Tulane secures College Football Playoff spot, holds off North Texas in American Championship Game

Both coaches will leave for new jobs at the end of the season. For Eric Morris, that time has come. The North Texas headman accepted the Oklahoma State position and will shift his focus to the Cowboys now that his pursuits of a conference title and College Football Playoff berth have come to an end. All eyes will be on his quarterback, Drew Mestemaker, and whether he follows Morris to Stillwater when the transfer portal opens Jan. 2.

Jon Sumrall, meanwhile, is not quite finished at Tulane. Although Florida already introduced him as its next coach, he will remain with the Green Wave through the duration of its postseason run.

How Sumrall manages two jobs at the same time will be among the more intriguing storylines of the playoff's opening round. Tulane figures to capture the vast majority of his attention given the stakes of a CFP appearance and the fact that his transfer portal recruiting tasks with the Gators will not ramp up until early January.

"I'm grateful I get to be here right now," Sumrall said postgame on the broadcast. "We're gonna finish the job. Our players, coaches, we're all gonna finish the job."

At No. 20 in the College Football Playoff selection committee's penultimate rankings, Tulane entered conference championship week as the top Group of Five team. A win over a ranked opponent will only bolster the Green Wave's profile, setting it up to reach selection day as the holder of an automatic CFP berth.

The question is not whether Jon Sumrall's team will clinch a spot in the field but rather where in the bracket it will land. The outcome of Saturday's ACC Championship Game will help determine whether the Green Wave enter the postseason as the No. 11 seed or No. 12 seed. Regardless, it will almost certainly have to go on the road for a first-round matchup against a Power Four opponent.

Tulane is well prepared to square off against a Power Four foe. It played three of them in nonconference play in September and logged a 2-1 record with wins over Northwestern and Duke and a loss at Ole Miss. A rematch with the Rebels could be in store considering they stand at No. 6 in the rankings.

FINAL: Tulane 34, North Texas 21

Tulane can begin its College Football Playoff preparations. The No. 20 Green Wave is almost certainly bound for its debut appearance in the bracket by virtue of its 34-21 victory over No. 24 North Texas in Friday's American Conference Championship Game. A ferocious defensive effort against the nation's highest-scoring offense was the recipe for the biggest win in program history.

At first, the conference title bout had the makings of just another North Texas offensive explosion. The Mean Green was methodical in marching down the field on the opening possession, taking 6:28 off the clock with a 15-play touchdown drive. But once that drive ended, the typically unstoppable unit ran into an impenetrable wall and went scoreless for the next 38 minutes.

The halt in North Texas' offensive success was a product of Tulane's most impactful defensive performance of the year. Chris Rodgers rattled off a pick-six, Jayden Lewis came down with an interception, Jack Tchienchou forced a fumble, recovered another and hauled in a pick of his own, and Santana Hopper helped the Green Wave rack up five sacks as the group bounced back from its early letdown in dominant fashion. It was a splendid sight for coach Jon Sumrall, whose defensive acumen was on full display against a North Texas team that had scored at least 52 points in each of its previous three games and five of its last six.

Tulane held a 24-7 lead at the halftime break after outplaying the Mean Green in all three phases. It even capitalized on a special teams gaffe, recovering a muffed punt and scoring on the ensuing possession. And after Rodgers' defensive touchdown early in the third quarter extended the advantage, it became abundantly clear that the championship game's host team was destined to hoist the conference title trophy.

Not even a late surge from Drew Mestemaker and the Mean Green was enough to erase what became a four-possession chasm between the CFP hopefuls. Mestemaker threw a second touchdown pass to give him 31 on the year -- good for the second-most by a North Texas quarterback in a single season -- and Ashton Gray made things a bit more interesting with a fourth-quarter touchdown run, but it was simply lipstick on a pig for the visiting side.

Mid 4Q: Tulane 31, North Texas 21

The Mean Green has an ounce of hope. It's back to a two-score game with 9:26 to play after a 9-yard Ashton Gray touchdown run.

The North Texas offense looked more like its usual self on the last three drives, two of which resulted in points. And only about six minutes of game time came off the clock between touchdowns, leaving enough time for potential chaos down the stretch. Could a dramatic comeback come to fruition? The defense has to hold up its end of the bargain starting on the next drive.

End 3Q: Tulane 31, North Texas 13

Drew Mestemaker connected with a wide-open Miles Coleman for a 59-yard touchdown pass as North Texas finally snapped its scoring drought in the final seconds of the third quarter. The two-point conversion was no good.

