Michael Pratt passed for 294 yards and four touchdowns and No. 24 Tulane defeated visiting South Alabama 37-17 in the nonconference season opener for both teams Saturday night in New Orleans.

Pratt completed 14 of 15 passes and increased his career touchdown pass total to 72, tying Patrick Ramsey's Green Wave record. Jha'Quan Jackson caught two of the touchdown passes, from 47 and 48 yards, and finished with 106 receiving yards.

Carter Bradley completed 23 of 30 passes but had just 190 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions for the Jaguars.

Tulane was driving on the first possession of the third quarter, but Iverson Celestine fumbled and Ricky Fletcher recovered the ball for USA at the Jaguars' 47.

Eleven plays later, Bradley threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Devin Voisin to pull USA within 24-17.

The Green Wave answered on the ensuing possession when Pratt threw the 48-yard touchdown pass to Jackson to restore a two-touchdown lead at the end of the third quarter.

Valentino Ambrosio kicked fourth-quarter field goals from 30 and 27 yards to complete the scoring.

On the second play from scrimmage, USA's La'Damian Webb fumbled and Lance Robinson recovered for Tulane at the USA 38. Three plays later Pratt threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Chris Brazzell II for a 7-0 lead.

On the ensuing possession the Jaguars drove into Tulane territory, but Diego Guajardo was short on a 53-yard field-goal attempt.

Ambrosio's 29-yard field goal gave the Green Wave a 10-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Bradley ran 4 yards for a touchdown that pulled USA within 10-7 early in the second quarter.

Pratt threw 47-yard touchdown passes to Jackson and Lawrence Keys III on consecutive possessions for a 24-7 lead midway through the quarter.

Later in the period, Khalil Jacobs sacked Pratt and caused a fumble that teammate Ke'Shun Brown recovered at the Green Wave 13. That led to Guajardo's 36-yard field goal that trimmed Tulane's lead to 24-10 at halftime.

--Field Level Media