Overview
- Kickoff is 8 p.m. ET at Yulman Stadium on ABC, with Tulane hosting by virtue of its higher CFP ranking and unbeaten home record this season.
- Sportsbooks list North Texas as roughly a 2.5‑point favorite with a total near 67, reflecting projections of a high‑scoring matchup.
- Rain is in the forecast for New Orleans on Friday night, a variable both coaches acknowledged could influence game plans at the outdoor venue.
- Both head coaches accepted Power‑Four jobs but will coach this game, with Tulane’s Jon Sumrall bound for Florida and North Texas’ Eric Morris headed to Oklahoma State.
- North Texas brings the nation’s highest‑scoring offense led by QB Drew Mestemaker (3,835 passing yards) and RB Caleb Hawkins (23 rushing TDs), while Tulane leans on dual‑threat QB Jake Retzlaff, who leads the team in passing and rushing with 28 total touchdowns.