More on the safety; a Pick-6 would have been better.

Blame Mario Williams, sure, but also blame the offensive coaches.

The situation: you're up by 8, 4 minutes to go and the other team has 1 timeout left. 1st and 10 at the 1. Heisman winner at QB with a hot hand; the opponent hasn't covered any receivers all day and doesn't have a sack. And the running game hasn't produced all day, because there's no threat the QB will keep the ball on the mesh play, which is what makes the running game go.

So you have to pass the ball in that situation. A PICK SIX is a better outcome than a safety, because you get the ball back with no worse than a tie. The safety makes it a 6-point game and gives Tulane the ball. At that point the inevitability of the outcome comes into focus. Just like at the end of the game at Utah, you knew the other team was going to score (and, in the case of Utah, make a 2-point conversion).