Tulane Green Wave football, 1970–79

1970

In his fifth and final season with the Green Wave, coach Jim Pittman led Tulane to its first bowl victory since the inaugural Sugar Bowl following the 1934 season. Sadly, he died less than 11 months following the Wave's 17-3 Liberty Bowl victory over Colorado, suffering a massive heart attack while coaching TCU in its rivalry game vs. Baylor at Waco.

Schedule

Date	Opponent#	Rank#	Site	Result
September 12	at Texas Tech*		Clifford B. & Audrey Jones Stadium • Lubbock, TX	L 14–21
September 19	No. 19 Georgia*		Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA	W 17–14
September 26	at Illinois*		Memorial Stadium • Champaign, IL	W 23–9
October 3	at Cincinnati*		Nippert Stadium • Cincinnati, OH	W 6–3
October 10	at No. 8 Air Force*		Falcon Stadium • Air Force Academy, CO	L 3–24
October 17	North Carolina*		Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA	W 24–17
October 24	at Georgia Tech*		Grant Field • Atlanta, GA	L 6–20
October 31	at Vanderbilt*		Dudley Field • Nashville, TN	W 10–7
November 7	Miami*		Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA	W 31–16
November 21	North Carolina State*		Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA	W 31–0
November 28	No. 6 LSU*		Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA (Battle for the Rag)	L 14–26
December 12	vs. Colorado*		Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium • Memphis, TN (Liberty Bowl)	W 17–3
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from AP.

1971

Schedule

Date	Opponent#	Rank#	Site	Result
September 11	Texas Tech*		Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA	W 15–9
September 18	at No. 11 Georgia*		Sanford Stadium • Athens, GA	L 7–17
September 25	at Rice*		Rice Stadium • Houston, TX	L 11–14
October 2	William & Mary*		Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA	L 3–14
October 9	at No. 18 North Carolina*		Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, NC	W 37–29
October 16	Pittsburgh*		Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA	W 33–8
October 23	Georgia Tech*		Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA	L 16–24
October 30	Vanderbilt*		Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA	L 9–13
November 6	Ohio*		Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA	L 7–30
November 13	at No. 8 Notre Dame*		Notre Dame Stadium • South Bend, IN	L 7–21
November 27	at No. 10 LSU*		Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, LA (Battle for the Flag)	L 7–36
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from AP.

1972

The Green Wave enjoyed their second winning season in three years, but the 6-5 record easily could have been 8-3.

In Tulane's loss at Miami, the Hurricanes were erroneously awarded a fifth down late in the fourth quarter, helping them drive to the winning touchdown. The Southeastern Conference, which assigned the officials for the game, acknowledged the error, but it was too late to change the outcome.

Nearly two months later, Tulane came up achingly short in its quest to end a 24-year winless streak vs. archrival LSU in the season finale. Trailing 9-3 with seconds remaining, Green Wave halfback Bill Huber took a swing pass in the flat and appeared headed to a touchdown, but he was stopped at the 1-yard line by Tiger safety Frank Racine after time ran out.

Schedule

Date	Opponent#	Rank#	Site	Result
September 15	at Boston College*		Alumni Stadium • Chestnut Hill, MA	W 10–0
September 23	No. 16 Georgia*		Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA	W 24–13
September 30	at No. 8 Michigan*	No. 18	Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI	L 7–41
October 7	Pittsburgh*		Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA	W 38–6
October 14	at Miami*		Miami Orange Bowl • Miami, FL	L 21–24
October 21	at West Virginia*		Mountaineer Field • Morgantown, WV	L 19–31
October 28	at Georgia Tech*		Grant Field • Atlanta, GA	L 7–21
November 4	Kentucky*		Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA	W 18–7
November 11	Ohio*		Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA	W 44–6
November 18	at Vanderbilt*		Dudley Field • Nashville, TN	W 21–7
December 2	No. 11 LSU*		Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA (Battle for the Flag)	L 3–9
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from AP.

1973

Tulane's thirst for victory over LSU was finally quenched on December 1. The Green Wave's 14-0 victory was its first over the Bayou Bengals since 1948, and first in New Orleans over LSU since 1943. A record crowd of 86,598 jammed Tulane Stadium for what would be the final LSU-Tulane game in the facility. It was the largest attendance for a football game in Louisiana until LSU expanded Tiger Stadium to over 91,000 in 2000.

Schedule

Date	Opponent#	Rank#	Site	Result
September 22	Boston College*		Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA	W 21–16
September 29	VMI*		Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA	W 42–0
October 6	at Pittsburgh*		Pitt Stadium • Pittsburgh, PA	W 24–6
October 13	at Duke*	No. 18	Wallace Wade Stadium • Durham, NC	W 24–17
October 20	North Carolina*	No. 17	Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA	W 16–0
October 27	Georgia Tech*	No. 15	Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA	W 23–14
November 3	at Kentucky*	No. 14	Commonwealth Stadium • Lexington, KY	L 7–34
November 10	Navy*		Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA	W 17–15
November 17	Vanderbilt*		Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA	W 24–3
November 24	at Maryland*	No. 17	Byrd Stadium • College Park, MD	L 9–42
December 1	No. 8 LSU*		Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA (Battle for the Flag)	W 14–0
December 29	vs. No. 14 Houston*	No. 17	Houston Astrodome • Houston, TX (Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl)	L 7–47
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from AP.

1974

This was the Green Wave's final season in Tulane Stadium. Tulane's scheduled season opener September 7 vs. Ole Miss was postponed to the end of the season due to the approach of Hurricane Carmen.

