NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Jake Retzlaff had two short touchdown runs, Jamauri McClure rushed for 121 yards and a score and Tulane beat North Texas 34-21 in the American Conference championship game Friday night — a victory that likely secured a College Football Playoff bid.
Chris Rogers returned an interception 35-yards for a touchdown for Tulane (11-2), which intercepted three passes and recovered two fumbles in an effort that is expected to delay coach
Jon Sumrall's departure for the Florida job he accepted last Sunday.
He's said that if the Green Wave qualified for the 12-team CFP, he’d see that through to the end.
The loss marked the end of the line for North Texas coach Eric Morris, who like Sumrall already had been hired away after leading the Mean Green to its first 11-win regular season. Morris moves on to Oklahoma State.
Tulane safety Jack Tchienchou intercepted a tipped pass in the end zone when North Texas (11-2) had first and goal on the 2 in the third quarter — one of several highlights that included his forced fumble that Tulane recovered and his own recovery of the muffed punt.
North Texas trailed 31-7 after Rogers' interception return — which was very close to being ruled a touchback because he lost the ball right as crossed the goal line. The call on the field of a touchdown was upheld, but North Texas didn't fold, initiating a comeback bid with consecutive touchdown drives that took just 3:57 off the clock combined.
Drew Mestemaker capped the first with his 59-yard touchdown pass to Miles Coleman. Ashton Gray's 9-yard touchdown run, followed by a 2-point conversion, pulled North Texas to 31-21 with 9:26 still to play.
But Tulane helped secured the victory with a 13-play drive that burned 6:29 and ended with Patrick Durkin's 30-yard field goal.
North Texas, one of the nation's most prolific offensive teams, led 7-0 after a 15-play opening drive capped by Mestemaker's 10-yard scoring pass to tight end Tre Williams.
Tulane responded with a 16-play drive that included two fourth-down conversions, the second of them coming when Retzlaff ran for a 2-yard TD around the right end.
On North Texas' next drive, top Mean Green running back Caleb Hawkins fumbled and appeared to injure his right shoulder on a big hit by Tchienchou after a short reception. Tulane's LJ Green scooped the ball at the Tulane 29 and returned it to the North Texas 37.
McClure ran 30 yards on the next play, moving the pile for the last 10 before finally going down. He scored one play later.
Tchienchou recovered his muffed punt late in the the second quater when the ball glanced off of North Texas' Baron Tipton at the UNT 11.
That led to Retzlaff's second fourth-down scoring run — this one a 1-yard sneak with a help from tight end Justyn Reid shoving him forward through the pile — to make it 24-7 at halftime.
North Texas: The Mean Green entered the game first in the nation among in scoring (46.8 points per game) and total offense (511.8 ypg), as well as second in yards passing (325.7 ypg). Mestemaker entered with a nation-leading 3,835 yards passing with 29 TDs. Matching their usual production proved difficult in a cold rain on the road against a play-making Green Wave defense that gave up an average of just 15 points per game at home.
Tulane: By holding prolific North Texas to just one touchdown through most of the first three quarters and producing four turnovers, the Green Wave defense played a major role in the victory. Meanwhile, Retzlaff, who increased his Tulane record for touchdowns rushing in a season to 16, now has led BYU and the Green Wave to 11-victory campaigns in his last two seasons of college football.
North Texas: Prepares what should be an attractive bowl bid while also trying to quickly wrap up a coaching search.
Tulane: Awaits what is expected to be the Green Wave's maiden CFP bid and looks to wrap up their search for Sumrall's replacement.
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