with a bullet pass to Josh Johnson in the back middle part of the end zone. The 19-yard TD with 3:16 remaining in regulation was just his second full series of the game.
But all that momentum was shot by a 71-yard kickoff return by Amare Jones down to the Tulsa 28-yard-line. Facing the prospect of Tulane running the clock out and winning with a last second field goal, Tulane scored on a 3rd-and-11, 19-yard pass from Pratt to tight end Tyrick James with 1:27 remaining.
If Tulane would have chosen to run the ball to set up a field goal attempt, Tulsa would have burned its final timeout. And, if Tulane had made a potential 36-yarder into the wind, which was no guarantee, Tulsa would have gotten the ball back with no timeouts and around 50 seconds remaining while trying for a potential game-tying field goal.
Luckily Tulsa hadn't had to burn its final timeout until the last drive, but things were not progressing as quickly as needed on the drive from its own 25, setting up a highly unlikely potential jump ball toss in the end zone.
"It was insane. I really couldn't process it," Brin said of his reaction after his pass at the end of regulation. "I just kind of froze and stood there, like we just scored a touchdown. Let's go win this game.'"
All of the heroics were hard to believe after a 0-0 game at halftime.
Santana had a career game with 138 yards on eight catches, coming through time and again with clutch catches. Corey Taylor led the Golden Hurricane with 132 yards on 19 carries.
For Tulane (5-5, 2-5), it was another heartbreaking loss in what is a really quality team. The Green Wave had 226 yards rushing on 51 carries, with Stephen Huderson leading the way with 106 yards on 25 carries.
Collins led a Tulsa defense that held Pratt to eight of 17 passing for 76 yards.
All the Heisman talk by his coach isn't making Collins lose his humility.
"I wouldn't say I'm the best. I just go out and try to do my job correctly, and at a high level," said Collins about his accolades.
As for the game-winning interception return, Collins, an avid golfer, used a golf analogy to describe how long his sprint to the end zone felt to him.
"That 100 yards right there felt like I was walking a par 4. That was 450 (yards)," Collins said. "A long ways. And I had duffed my drive. That's what it felt like. It felt like slow motion. It felt like 20 seconds right there."
The win was just another nail biter in the last three games at home for Tulsa where one amazing finish seems to outdo the last one.
Collins, who has four interceptions on the season, had the game-clinching interception just five days ago against No. 19 SMU.
Montgomery found it hard to describe this game or this season.
""Words really can't explain that one," Montgomery said of the win. "But the one thing I can explain is that it's just a special group of guys down there."