Schedule

Date	Opponent#	Rank#	Site	Result
September 14	Southwestern Louisiana*		Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA	W 17–16
September 21	at Army*		Michie Stadium • West Point, NY	W 31–14
September 28	West Virginia*		Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA	W 17–14
October 12	at Air Force*		Falcon Stadium • Air Force Academy, CO	W 10–3
October 19	The Citadel*	No. 20	Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA	W 30–3
October 26	at Georgia Tech*	No. 18	Grant Field • Atlanta, GA	L 7–27
November 2	Kentucky*		Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA	L 7–30
November 9	at Boston College*		Alumni Stadium • Chestnut Hill, MA	L 3–27
November 16	at Vanderbilt*		Dudley Field • Nashville, TN	L 22–30
November 23	at LSU*		Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, LA (Battle for the Flag)	L 22–24
November 30	Ole Miss*		Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA	L 10–26
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from AP.

1975

The Green Wave moved into the Louisiana Superdome, playing its first regular season game September 20 vs. Ole Miss, eight days before the Saints played their inaugural game in the facility vs. the Cincinnati Bengals.

Schedule

Date	Opponent#	Rank#	Site	Result
September 13	at Clemson*		Memorial Stadium • Clemson, SC	W 17–13
September 20	Ole Miss*		Louisiana Superdome • New Orleans, LA	W 14–3
September 27	Syracuse*		Louisiana Superdome • New Orleans, LA	L 13–31
October 4	Vanderbilt*		Louisiana Superdome • New Orleans, LA	L 3–6
October 11	at Boston College*		Alumni Stadium • Chestnut Hill, MA	W 17–7
October 18	at West Virginia*		Mountaineer Field • Morgantown, WV	W 16–14
October 25	Georgia Tech*		Louisiana Superdome • New Orleans, LA	L 0–23
November 1	at Kentucky*		Commonwealth Stadium • Lexington, KY	L 10–23
November 8	Air Force*		Louisiana Superdome • New Orleans, LA	L 12–13
November 15	North Carolina*		Louisiana Superdome • New Orleans, LA	L 15–17
November 22	LSU*		Louisiana Superdome • New Orleans, LA (Battle for the Flag)	L 6–42
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from AP.

1976

Schedule

Date	Opponent#	Rank#	Site	Result
September 11	Cincinnati*		Louisiana Superdome • New Orleans, LA	L 14–21
September 18	at No. 20 Ole Miss*		Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, MS	L 7–34
September 25	No. 18 Boston College*		Louisiana Superdome • New Orleans, LA	L 3–27
October 2	at Vanderbilt*		Dudley Field • Nashville, TN	W 24–13
October 9	at Syracuse*		Archbold Stadium • Syracuse, NY	L 0–3
October 16	Army*		Louisiana Superdome • New Orleans, LA	W 23–10
October 23	at Georgia Tech*		Grant Field • Atlanta, GA	L 16–28
October 30	Memphis State*		Louisiana Superdome • New Orleans, LA	L 7–14
November 6	West Virginia*		Louisiana Superdome • New Orleans, LA	L 28–32
November 13	Rutgers*		Louisiana Superdome • New Orleans, LA	L 20–29
November 20	at LSU*		Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, LA (Battle for the Flag)	L 7–17
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from AP.

1977

Schedule

Date	Opponent#	Rank#	Site	Result
September 10	at Memphis*		Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium • Memphis, TN	L 9–27
September 17	Stanford*		Louisiana Superdome • New Orleans, LA	L 17–21
September 24	at SMU*		Cotton Bowl • Dallas, TX	L 23–28
October 1	Vanderbilt*		Louisiana Superdome • New Orleans, LA	W 36–7
October 8	at Boston College*		Alumni Stadium • Chestnut Hill, MA	L 28–30
October 15	Cincinnati*		Louisiana Superdome • New Orleans, LA	W 16–13
October 22	Georgia Tech*		Louisiana Superdome • New Orleans, LA	L 14–38
October 29	at No. 13 Pittsburgh*		Pitt Stadium • Pittsburgh, PA	L 0–48
November 5	at Miami*		Miami Orange Bowl • Miami, FL	W 13–10
November 12	at Rutgers*		Rutgers Stadium • New Brunswick, NJ	L 8–47
November 19	LSU*		Louisiana Superdome • New Orleans, LA (Battle for the Flag)	L 17–20
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from AP.

1978

Schedule

Date	Opponent#	Rank#	Site	Result
September 9	at Maryland*		Byrd Stadium • College Park, MD	L 7–31
September 16	No. 14 Pittsburgh*		Louisiana Superdome • New Orleans, LA	L 6–24
September 23	at Georgia Tech*		Grant Field • Atlanta, GA	L 17–27
September 30	at No. 20 Stanford*		Stanford Stadium • Stanford, CA	L 14–17
October 7	at Vanderbilt*		Dudley Field • Nashville, TN	W 38–3
October 14	Boston College*		Louisiana Superdome • New Orleans, LA	W 9–3
October 21	TCU*		Louisiana Superdome • New Orleans, LA	L 7–13
October 28	Memphis*		Louisiana Superdome • New Orleans, LA	W 41–24
November 4	Miami*		Louisiana Superdome • New Orleans, LA	W 20–16
November 11	at Ole Miss*		Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, MS	L 3–13
November 28	at LSU*		Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, LA (Battle for the Flag)	L 21–40
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from AP.

1979

The 1979 Tulane Green Wave football team was led by Larry Smith. The team finished with a 9–3 record and played in the 1979 Liberty Bowl, losing 6–9 to Penn State. In the 77th edition of the Battle for the Flag, Tulane beat LSU 24–13.

References

External links

• TulaneGreenWave.com, official website for Tulane athletics
• Tulane Football History
• College Football Data Warehouse, Tulane Historical Data
• College Poll Archive, Historical College Football and Basketball Polls and Rankings