Oct. 21, 2000

Box Score

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- Army snapped the nation's longest losing streak at 10 games Saturday, beating Tulane 21-17 on Joe Gerena's 18-yard TD pass to Clint Dodson with 40 seconds left.

Michael Wallace scored twice for the Black Knights (1-6, 1-4 Conference USA), including a 95-yard gallop in the second quarter. He added an 8-yard TD run in the third and finished with 183 yards on 18 carries.

On the winning drive, Gerena hit Dodson for a 21-yard gain on third-and-18 from the Army 12. Four plays later, Army had a fourth-and-2 from the 41. Gerena connected with Brian Todd for 7 yards.

On fourth-and-11, Gerena took the snap with under a minute to play from the Tulane 42. He got away from two defenders and saw Michael Wallace on the left flat. The pass went for 24 yards and put Army on the Tulane 18 with 44 seconds left.

On first down, Gerena dropped back and found Dodson all alone on the left side of the end zone.

Gerena was 21-of-34 for 171 yards. He and Dodson linked up eight times for 83 yards.

The comeback win ruined a solid day from Tulane backup quarterback J.P. Losman. The freshman completed 9 of 17 passes for 98 yards and a touchdown. He also led the Green Wave (3-4, 1-3) with 82 yards rushing on 13 carries.

Except for two big plays, the first half was mostly a midfield scrum as both offenses looked for openings. The scoreless first quarter saw Army gain 91 yards and Tulane only 62.

Wallace changed all that with just under 10 minutes left in the half. On a second down from the 5, the running back took an inside hand-off from Joe Gerena, who then carried off a successful fake reverse to Omari Thompson.

Wallace slithered through the line of scrimmage and burst into the sunshine about the 20, slanting to his right and outracing cornerback Lynaris Elpheage to the end zone. The 95-yard run was the second longest run ever for the Black Knights, behind Greg King's 97-yard run against Holy Cross in 1977. It was the longest running play ever given up by the Green Wave.

Tulane got on the board with a 46-yard field goal with three minutes left in the half, then the Green Wave broke their own big play to take a 10-7 lead.

On third-and-6 from the 26, Patrick Ramsey floated a pass over the middle to Mewelde Moore, who went 74 yards for the score.