But unless North Texas has an 18-point fourth quarter in its back pocket, the American Conference Championship Game is a wrap. The 31-13 deficit is unthinkably large for a Mean Green team that dominated its way to the top of the league ladder. And so long as it does not do the unthinkable over the final 15 minutes -- that is, complete a rally from down 24 points -- it will watch as Tulane all but certainly punches its ticket to the College Football Playoff.

The Green Wave figures to lean on its run game in the final frame in an effort to drain the clock. Expect a heavy dose of Jamauri McClure and Jake Retzlaff, who have combined for 30 carries, 143 yards and three touchdowns.

When it rains, it pours. Drew Mestemaker is having a night to forget in the Big Easy. The North Texas quarterback threw his second interception of the game in a critical moment, just as the Mean Green was knocking on the door. On first-and-goal from the 2, Mestemaker tossed a ball into the end zone that was tipped and then picked off by Jack Tchienchou. North Texas' most promising scoring opportunity since the opening possession ended in heartbreak.

On the Tulane side, the interception was the third takeaway in which Tchienchou made an impact. He now has a pick, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in what has become the greatest game of his career.

Mid 3Q: Tulane 31, North Texas 7

Things have gone from bad to worse for North Texas. On a fourth-down conversion attempt from its own side of the field, Drew Mestemaker threw an interception to Tulane's Chris Rodgers, who returned it 35 yards for what the officials initially ruled a touchdown. A closer look showed that Mestemaker jarred the ball loose within inches of the goal line, but the replay crew determined that there was not enough evidence to prove that the fumble occurred before Rodgers crossed the plane.

Mestemaker was nearly the hero in response to his own mistake, but instead, the Green Wave extended their lead to a 24-point advantage.

North Texas finally got a defensive stop. While the Mean Green technically got off the field once in the first half, the special teams mistake sent the defense right back into action seconds later. The unit held Tulane off the scoreboard on the first drive of the second half, forcing a field goal attempt that went wide left.

Could this be a turning point in a game that is quickly getting out of hand? North Texas will need to capitalize on as many possessions as possible the rest of the way to have a shot.

The biggest question for Tulane entering the night was whether it could keep the North Texas offense in check. The jury was out after one possession, as the Green Wave prevented explosive plays but did allow a lengthy 15-play touchdown drive. From that point onward, the group has been tough as nails.

Santana Hopper's drive-ending sack late in the second quarter was the fourth sack of the half for the Tulane pass rush, and Mo Westmoreland has been a force up front with a couple of tackles for loss. Jack Tchienchou forced a fumble that led to a touchdown, too, as the Green Wave logged dynamic play after dynamic play against the nation's No. 1 scoring offense.

North Texas picked up just 115 yards in the first half, putting it on pace for just 230 yards for the game. The Mean Green's lowest total in a single game this season is 406 yards.

Tulane could not have picked a better time to play some of its most stout defense of the year, and the consecutive stops allowed it to control the pace of play -- a critical achievement against such an explosive opponent.

HALF: Tulane 24, North Texas 7

North Texas sprung its first defensive stop of the game and forced a Tulane punt, but a critical error set the Green Wave up to extend its lead.

Baron Tipton was back in coverage for the Mean Green when the punt bounced off of him, creating a live-ball situation and allowing Tulane to recover the ball on the 13-yard line. It was a controversial play in that a Tulane player made contact with the North Texas return man, but in the absence of a kick-catch interference call, the result of the play stood. Jack Tchienchou picked up the ball and has now been directly involved in two fumble recoveries for Tulane.

Jake Retzlaff snuck in from 1 yard out on the final play of the half to capitalize on the special teams fireworks and put the Green Wave up by three scores. He is up to two rushing touchdowns on the night.

Mid 2Q: Tulane 17, North Texas 7

Patrick Durkin knocked a 30-yard field goal attempt through the uprights to give the Green Wave a two-possession lead with 5:46 to play in the first half.

While North Texas now has even more work to do in clawing back from its deficit, forcing Tulane to take three points on the drive is a win. The Green Wave had all the momentum in the game and advanced to the red zone, threatening to go up by a pair of touchdowns before the drive fizzled out.

Caleb Hawkins was banged up on the play in which he fumbled. North Texas' top running back, who has seven carries for 20 yards, plus an 11-yard catch, is being evaluated for an apparent collarbone injury, according to the ESPN broadcast. Trainers took Hawkins into the sideline medical tent, and after a quick evaluation, they walked him into the ground floor of the stadium towards the X-ray room.

Early 2Q: Tulane 14, North Texas 7

The Tulane defense was responsible for the first stop of the night, and it resulted in seven points the other way.

