College football is weird. One week you’re sitting at No. 22 in the country, riding an 11-game home winning streak, and the next, you're watching a "Green Wave" wash away your playoff hopes in your own backyard. That is exactly what went down when the Memphis Tigers vs Tulane matchup kicked off in November 2025. Honestly, if you just looked at the final score—38-32 in favor of Tulane—you’d think it was a standard back-and-forth AAC dogfight.
It wasn’t.
It was a total ambush followed by one of the gutsiest near-comebacks we’ve seen at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in years. Tulane didn’t just win; they essentially lived in the Memphis backfield for three quarters. If you're a Tigers fan, the memory of Jake Retzlaff carving up the secondary in the first half probably still stings. If you're rooting for the Wave, it was the night Jon Sumrall’s squad proved they belonged in the conference title conversation.
The First Play That Changed Everything
Usually, teams spend the first five minutes "feeling each other out." Not Tulane. On the very first play from scrimmage, Retzlaff uncoiled a 65-yard bomb to Shazz Preston. Just like that, 7-0. The stadium went quiet, and the Tigers looked like they’d been hit with a bucket of ice water.
Memphis actually showed some life early on. Brendon Lewis, who’s been the steady hand for the Tigers, answered back with a 55-yarder of his own to Jamari Hawkins. We had a game. Or so we thought. But then the wheels fell off for the Memphis defense.
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Tulane went on a tear, scoring on four of their next five possessions. By the time both teams headed to the locker room at halftime, the scoreboard read 35-17. It was ugly. Retzlaff was nearly perfect, completing 14 of 15 passes for 284 yards in just two quarters. You don’t see that kind of efficiency often in the AAC, especially against a ranked opponent.
Why the Memphis Tigers vs Tulane Rivalry Is Different Now
For a long time, Memphis owned this series. They had an 11-game winning streak against Tulane that stretched from 2002 all the way to 2017. But things have shifted. Since 2018, it’s been a seesaw. The two programs have basically traded blows, with the home team usually having the edge—until this most recent meeting.
Tulane’s defensive front was the real story here. They didn't just sack Brendon Lewis; they haunted him.
- Six total sacks for the Green Wave defense.
- 55 yards lost on those plays alone.
- Makai Williams was everywhere, racking up 10 tackles.
- Sam Howard, returning from a fractured fibula, looked like he hadn't missed a beat with a crucial sack and two tackles for loss.
The Comeback That Almost Was
The fourth quarter was pure chaos. Memphis was down 38-17 entering the final frame. Most people were already heading for the exits to beat the Midtown traffic. Then, the Tigers remembered they were the 22nd-ranked team in the nation.
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Frank Peasant punched in a short run. Then a two-point conversion. Then Brady Kluse caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from Lewis with about six minutes left. Suddenly, it was 38-32. The "Den" was shaking.
Memphis got the ball back with a chance to win. They marched down to the Tulane 35-yard line. It was 4th and 8. The season was effectively on the line. Lewis dropped back, under heavy duress again, and the pass fell incomplete. Just like that, the 11-game home winning streak was snapped. Tulane escaped.
Recent History: A Quick Look at the Numbers
If you’re trying to keep track of who’s winning the "battle of the birds and cats," here is how the last few years have shaken out in football:
- 2025: Tulane 38, Memphis 32 (The upset at the Liberty Bowl)
- 2024: Memphis 34, Tulane 24 (A big road win for the Tigers in New Orleans)
- 2023: Tulane 31, Memphis 21 (The Green Wave took care of business at home)
- 2022: Tulane 38, Memphis 28 (Another Tulane victory in a high-scoring affair)
Basically, the Memphis Tigers vs Tulane games have become a "must-watch" for anyone following Group of Five football because they almost always have massive conference championship implications. In 2025, this specific win propelled Tulane toward their berth in the AAC title game, where they eventually clinched a spot against North Texas.
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What Most People Get Wrong About This Matchup
A lot of national pundits treat this like a secondary rivalry, but if you ask anyone in the 901 or the Big Easy, it’s personal. It’s a clash of cultures. You’ve got the grit and grind of Memphis versus the uptown swagger of Tulane.
People also tend to forget that this isn't just a football thing. The basketball side of the Memphis Tigers vs Tulane rivalry has been just as wild lately. In January 2025, the Tigers barely escaped New Orleans with a 68-65 win. Then, in the AAC Tournament in March, Tulane nearly pulled the shocker of the year before falling 78-77 in a neutral-site heartbreaker in Fort Worth.
The gap between these two programs has evaporated. Tulane used to be the "easy win" on the schedule for Memphis back in the early 2000s. Not anymore. Now, it’s a coin flip.
How to Watch and What to Look For Next
If you’re planning on catching the next installment of this series, you need to pay attention to the trenches. As we saw in the 38-32 game, the Tigers’ offensive line struggled to handle Tulane’s speed off the edge.
Actionable Insights for Fans:
- Watch the Quarterback Pressure: If Tulane gets more than 3 sacks, they win. Period. The stats from the last five games back this up.
- The "Middle Eight": Pay attention to the last four minutes of the second quarter and the first four of the third. In the 2025 game, Tulane outscored Memphis 14-0 in this window. That was the difference.
- Check the Rankings: When one of these teams is ranked and the other isn't, the unranked team has covered the spread in three of the last four meetings. It’s a trap game waiting to happen.
The 2025 game was a reminder that in the AAC, no lead is safe and no ranking is a shield. Memphis had the talent, but Tulane had the plan. Moving forward, expect the Tigers to be looking for serious revenge. They don't take kindly to people breaking their home winning streaks.
For the next matchup, keep an eye on the injury reports for the Tigers' secondary. They got burnt deep on that first play in '25, and you can bet Tulane will try to dial up the exact same shot again. It’s a chess match played at 100 miles per hour.