On Friday Night, while both teams are unranked, Tulane and Memphis met with massive College Football Playoff stakes. The Memphis Tigers were named the Group of 5 representative for the Playoff when the committee unveiled the bracket earlier this week, while Tulane at 3-1 in league play was very much still in the race.
When Tulane started the game by forcing a 3-and-out before Jake Retzlaff uncorked a bomb to Shazz Preston for a 65-yard touchdown, it looked like Tulane was going to have a great night. The Green Wave dominated the first 3 quarters, bringing a 38-17 lead into the 4th quarter before chaos ensued.
On the first play of the 4th quarter, Memphis scored a touchdown, capping off a 12-play drive before they forced a 3-and-out. After forcing a 3-and-out again, Memphis was able to score on a jump ball in the endzone thanks to Tulane jumping offsides. Even after the defense got another stop and Brendan Lewis threw an interception, the defense forced another stop, giving the Memphis offense a chance to win the game.
The entire game came down to a 4th and 3 following the 2-minute timeout, as Memphis took a false start penalty, which was a massive setback. On 4th and 8, Jon Sumrall's defense was finally able to get a stop as Memphis just missed on a deep ball, giving Tulane a chance to go and close the game out.
When Tulane needed it most, Jake Retzlaff converted a 3rd and 4 with his legs giving Jon Sumrall's team a massive win.
Tulane has shaken the entire race for the American
Memphis suffering their second loss in AAC play changes the entire race for the Conference Championship, as they'll need a ton of help to get back in the race. The Tigers entered the week in the College Football Playoff as the Group of 5 representative and now their chances are slim at best as teams in other leagues may get a look before a 2 loss Memphis.
After losing to UTSA last weekend, Tulane is right back in the mix in the American and in the race for the College Football Playoff. The rest of the schedule is much easier for Tulane with matchups against FAU, Temple, and Charlotte, which gives them a great chance to finish the season with just 1 loss in league play.