Tulane Rallies From 10 Down in Fourth Quarter to Beat Charlotte 38-31 in Overtime
Johnnie Daniels rushed for 99 yards and two touchdowns, TJ Smith returned a kickoff 95 yards for a score, and Dagan Bruno won it on fourth-and-goal in overtime as Tulane came back to beat Charlotte 38-31 on Friday night.
Key points
- Tulane beat Charlotte 38-31 in overtime on Friday night, October 30, 2026, at Jerry Richardson Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, rallying from 10 points down in the fourth quarter to win a…
- Johnnie Daniels rushed for 99 yards and two touchdowns for Tulane, and TJ Smith returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown.
- Bruno's short touchdown put Tulane ahead 38-31 on the first possession of overtime.
Tulane beat Charlotte 38-31 in overtime on Friday night, October 30, 2026, at Jerry Richardson Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, rallying from 10 points down in the fourth quarter to win a game Charlotte had controlled for most of the night.
Johnnie Daniels rushed for 99 yards and two touchdowns for Tulane, and TJ Smith returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. Short-yardage quarterback Dagan Bruno scored the winning touchdown in overtime, lunging across on fourth-and-goal on the first possession of the extra period. The final scoreboard lists Tulane with 7 points in overtime and Charlotte with 0.
Overtime decides it
Bruno's short touchdown put Tulane ahead 38-31 on the first possession of overtime. Charlotte still had its chance to answer. The home team reached first-and-goal at the 4, but two short runs gained just 1 yard, and Conner Harrell then threw back-to-back incomplete passes to end the game.
Ten points down late, level at the gun
Derrick Eley scored on a 1-yard run to give Charlotte a 31-21 lead with 10:52 remaining in the fourth quarter. Tulane answered in stages. Cooper Helmke kicked a 27-yard field goal about four and a half minutes later, and Trace Johnson threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Bredell Richardson with 10 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 31-31.
Johnson finished 28 of 36 passing for 284 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. Tulane improved to 4-4 overall and 2-2 in the American Conference.
Charlotte built the lead, then lost it
Charlotte led 24-14 at halftime. Harrell threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Jaden Barnes with 4:01 left in the second quarter, and Eley caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from Harrell to cap an eight-play, 80-yard drive and give Charlotte that halftime lead. Henry Rutledge rushed for 121 yards on a season-high 22 carries for Charlotte, and Khamani Alexander scored on a 44-yard run.
The wider numbers underline how tight the game was. Each team finished regulation with 437 total yards. Charlotte fell to 1-7 overall and 1-3 in the American Conference. The loss came two weeks after Charlotte beat Temple 38-31 on October 17 to snap a 14-game overall losing streak dating to last season and a 10-game skid in conference play.
The numbers that shaped it
Daniels finished with 99 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Smith scored on a 95-yard kickoff return. Rutledge carried the ball 22 times for 121 yards, a season high, and Alexander broke a 44-yard touchdown run. Johnson threw for 284 yards on 28 completions. Regulation ended level in total yards as well, 437 for each team.
What happens next
Tulane hosts Tulsa on November 7. Charlotte visits UAB on November 7.
Timeline
- Oct 30, 2026Charlotte leads Tulane 24-14 at halftime after Conner Harrell throws touchdown passes to Jaden Barnes and Derrick Eley.
- Oct 30, 2026Derrick Eley scores on a 1-yard run for a 31-21 Charlotte lead with 10:52 left in the fourth quarter, before a Cooper Helmke field goal and an 11-yard touchdown pass from Trace Johnson to Bredell Richardson with 10 seconds left tie the game 31-31.
- Oct 30, 2026Dagan Bruno scores on fourth-and-goal on the first possession of overtime, and Charlotte's answering drive ends with two incomplete passes after reaching first-and-goal at the 4.