NEW ORLEANS -- Quinton Flowers passed for two touchdowns, ran for 138 yards and another score, and No. 16/13 USF extended the nation's longest active winning streak to 12 games with a 34-28 victory over Tulane on Saturday night.
USF (7-0, 4-0 American) also scored at least 30 points in a game for a modern-era record 24th straight time, but needed to hold on after Tulane nearly clawed back from a 27-point hole.
Jonathan Banks passed for two touchdowns for Tulane, and Dontrell Hilliard's tackle-slipping, 16-yard touchdown run made it a one-possession game with 2:45 left. But the Green Wave (3-4, 1-2) failed to recover an onside kick and could not stop Darius Tice's run on third down, allowing the Bulls to run out the clock and drop Tulane to its first home loss this season.
USF had never before opened a season with seven straight victories. But now first-year coach Charlie Strong can add that accomplishment to his resume.
Flowers scored the game's opening points when he eluded several defenders behind the line of scrimmage before breaking into the clear for a 21-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. His scoring passes went for 38 yards to Darnel Salomon and 28 yards Marques Valdez-Scantling.
The Bulls went up 13-0 after capitalizing on a defensive stop on fourth-and-1, followed by Flowers' 12-yard scramble on third-and-10. That set up Tice's 45-yard touchdown on a draw play.
Tulane pulled to 13-7 on Terren Encalade's 73-yard catch and run on a pass over the middle from Banks.
But Flowers' scoring strike to Salomon down the left sideline made it 20-7 shortly before halftime. USF then opened the second half with another touchdown drive highlighted by Flowers' 43-yard run, which set up his timing pass to Scantling in the right corner of the end zone to make it 27-7.
With the help of Flowers' lone interception, Tulane rallied with Sherman Badie's 36-yard scoring run and Hilliard's 24-yard TD reception. Meanwhile, USF kicker Emilio Nadelman uncharacteristically missed two field goals, with one sailing wide and the second being blocked.