Tulane’s is headed to a fourth straight American Athletic Conference championship game with its league title and College Football Playoff goals both now within a week’s grasp.
The No. 22 Green Wave (10-2, 7-1) cruised past Charlotte (1-11, 0-8) on Saturday for a 27-0 victory at Yulman Stadium to secure another game on the same field next Friday against No. 21 North Texas (11-1, 7-1).
Tulane allowed just 140 yards, including -3 on the ground, in its first shutout since Nov. 16, 2024.
Junior linebacker Chris Rodgers led the unit with nine tackles and sophomore safety Kevin Adams III (Destrehan) and senior edge rusher Mo Westmoreland each intercepted passes.
The Green Wave marched their first two possessions 65 and 72 yards, respectively, to goal-line touchdowns by freshman Javin Gordon and veteran quarterback Jake Retzlaff.
Adams’ pick late in the first half set up a short field Retzlaff cashed in six plays later to another short score.
And freshman kicker Patrick Durkin added 36- and 52-yard field goals in the fourth quarter.
Retzlaff finished 28-for-38 (73.7%) for 192 yards and two interceptions with junior receiver Anthony Brown-Stephens leading all targets with nine catches for 98 yards.
Freshman Jamauri McClure rushed 11 times for 69 yards, and Gordon added 44 yards and the early score on nine carries and caught four passes for another 29 yards.
In the absence of a head-to-head meeting this regular season, College Football Playoff rankings — Tulane at No. 24 and North Texas unranked — serves as the tie-breaker in the American Athletic Conference standings.
The Green Wave will host the title game for the third time in four years after beating UCF, 45-28, in 2022 and falling to SMU, 26-14, in 2023.
Coach Jon Sumrall and company lost to Army last year, 35-14, on the road.
This story will be updated…