Irvin Named C-USA Offensive Player Of The Week

NEW ORLEANS – After leading Tulane to a 35-31 upset victory over TCU in his first career start, Green Wave freshman quarterback Richard Irvin was named the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week Monday. Irvin earned the honor after completing 22-of-37 passes for 282 yards and five touchdowns Saturday as the Wave won its third straight game to even its season record at 5-5. The Green Wave will play host to seventh-ranked Louisville Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in the Louisiana Superdome in an effort to become bowl eligible for the second time in the last three years.

The freshman from Santa Monica, Calif., who was made his first start in Fort Worth in place of the injured Lester Ricard, led Tulane on a 99-yard drive in the final minutes of the game to give the Green Wave the upset victory. He hit Chris Bush in the back of the end zone with a 12-yard strike with 43 seconds on the clock after hooking up with Bush on a 45-yard completion earlier in the drive. Irvin also picked up 11 yards on a scramble during the final drive, and overcame having a touchdown called back when the play was erased due to a pre-snap penalty.

Irvin started the game by hitting 11 of his first 12 passes and connected with Roydell Williams, Bobby Hoover and Bush on touchdown passes of three, nine and 11 yards for the Wave’s first three scores. Then, with Tulane trailing 31-21 at the nine-minute mark, Irvin led Tulane on the first critical drive of the game, culminating in a beautiful 25-yard touchdown connection with Carl Davis. When Tulane’s defense stopped TCU’s Robert Merrill on the one-yard line on fourth-and-goal, Irvin calmly stepped in to begin the 99-yard drive.

Irvin’s selection made he and Lester Ricard the first pair of quarterbacks from the same school to win the conference’s offensive player of the week award in the same season. Ricard was named the C-USA Offensive Player of the Week following his six-touchdown, 417-yard effort versus UAB. That game also included a last-minute touchdown pass to Chris Bush as Ricard hit Bush with the game-winner with 27 seconds on the clock.

Tulane takes on seventh-ranked Louisville Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in the Louisiana Superdome as the centerpiece of “Wear Your Green Weekend”. Tulane is also offering a special $5 ticket in the end zone for the game versus the Cardinals. Tickets can be purchased by calling 504-861-WAVE or stopping by the Green Wave Athletics Ticket Office in the James Wilson Center.

-- Roll Wave --