For the second time in three weeks, Tulane pounced on a Power-Four opponent Saturday and controlled the game from start to finish.
The Green Wave (3-0) kept their former quarterback Darian Mensah and his new Duke team (1-2) out of rhythm and playing from behind in his return to Yulman Stadium.
Meanwhile successor Jake Retzlaff and the Tulane offense scored of four of their first five drives, including three touchdowns, to build a big lead and hold off the Blue Devils, 34-27.
The three early touchdown drives all went for 60-plus yards and found their way to the end zone on Retzlaff runs.
The BYU transfer finished 15-for-23 for 245 yards through the air and ran 17 times for 111 yards and four scores.
And the Green Wave held a 24-3 lead before the Blue Devils could start sustaining more offensive consistency and finding the end zone.
Mensah linked up with wide receiver Shamir Hagans just before half and then tight end Landen King early in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 24-16.
But Retzlaff and company immediately responded with their longest drive of the game, 11 plays for 75 yards and more than five minutes on the quarterback’s way back to the end zone.
Patrick Durkin added his second field goal of the game early in the fourth quarter to extend the lead to 34-16.
By the time Duke managed another couple scores in the final minutes — including a Mensah pass to former Mandeville star Nate Sheppard — the rally attempt proved too little and two late.
Wide receiver Shazz Preston (St. James) was Retzlaff’s leading receiver with three catches for 95 yards. and former Booker T. Washington (New Orleans) running back Arnold Barnes III was the team’s leading rusher behind the quarterback with 27 yards on five carries.
Linebacker Dickson Agu (Dutchtown) led the defense with 10 tackles again, including 1.5 for loss, and pass breakup. And Franklin Parish product Javion White snatched his third interception in as many games, not including the game-saving two-point conversion last week at South Alabama.
Tulane now has Big Ten and ACC wins against Northwestern and Duke under its belt early in the season with a trip next to SEC member Ole Miss.
