Tulane vs North Texas highlights: Green Wave win American championship

Tulane quarterback Jake Retzlaff (12) rushes against North Texas safety Quinton Hammonds (14) during the first half in the 2025 American Championship at Yulman Stadium.

Tulane defeated North Texas 34-21 in the American championship game on Friday, Dec. 5, likely securing a spot in the College Football Playoff.

The Green Wave forced five turnovers and held the Mean Green's nation-leading scoring offense to their lowest points total all season. Tulane was held without an offensive touchdown in the second half, but a pick-6 by Chris Rodgers picked up the slack.

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Tulane's rushing attack led the way, as the Green Wave rushed for 199 yards and three touchdowns as a team on 52 carries. Quarterback Jake Retzlaff passed for 145 yards while rushing for 49 yards and two scores.

North Texas quarterback Drew Mestemaker, the nation's passing leader, completed 21 of 34 passes for 291 yards with two touchdowns to three interceptions, two of which were off dropped passes by Mean Green receivers.

Here are the highlights from Tulane's 34-21 win over Tulane in the American championship game:

Tulane vs North Texas score

TEAM	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	FINAL
North Texas	7	0	6	8	21
Tulane	7	17	7	3	34

Tulane vs North Texas updates

Tulane intercepts Mestemaker again

Drew Mestemaker throws his third interception of the game with a minute left, securing the 34-21 win for Tulane.

North Texas found momentum late, but its five turnovers in the game will haunt the Mean Green moving forward.

Tulane takes 34-21 lead

Patrick Durkin hits the 30-yard field goal, extending Tulane's lead to 34-21 with 2:51 left in the fourth quarter.

Tulane running down the clock

North Texas is running out of time. Tulane is in the middle of a commanding drive, burning 5:33 of clock so far on the nine-play, 61-yard drive.

The Mean Green trail by 10 with 3:47 left in the fourth quarter, and they're going to need a miracle at this rate.

Here comes North Texas

North Texas strikes again. Running back Ashton Gray rushes for a 9-yard score before punching in the 2-point conversion to reduce the deficit to 31-21. Drew Mestemaker set up the touchdown on a 26-yard pass to Miles Coleman on fourth-and-7.

The Mean Green have 9:26 remaining and desperately need another stop.

North Texas gets another stop

North Texas' defense has rebounded well in the second half, as it forces another stop. The Mean Green re-take possession down 31-13 with 12:20 left in the fourth quarter.

Tulane's only points in the second half came from its defensive touchdown.

North Texas strikes back

Mestemaker delivers a strike to Miles Coleman, who runs 59 yards for a touchdown on fourth-and-9. North Texas fails to convert the 2-point conversion, and it still trails 31-13 with 16 seconds left in the third quarter.

Mestemaker throws another interception

Drew Mestemaker throws to an open Wyatt Young in the end zone, but Young can't haul in the pass, and it's intercepted by Tulane's Jack Tchienchou.

Mestemaker now has two interceptions on the night, although both came on drops from Young, who entered the game with 1,203 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns this season.

Mestemaker throws pick-six

Wyatt Young drops a pass from Drew Mestemaker, and the ball is bobbled and intercepted by Tulane's Chris Rodgers, who returns the interception 35 yards for a touchdown.

Mestemaker punched out the ball on the interception return and the ball rolled out of the back of the end zone, but referees upheld the touchdown call after review. Just a brutal sequence for North Texas, who now trails 31-7.

Tulane misses field goal

North Texas catches a break, with Tulane missing a 50-yard field goal on its first drive of the second half. The Mean Green take over down 24-7.

Tulane rushing attack giving North Texas fits

Tulane's rushing attack is giving North Texas all sorts of fits. The Green Wave open the second half with a pair of short-yardage third-down conversions.

Tulane has 143 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 32 carries.

Tulane scores again on fourth down

Tulane goes for it again on fourth-and-goal, and Jake Retzlaff punches in a touchdown on a quarterback sneak as time expires to give the Green Wave a 24-7 lead before halftime.

North Texas is in trouble, as Tulane gets the ball after the break.

North Texas forces punt, but doesn't recover

North Texas finally forces a punt, but the ball hits the Mean Green returner and bounces into the hands of a Tulane player. Tulane maintains possession on North Texas' 13-yard line after the recovery.

ESPN rules analyst Matt Austin says referees missed an interference call on the returner. It's a huge break for the Green Wave, and a devastating call for North Texas, as the play isn't reviewable.

