Jake Retzlaff had two short touchdown runs, Jamauri McClure rushed for 121 yards and a score, and No. 20 Tulane beat No. 24 North Texas 34-21 in the American Conference championship game Friday night -- a victory that likely secured a College Football Playoff bid.
"It's an incredible opportunity we have in front of us," Retzlaff said. "And that's all you can ask for, frankly, in life. It's about opportunities and what you do with those opportunities. So I'm excited for this team. I'm excited for the way we show up."
Chris Rogers returned an interception 35 yards for a touchdown for Tulane, 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 Sunday.
He has said that if the Green Wave (11-2) qualify for the 12-team CFP, he will see that through to the end.
"I think just as important, if not more important, than how you start at a place, it's very important how you finish," Sumrall said. "I'm grateful for the Tulane administration ... for allowing me to finish this job the right way and be here for these guys. I'm grateful for them to allow me to do it too."
The loss could mark 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 their first 11-win regular season. Morris will soon move on to Oklahoma State but hasn't ruled out coaching in North Texas' bowl game.
Tulane safety Jack Tchienchou intercepted a tipped pass in the end zone when North Texas (11-2) had first-and-goal on the 2 in the third quarter -- one of several highlights that included his forced fumble that Tulane recovered and his own recovery of a muffed punt.
North Texas trailed 31-7 after Rogers' interception return -- which was close to being ruled a touchback because he lost the ball as he 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 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 to play.
But Tulane secured the victory with a 13-play drive that burned 6:29 and ended with Patrick Durkin's 30-yard field goal.
North Texas, one of the nation's most prolific offensive teams, led 7-0 after a 15-play opening drive capped by Mestemaker's 10-yard scoring pass to tight end Tre Williams.
Tulane responded with a 16-play drive that included two fourth-down conversions, the second coming when Retzlaff ran for a 2-yard touchdown around the right end.
On North Texas' next drive, top Mean Green running back Caleb Hawkins fumbled and appeared to injure his right shoulder on a big hit by Tchienchou after a short reception. Tulane's LJ Green scooped the ball at the Tulane 29 and returned it to the North Texas 37.
McClure ran 30 yards on the next play, moving the pile for the last 10 yards before finally going down. He scored one play later.
Tchienchou recovered his muffed punt late in the second quarter when the ball glanced off North Texas' Baron Tipton at the UNT 11.
That led to Retzlaff's second fourth-down scoring run -- this one a 1-yard sneak with a little help from tight end Justyn Reid shoving him forward through the pile -- to make it 24-7 at halftime.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.