Tulane rallies past Charlotte in overtime

Tulane erased a 31-21 deficit and won when quarterback Dagan Bruno scored on a short run during the first possession of overtime. Charlotte reached the Tulane 4-yard line on its turn, but two runs gained only a yard and two incomplete passes ended the game. The victory left Tulane 4-4 overall and 2-2 in American Conference play; Charlotte fell to 1-7 and 1-3 in the conference.

Charlotte took a 31-21 lead on Derrick Eley’s 1-yard touchdown run with 10:52 remaining in the fourth quarter. Tulane answered with Cooper Helmke’s 27-yard field goal, then tied the score at 31 with 10 seconds left on Trace Johnson’s 11-yard touchdown pass.

Tulane’s late comeback followed a key defensive stop. With Charlotte leading and less than two minutes left, the 49ers tried a fake punt on fourth down near midfield. Garrett Mmahat tackled the runner short of the first-down marker, giving Tulane the ball for the tying drive.

Johnson completed 28 of 36 passes for 284 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. Johnnie Daniels ran for 99 yards and two scores, while TJ Smith took a kickoff back 95 yards to score. Charlotte’s Henry Rutledge rushed for 121 yards, and the teams each recorded 437 yards in regulation.