The Memphis Tigers faced a tough setback on Friday night, losing to the Tulane Green Wave, which significantly impacted their chances of making the College Football Playoff (CFP).
This loss comes shortly after the selection committee released the first rankings for the CFP, where Memphis was projected as a potential automatic bid recipient due to their conference championship aspirations. Despite being unranked, both No. 14 Virginia and Memphis found themselves in the initial bracket of 12 teams.
The game started poorly for the Tigers as the Green Wave, motivated after a previous upset loss to UTSA, surged ahead with a commanding 35-17 lead by halftime. Tulane quarterback Jeff Retzlaff had an impressive outing, completing 16 of 23 passes for 332 yards and throwing three touchdowns.
Tulane extended their advantage to 38-17 before the fourth quarter. However, Memphis fought back, scoring two quick touchdowns on their initial possessions of the final quarter, narrowing the score to 38-32 with just under eight minutes left in the game.
Despite their efforts, the Green Wave defense stood firm during Memphis” last two possessions, securing an interception from quarterback Brendon Lewis and forcing a turnover on downs in the dying moments of the game. Tulane managed to run out the clock, sealing a 38-32 victory at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, and improving their record to 7-2.
After the game, Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall expressed pride in his team”s resilience following the disappointing loss to UTSA the previous week. He noted, “They”ve driven me crazy at times this year. I”ve said it all year to y”all, but man, like they”re keeping me young and they”re going to make me grow old real fast… Last week”s sucked. We all know that it”s like our worst game we could possibly play, and for them to respond and pick themselves up–they showed how tough they are.”
Looking ahead, Tulane will host FAU in Week 12, while the loss has dealt a blow to Memphis” CFP aspirations. With a record of 4-2 in the American Conference and 8-2 overall, their next challenge comes on the road against East Carolina in Week 12. Meanwhile, Navy currently leads the conference with a 5-1 record and an overall record of 7-1 before their Saturday night matchup against Notre Dame. The race for the Group of 5 automatic bid remains highly competitive heading into Week 11.
