One drive at the end of the 2022 season summarizes a season and a lifetime of moments for Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt. Walk through those moments of the Green Wave signal-caller as he enters the 2023 season with high hopes, lofty aspirations, and an AAC Title to defend.
Michael Pratt, A Man of the Moment
With 3:20 remaining, trailing by six, Pratt took the field with the Green Wave offense. On the opposite sideline, eventual Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams stood in front of his 10th-ranked USC Trojans.
But before we get to that, we have to go back to the beginning.
In January of 2019, Tulane offered three-star QB Pratt out of Boca Raton. The Florida kid had drawn interest and offers from Harvard, Columbia, Yale, Brown, and Dartmouth, among others due to his intelligence and skills.
After making it official to Tulane in June of 2019, Pratt sparingly played off the bench behind then-senior quarterback Keon Howard to start the 2020 season. But by Week 4 of that season, head coach Willie Fritz gave Pratt his moment against Southern Miss, a game Tulane cruised to a victory, 66-24, and Pratt threw two touchdowns in.
Pratt remained the starter for the Green Wave from that moment forward.
Number 7 Gets Up
On first down, USC’s first-team All-American defensive lineman Tuli Tuipulotu bull-rushed from the left side and brought down No. 7. When Pratt hit the ground, he had the ball tucked into his throwing arm which contains a tattoo of the word “Believe.”
The tattoo was placed in honor of high school teammate Bryce Gowdy, a wide receiver and Georgia Tech commit who died tragically before the 2020 season. Pratt asked to wear the number when he arrived at Tulane in honor of Gowdy.
Just over seven weeks prior to the Cotton Bowl, Tulane dropped a home game to UCF in New Orleans. Tulane’s second loss of the season put the American Athletic Conference Championship, an opportunity to host the championship game, and a New Year’s Six Bowl at risk.
After things played out in Tulane’s favor, UCF came back to New Orleans for the AAC Championship game and Pratt used his second chance to throw for 394 yards and four touchdowns in a decisive championship game victory to send Tulane to the Cotton Bowl against USC.
Ready for the Moment
Now, with under three minutes on the clock and facing a second and long situation, Pratt dusted himself off the sack. On the very next play, he handed the ball off to NFL-bound Tyjae Spears on second down before keeping it himself on back-to-back carries to secure a drive-continuing first down.
Game-clinching moments weren’t new for Pratt and this Tulane team by this point of the season.
In Week 3, Pratt had Tulane undefeated and facing eventual Big 12 champion Kansas State. A defensive battle, the game was tied at 10 when Tulane took the field with just over six minutes remaining. He ran for 32 yards and threw for 19 yards on the go-ahead touchdown drive, leading to arguably one of the biggest upsets of the 2022 season.
Despite being classified as a “pro” style quarterback, Pratt ran for 478 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, the eighth-most among quarterbacks during the 2022 season.
Pratt Leads Tulane to Historic Season
Three plays later, Tulane faced yet another fourth down again and with only 30 seconds on the clock. Pratt found Alex Bauman for a first down at the 30-yard line before throwing open Duece Watts for another first down at the six.
With 9 seconds remaining, Pratt went back to Bauman, splitting defenders for his 27th passing touchdown of the season and the game-winner. His late-game heroics sealed Tulane’s upset over USC and etched the 2022 Cotton Bowl into the record books as one of the better contests in the game’s illustrious history.
Pratt led Tulane to their first 12-win season since 1998. Tulane won their first major bowl game since 1939. And now, entering the 2023 season, expectations in New Orleans are through the roof.
Given his history to date, and whether those expectations are met or not, Pratt will undoubtedly have his moments this season that the Green Wave Faithful – and the college football world collectively – will remember for years to come.
Michael Pratt Player Profile
- Height: 6’2″
- Weight: 200
- Number: 7
- Class: Senior
- Hometown: Boca Raton, FL
- High School: Boca Raton High School & Deerfield Beach High School
Michael Pratt Career Primary Stats
- Career Games Played: 34
- Completions: 544
- Attempts: 920
- Completion Rate: 59.1%
- TDs: 68 passing, 24 rushing
- INTs: 21
- Yards Per Attempt: 7.8
