Congratulating Tulane University's Football Team American Athletic Conference and Cotton Bowl Champions

Floor Speech

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Mr. SCALISE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Tulane University football team for winning the American Athletic Conference championship, and for then winning the 2023 Cotton Bowl Classic! The Tulane football team, under the leadership of Coach Willie Fritz, just completed the greatest turnaround in NCAA football history with a commanding 12-2 record after finishing 2-10 in their 2021-2022 season. This magical turnaround season was crystallized on Monday, January 2, 2023, when No. 14 ranked Tulane faced off against the No. 8 University of Southern California in the Cotton Bowl and won a thrilling instant- classic by a score of 46-45, with sixteen of Tulane's points scored in the final four minutes.

Tulane finished the season ranked No. 9 in all of college football, which is their highest national ranking since 1998. Tulane's march to victory included: defeating three top 25 teams in the nation; defeating the three teams leaving the American Athletic Conference for the Big 12; and defeating Kansas State who went on to be the Big 12 champion. Prior to winning the Cotton Bowl, Tulane defeated the No. 22 University of Central Florida in a rematch for the AAC championship to capture the university's first-ever AAC title.

Tulane's electric championship season also included individual honors. Tyjae Spears, a native of Ponchatoula, LA, was named AAC Offensive Player of the Year, and Coach Willie Fritz won the AAC Coach of the Year award, the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year award, and was a finalist for both the Bear Bryant and George Munger Coach of the Year awards. This is the fourth time in the last five years that Coach Fritz has led his team to a bowl game, and I commend him for his continued leadership of these talented young men. Roll Wave.

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