North Texas and Tulane are set to clash in the American Conference championship game this Friday night in New Orleans, with a coveted spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff on the line.
Both teams have experienced significant quarterback changes since last season, as they lost their starting QBs to the transfer portal. The Mean Green enter the matchup with an impressive record of 11-1, while the Green Wave stand at 10-2. This showdown features two quarterbacks who have emerged as key players: Drew Mestemaker, the national passing leader from North Texas, and Jake Retzlaff from Tulane.
“It”s really impressive by both teams,” said Tulane coach Jon Sumrall. “You can sit here and complain about what you”ve lost in the portal or how your roster got poached. Nobody cares. You”ve got to figure it out. So, how do you put the best roster you can together and keep moving forward? And I”m proud that our team has found a way, and I really respect how their team has done it as well.”
Mestemaker, currently a redshirt freshman, took over as the starter for the Mean Green after Chandler Morris transferred to Virginia. Last season, Mestemaker made his first start in their bowl game, showcasing his skills with a remarkable performance. Meanwhile, Retzlaff joined Tulane after withdrawing from BYU, where he was set to enter his senior year, following the departure of Darian Mensah to Duke.
As Mestemaker and Retzlaff aim for the playoffs, Morris and Mensah will meet in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game on Saturday night. Earlier that same day, Retzlaff”s former team, BYU, will compete against Texas Tech in the Big 12 title game, with a playoff spot at stake for the Cougars.
Mestemaker has made a name for himself as the starting quarterback for the Bowl Subdivision”s top offense, averaging 511.8 total yards and 46.8 points per game. He leads the nation with 3,835 passing yards, completing 70.1% of his throws with 29 touchdowns and only four interceptions. “What makes him the most dangerous is being able to sit back there and read the defense,” Tulane linebacker Sam Howard noted. “When he”s back there, and he”s comfortable, he can really rip your defense to shreds.”
Despite a setback against South Florida, where he threw three interceptions, Mestemaker rebounded by setting a conference record with 608 passing yards in a win over Charlotte two weeks later. “They get this young quarterback who”s not as experienced as Jake, and he”s playing at a really high level,” said Sumrall. “He makes great decisions. He”s accurate.”
“It”s honestly just watching like a kid go out there and be able to play football every day. He”s just always having fun,” remarked Mean Green left guard Gabe Blair. “He”s been a great leader. Even being a young guy he”s really stepped up.”
On the other side, Retzlaff had an impressive run at BYU last year, leading the team to an 11-2 record and finishing No. 13 in the final AP Top 25 Poll. This season, he has thrown for 2,717 yards with 14 touchdowns and six interceptions while also leading Tulane in rushing with 561 yards. His 14 rushing touchdowns set a single-season record for a quarterback at the school.
Sumrall, who has been named the new coach for Florida, praised Retzlaff as a game-changer. “Two totally different ways of doing it, of him and Drew,” noted Eric Morris, the Mean Green coach who will take over at Oklahoma State next season. “There”s a ton of different ways to win football games, and I think it”ll be fun to watch those two battle it out.”