The Green Wave made that stop in style. After a Mo Westmoreland sack set up third-and-long for North Texas, the defense made an even bigger play on the ensuing snap. Jack Tchienchou put his helmet on the ball to jar it loose from Caleb Hawkins' hands, and LJ Green picked up the fumble and returned it 34 yards into opposing territory.

It took just two plays for Tulane to turn the opportunity into points. Jamauri McClure handled a pair of carries and took the first one for 30 yards and hauled the second one 7 yards across the goal line.

End 1Q: Tulane 7, North Texas 7

Tulane saw North Texas' fourth-down conversion and thought it ought to try a couple itself. Jake Retzlaff kept a promising opening possession alive for the Green Wave with a 2-yard sneak on fourth-and-1 and punched the ball into the end zone with another 2-yard run on fourth-and-goal.

With that score, the first quarter comes to a close after just two combined full possessions. It was a surgical start for the offenses but also an impressive job by the defenses to limit explosive plays, particularly given the acumen of these two offensive units.

The slow-paced game favors Tulane as it limits the North Texas' top-ranked scoring operation to fewer opportunities. Plus, Jon Sumrall has been comfortable with drawn-out possessions this year, having averaged 27.3 seconds per play against FBS opponents.

Early 1Q: North Texas 7, Tulane 0

The Mean Green received the opening kickoff and made the Tulane defense work from the get-go. Drew Mestemaker led his offense on a 15-play drive to start the game and capped off the marathon possession with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Tre Williams III, giving North Texas the game's first lead.

It took a pair of third-down conversions and a fourth-down pickup for the visitors to march their way to the end zone. If the Mean Green can sustain lengthy drives like this throughout the night, they should be able to wear down Tulane's 64th-ranked defense.

If North Texas defeats the perennial conference title contender and wins its first American crown, it will almost certainly be because of its offense. Redshirt freshman quarterback Drew Mestemaker leads the nation in passing with 3,835 yards, true freshman running back Caleb Hawkins paces the sport in rushing touchdowns (23) and total touchdowns (26), sophomore wide receiver Wyatt Young ranks third nationally with 1,203 receiving yards and the team as a whole is the highest-scoring operation in the country at 46.8 points per game. The Mean Green put up at least 52 points in each of their final three regular-season games.

Although it came away victorious just once (2022), Tulane reached the conference championship game each of the last three years and on Friday will become the first program in American history to play in four consecutive title games. The Green Wave is also 29-3 in regular-season conference games dating back to 2022, good for the best winning percentage (.906) of any team in the FBS. It is a stretch of dominance for the Green Wave that spans multiple coaching staffs, which indicates an immense amount of program strength and suggests it will be able to reload once Jon Sumrall departs for Florida.

Jon Sumrall and Eric Morris have had their hands full of late, balancing tasks at two different schools. Both were announced as incoming coaches at Power Four universities with Sumrall bound for Florida and Morris set to take over at Oklahoma State. But unlike some coaches on the 2025 carousel (looking at you, Lane Kiffin), their schools permitted them to remain with their respective teams through the end of the season. It is a unique wrinkle in this matchup that brings into question how focused the coaches will be on the task at hand and how motivated their players will be to suit up for coaches who are on their way out.

Tulane is the more proven team against high-end competition. The Green Wave defeated a pair of Power Four opponents in Northwestern and Duke and did not lose to a team below .500. Meanwhile, let it not be forgotten that the last time (and only time) North Texas played a ranked team, it lost by 27 points to a conference foe in South Florida. While Drew Mestemaker and his supporting cast could post a number that Tulane simply cannot match, the Green Wave is more battle-tested, familiar with the big stage and boasts home-field advantage. This might be a "wrong team favored" situation with Eric Morris' unit laying a field goal on the road. Pick: Tulane ML (+110)

The conference title is on the line, and so too is a potential College Football Playoff berth as No. 20 Tulane hosts No. 24 North Texas in the American Conference Championship Game. Both squads are led by departing coaches (Tulane's Jon Sumrall and North Texas' Eric Morris) who will continue to lead their respective programs through the end of the season, and neither wants this to be the final game for their headman before he exits for his new job.

Considering where the American stands in the context of other Group of Five leagues, the longstanding assumption is that the league winner will be the fifth-highest ranked conference champion in the nation. With that designation comes an automatic bid in the CFP, likely as the No. 12 seed. And depending on what happens in the ACC, the victor could be held in even higher regard. Neither the Green Wave nor the Mean Green have ever played in the CFP, so history is on the table regardless of the result.

The conference championship game is an on-campus affair in the American. Both teams went 7-1 in league play, but Tulane will host the title bout by virtue of being the highest-ranked American team in the Week 14 CFP Top 25. The Green Wave is unbeaten at home and posted the first 6-0 record in Yulman Stadium history.