SportsDirect Inc. staff
Nov 23, 2013
Tulane 45, Texas-El Paso 3: Nick Montana threw for 171 yards and three touchdowns as the host Green Wave demolished the Miners.
Montana threw two second-quarter touchdowns for Tulane (7-4, 5-2 Conference USA), which racked up 482 total yards and led 38-3 at halftime. Orleans Darkwa carried the ball 17 times for 137 yards and a touchdown while Ryan Grant recorded a game-high eight catches for 104 yards.
Mack Leftwich completed 13-of-24 passes for 128 yards and an interception for UTEP (2-9, 1-6), which turned the ball over three times. Nathan Jeffery led the Miners with just 47 rushing yards on 14 carries.
After Darkwa opened the scoring with a 20-yard run 2:35 into the contest, freshman quarterback Devin Powell found Grant for a 7-yard touchdown to make it 14-0 later in the first quarter. Montana hit Rob Kelley for a 17-yard score and later Marc Edwards for a 4-yard touchdown as the Green Wave posted 24 second-quarter points.
Montana's touchdown passes bookended an 8-yard scoring scamper from Kelley with 11:39 left in the half before Jay Mattox hit a 32-yard field goal for the Miners' only points. Montana, son of Hall of Famer Joe Montana, hit Grant on a 10-yard slant route with 8:57 left in the third quarter to finish the scoring.