NEW ORLEANS --Andre Anderson scored the tying touchdown with one second left in regulation, then rushed for the winning score in overtime as Tulane defeated Texas-El Paso 45-38 on Saturday.
Anderson scored on an 11-yard pass from Ryan Griffin to conclude a nine-play, 86-yard drive and force the extra period, then scored on a 7-yard touchdown run on the first possession of overtime.
Anderson, a senior playing his last home game, finished with 105 yards on 29 carries.
The Miners reached the Green Wave 2-yard line on the ensuing possession, but on fourth down from the 5, Alex Wacha sacked Trevor Vittatoe for a 21-yard loss that ended the game.
Tulane (3-6, 1-4 Conference USA) snapped a four-game losing streak with three road games remaining.
The Green Wave's rally ruined a 343-yard, four-touchdown game by the Miners' Donald Buckram. He rushed 34 times for 234 yards and three touchdowns and caught three passes for 109 yards, including a 72-yard touchdown.
After Tulane took a 14-10 lead early in the second quarter, Buckram scored UTEP's next four touchdowns on his 72-yard catch from Vittatoe, and runs of 28, 36, and 10 yards. The last touchdown gave the Miners a 38-31 lead with 5:12 remaining.
Following an exchange of punts, the Green Wave took over at its 14 with 1:13 remaining and no timeouts. Griffin drove Tulane into UTEP territory, but faced third-and-17 from the 37.
Griffin completed a 26-yard pass to Jeremy Williams. After an incompletion to stop the clock, Griffin threw a swing pass to Anderson, who sliced through the defense and dove across the goal line with one second left.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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