Glen Cuiellette, who handled his benching after two games with incredible grace on the outside even though it was killing him on the inside, revealed how emotional Tulane's 41-39 four-overtime victory against ULL was for him after the wild game was over. He went from wondering whether he would ever play a significant down again to a triumphant finish off the bench in what almost certainly will allow him to reclaim his starting job from freshman Johnathan Brantley.
Here's what Cuiellette had to say after throwing Tulane's first four touchdowns of the season--the last three in overtime:
Was that the wildest game you've ever been involved in?
"Yeah, definitely. Definitely."
What happened in overtime, when it seemed like there was a touchdown on almost every play?
"You know, going in I really didn't get that many reps in practice. JB got the majority of the reps and I got the majority of the reps in seven-on-seven, so I knew it was going to be a like a pass situation where 'we need you,' so I just went in there and said, look, I told myself, Glen, you know the coverages, you know what they're doing, you study film, so just go out there and just play. I just went out there and just played, I just did what we practiced. Scoring at will like that really blew me away. It was like, is it that easy? It just kept going and kept going, and you're just wondering, like, dang. I'm at a loss for words really."
Considering the ups and downs for your season individually, what does a night like tonight mean for you?
"A night like this is just something I can't ever forget. Growing up I used to always watch USC and all the powerhouses--USC, Ohio State, LSU. My favorite game was Matt Flynn when LSU played Auburn, and he hit Demetrius Byrd in the corner of the end zone for a touchdown as time expired to win the game. Ever since that game, I just remember like man, I want to play college football. I want to do it. I've always loved football, too, and just having a moment like that, or just something equivalent to it, like a roller coaster with ups and downs, whenever I got my chance, I just said, you know what, seize it. I kept praying the whole game. I was like, God, please, please stop them, just stop them or God, please just put us in good situations and let the plays fall."
It looked like you hurt your ankle, and you hopped off the field after the last series of regulation. How did you recover from that to play the way you did the rest of the way?
"Yeah, it wasn't just my ankle. It was my hip, too, so I had two nagging injuries--not really injuries, just pain that could have hindered somebody from playing. I'm not going to lie. On the sideline for a moment, I couldn't for a moment there take a three-step drop and plant and throw because of the pressure on my front-side leg. After that ankle, I was like, God, I just said, Glen, you've got a choice: just sit back and watch the game unfold and put it in someone else's hands, or step up and be a man like you say you are and step up for your team and make plays. God just put me in situations and helped me through because I've been playing so much and just he's been helping me. My parents have been so supportive. After that game I went straight to them and I was in tears. It's just something I will never forget. It's very special."
I'm sure you guys heard the fans after the first three games complaining about the passing game and wanting to see it progress. What did it take for you guys to explode the way you did tonight (in overtime)?
"Honestly, we didn't think anything of it. We were just saying let's just play. When we have passing opportunities we have to capitalize on them. When I first got in, I had to get warmed up a little bit in the game. I haven't played really since week 1 when it comes to dropping back and passing. Not that that was an excuse or anything, but I had to get warmed up, I had to get in the flow. Once we just started clicking, that's when I was like, all right, we've got something.
"We didn't really think much about what people were saying. Yeah we do listen, we do know what's going on with what people are saying, but we just said, hey, let's play our game, don't focus on the outside stuff, just focus on us."
When you threw your first TD to Terren Encalade in regulation, you ran all the way to the end zone to congratulate him. Did that help you relax a little bit like, OK, now I know we can do it?
"Definitely. Once he (offensive coordinator Doug Ruse) called the play, I just looked at the defense and said, OK, we got this. I said we got this, and then I'm like I just need some time. And then I saw them blitzing, so I just tried to step up, tried to slide, and I saw him beat the guy and a guy fell, and I just put the ball up there and he ran under it. Once that happened, I was at a loss for words. I was losing it. I almost came out of my uniform. I literally almost took my helmet off, and I was like, nope, don't do that, you don't want a flag. I was just really excited. It did help me relax. It made me realize like, hey, you're meant to be here, you're meant to make throws, you're meant to be a quarterback, so play like it. You've got the monkey off your back."
The 2-point conversion after the last touchdown was as important as any play in the game, and Kendall Ardoin was wide open. How did that play work so well?
"That was a play we've worked since before the Wake game. Honestly, in practice I was like, we're never going to get this opportunity, so why are we working on it? But lo and behold, he (Ruse) called it, and I was just like, dang, he's really calling this. It worked to perfection. Great call by coach. Honestly, coach made really great calls throughout the whole game but mainly I noticed in overtime, a lot of those plays were wide open and he just made it very easy on me as a young quarterback to just have confidence and make the throws. Coach Ruse did an excellent job tonight calling plays. It was a great team effort."
You see often in college football a guy lose his starting job early in the season and lose his confidence. What did it take for you to stay up and prepare for this type of moment?
"Yeah, that was big. I thought I didn't play that bad against Wake Forest, and some of you guys were saying I didn't play that bad considering the circumstances I had to deal with. I did lose my confidence. I didn't show it really, but you could tell. I'm passionate about what I do, so it's going to eat at me a little bit. I would be in my bed at night just thinking, am I even going to get another chance? I talked to my dad and was like, is this even for me, I don't even know if I'm going to make it to the pros potentially, like I just don't have any shot now. I was thinking about my future a lot, and then all of a sudden they threw me in the game and I said, this is your opportunity, you've got to do it. Just play. And the whole night, I was very calm and ready to get back out there and make plays for my team."
What was your immediate reaction when the defense stopped the 2-pointer to win the game?
"Well, I'm not going to lie. I went down on my knees, I said thank you and I was in tears really. I remember I said to myself, you worked two hard, long years of just working, just grinding in the hot sun, just running all the time with my teammates and just doing extra afterwards when no one wanted to throw, throwing in the net, just working on something. And just seeing all that pay off in a big win like this is unreal."
Did you watch Andrew DiRocco's 48-yard field goal?
"Yeah, I was watching it. I was watching it go, and I was like, that's in."
I don't know if you saw Ade Aruna's backflips in celebration, but what are your thoughts?
"I didn't see that. I'm probably going to tease him about that now. Thanks for telling me. He's a freak. He's every bit of 6-6, 250 or something like that, runs a 4.6, 4.7 in that range. He's a freak, man. He's long, fast and physical. Every time I have to read him in practice, I'm just like, ah."
