No. 21 Tulane beats No. 20 North Texas 34-21 to win American Conference title

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Jake Retzlaff had two short touchdown runs, Jamauri McClure rushed for 121 yards and a score and No. 21 Tulane beat No. 20 North Texas 34-21 in the American Conference championship game Friday night — a victory that likely secured a College Football Playoff bid.

Chris Rogers returned an interception 35-yards for a touchdown for Tulane (11-2), which intercepted three passes and recovered two fumbles in an effort that is expected to delay coach Jon Sumrall’s departure for the Florida job he accepted last Sunday.

He’s said that if the Green Wave qualified for the 12-team CFP, he’d see that through to the end.

The loss marked the end of the line for North Texas coach Eric Morris, who like Sumrall already had been hired away after leading the Mean Green to its first 11-win regular season. Morris moves on to Oklahoma State.

North Texas trailed 31-7 after Rogers’ interception return — which was very close to being ruled a touchback because he lost the ball right as crossed the goal line. The call on the field of a touchdown was upheld, but North Texas didn’t fold, initiating a comeback bid with consecutive touchdown drives that took just 3:57 off the clock combined.

Drew Mestemaker capped the first with his 59-yard touchdown pass to Miles Coleman. Ashton Gray’s 9-yard touchdown run, followed by a 2-point conversion, pulled North Texas to 31-21 with 9:26 still to play.

But Tulane helped secured the victory with a 13-play drive that burned 6:29 and ended with Patrick Durkin’s 30-yard field goal.

NO. 19 JAMES MADISON 31, TROY 14

HARRISONBURG, Va. (AP) — Wayne Knight rushed for career-high 212 yards, including a 73-yard touchdown, and James Madison made its case for a College Football Playoff berth, beating Troy in the Sun Belt Conference title game.

The Dukes (12-1) will now root for Duke to beat Virginia in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game on Saturday night, a result that could make them one of two Group of Five schools in the 12-team playoff.

On a chilly night when fans were repeatedly chided for throwing snowballs onto the field, James Madison’s defense recorded eight sacks, a scoop-and-score touchdown and, for the sixth time this season, shut out an opponent in the second half. Defensive end Sahir West had three sacks and was in on 10 tackles.

Quarterback Alonza Barnett III’s 26-yard touchdown run with 4:11 to play sealed the win as coach Bob Chesney, reportedly bound for UCLA, won his final home game with the Dukes. Barnett rushed for 85 yards and threw for 93 yards and a TD with an interception.