Tulane forces another punt

Tulane's front seven is dominating right now. The Green Wave pick up their fourth sack of the first half so far on third-and-four, forcing North Texas to punt for the second time.

Tulane regains possession with 2:09 remaining before halftime and a 17-7 lead.

Tulane extends lead with field goal

Tulane extends its lead to 17-7 after Patrick Durkin hits a 30-yard field goal with 5:46 remaining before halftime. It's a win for North Texas, which has struggled to get stops against the Green Wave so far.

Tulane sacks Mestemaker, forces punt

Tulane forces another stop after sacking Mestemaker for a 15-yard loss on third-and-12. Tulane has a chance to take a two-score lead, regaining possession with a 14-7 lead.

Caleb Hawkins injury update

After the latest hit to his shoulder, North Texas running back Caleb Hawkins left the field for the locker room and was shown on the broadcast without his pads. ESPN broadcast reports he's doubtful to return.

Tulane takes lead

Tulane running back Jamauri McClure runs for 30 yards after the fumble, setting up his 7-yard rushing touchdown on the next play.

The Green Wave lead 14-7 with 12:29 remaining in the second quarter.

Tulane recovers fumble

Caleb Hawkins takes another big hit, fumbling the ball. Tulane defensive back LJ Green recovers the ball and returns it to North Texas' 37-yard line, giving Tulane great field position.

Tulane scores on fourth down

Tulane goes for it on fourth-and-goal, and Jake Retzlaff scrambles for a 2-yard touchdown to tie the game at 7-7. The score caps off an impressive 16-play, 81-yard drive taking 7:57 off the clock.

Both teams start with long touchdown drives, as North Texas ran 15 plays on its first drive of the game.

North Texas takes early lead

North Texas takes an early 7-0 lead on a Drew Mestemaker 10-yard touchdown pass to Tre Williams III. The Mean Green offense doing what it does best, which is scoring points.

Caleb Hawkins returns

Caleb Hawkins returns for North Texas and gets the ball on his first snap in multiple plays. ESPN broadcast says the team gave him a painkiller on the sidelines.

Caleb Hawkins injury update

North Texas running back Caleb Hawkins exits the game after taking a big hit to the shoulder on his second carry of the game. It would be a huge loss for the Mean Green, as the true freshman has 16 rushing touchdowns in his last four games.

Tulane wins toss, defers to second half

Tulane wins the coin toss and defers to the second half. Here comes the North Texas offense.

Is Jon Sumrall coaching Tulane?

Tulane coach Jon Sumrall also has a new job, as he was hired by Florida on Nov. 30. Sumrall is also finishing out Tulane's season, similar to Morris.

Is Eric Morris coaching North Texas?

North Texas head coach Eric Morris is finishing out the season with the Mean Green, despite being named the next coach at Oklahoma State on Nov. 25. Morris has already flipped numerous North Texas commits to Oklahoma State, along with a few key staff members.

Jake Retzlaff stats

Tulane quarterback Jake Retzlaff brings a different skill set than Mestemaker, given his rushing ability. Here's how the first-year transfer from BYU has performed this season.

Passing: 209 of 334 passing (62.6%) for 2,717 yards with 14 touchdowns to six interceptions
Rushing: 103 carries for 561 yards (5.4 yards per carry) with 14 touchdowns

Drew Mestemaker stats

Mestemaker leads the nation in passing yards. Here's a look at his stats in his first season as North Texas' starter:

Passing: 271 of 282 passing (70.9%) for 3,835 passing yards with 29 touchdowns to four interceptions
Rushing: 44 carries for 57 yards for five touchdowns

What time does Tulane vs North Texas start?

Date: Friday, Dec. 5
Time: 8 p.m. ET | 7 p.m. CT
Where: Yulman Stadium (New Orleans)

Tulane vs North Texas will kick off at 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. CT) on Friday, Dec. 5, from Yulman Stadium in New Orleans.

What TV channel is Tulane vs North Texas on today?

TV channel: ABC
Livestream: Fubo (free trial)

The American championship game between Tulane and North Texas will be broadcast on ABC. Streaming options for the game include Fubo, which carries ABC and offers a free trial to new subscribers.

Tulane vs North Texas predictions

Austin Curtright, USA TODAY Network: North Texas 42, Tulane 38

North Texas gets into another shootout, but its offense the past few weeks has been virtually unstoppable. The Mean Green earn a trip to the CFP after taking down Tulane for its first-ever American title.

Here are other predictions from the USA TODAY Network: