Jake Retzlaff’s first game as Jon Sumrall’s starting quarterback told two stories simultaneously. Tulane football cruising to a convincing victory over Northwestern, with Retzlaff contributing 113 rushing yards and avoiding turnovers in his debut, was the fairytale start. An 18-of-31 passing performance left plenty of room for improvement, though. Several missed connections with Green Wave receivers highlighted the growing pains expected when a new signal-caller takes the reins.
ClutchPoints dug deep into where Retzlaff missed in the Week 1 win by charting every incomplete pass. The film study showed a quarterback with an obvious comfort level and rhythm in a new system. However, it also highlighted receivers struggling with crucial drops and an offense that showed flashes of explosiveness but lacked the consistency needed for championship-level football.
Tulane plays with fire
A one-yard run opened the season. An incompletion followed on the first drive, leading to a third-and-nine at the 49-yard line. Retzlaff ripped a 15-yard dart to get the first down, and the rest of the drive was perfect. Tulane capped off the possession with a one-yard touchdown pass. The next drive began with a seven-yard chunk run. Retzlaff then missed on two straight passes, which forced Jon Sumrall to send out the punt team.
Tulane’s first incompletion on the season was a shotgun look, running back to the left, wide motion from left to right across the formation. A tight end was tucked next to the left tackle, giving Retzlaff a two-by-two look on the snap. A quick fake to the running back preceded a sling out toward a wide receiver screen look to the right. Thankfully, it was dropped before a group of four defenders converged for a loss on the play.
Retzlaff’s pass was behind the receiver, safe but not really a threat to go anywhere. Chalk this Tulane incompletion up to just being slightly uncomfortable on second-and-nine. Sumrall probably would not have been happy with a new quarterback checking out of the first rhythm passing play though. Fortunately, Omari Hayes found a soft spot in the zone on third down and the Green Wave eventually got seven on the board.
The next possession was a three-and-out. Retzlaff tried to find WR Anthony Brown-Stephens (crossing middle) and RB Maurice Turner (swing left), but they dropped consecutive passes that would have resulted in first downs. A failure to complete the play was a common theme that kept showing up on the statsheet.
Green Wave needs better glue
Tulane did well to pick up a blitz on the final play of the first quarter. Retzlaff was rushed with nowhere to go and sailed a pass over WR Bryce Bohanon’s head. This is one the Green Wave would like to have back; Bohanon had a step on the covering linebacker. Northwestern was in man coverage and absolutely cooked if this throw is on target.
Retzlaff recovered well and got the offense rolling with an up-tempo, no-huddle look for a few plays. Then two redzone incompletions sandwiched around a seven-yard run stalled the drive. Bohanon dropped a sure touchdown on first-and-10 from the 11-yard line. It was a wobbly throw, sure, but that has to be six points when Tulane’s Group of Five margins are so thin; Sumrall knows who to scream at there. Similarly, Turner had his hands on an ankle-low bootleg right rollout throw at the goal line on third down.
Even ESPN’s announcers were lamenting the dropped passes as missed opportunities. The scrappy Uptown Upstarts need six points in that situation. No one blamed Retzlaff as Tulane settled for a field goal. The Green Wave had the ball back in Northwestern territory two plays later, thanks to a wonderful interception by Kevin Adams III.
Everyone was blaming the transfer QB1 for an airmailed RPO on the next second-and-five. There were at least 15 yards on the table with a simple, ungreedy throw into space. Retzlaff seemed to be worried about a closing safety, and the ball went sailing. Tulane needs that throw where the receiver can slide into it, not where their head and hands are stretched up to expose the ribcage for a hit.
Sumrall showed faith in Retzlaff on a fourth-and-eight from Northwestern’s 39-yard line to extend the drive. The QB rewarded the decision with a 10-yard strike. Unfortunately, a snap-quick sack and a broken screen play incompletion stalled another drive in the red zone. Patrick Durkin put another three points on the board. The last unsuccessful pass (a spike to stop the clock) came with three seconds left in the half. Obviously, that should not be counted against Retzlaff’s efficiency numbers.
Jake Retzlaff is still smiling
Tulane, up 20-3 at the break, was able to run the ball for most of the second half. Retzlaff’s first incompletion (second-and-10) was a gift that Northwestern tipped but landed harmlessly on the turf. It would likely be an interception against better competition, as it was a dangerous throw across the middle of the field amid pocket pressure. It might have been Retzlaff’s worst, most ill-advised attempt of the afternoon.
Turner got turned around on an empty out flare route at the 10-yard line. The incompletion was 95% Retzlaff’s fault as a leading pass would have been around the first down marker. There was touchdown potential with one broken tackle. A catch on the pass actually delivered was getting dropped on the spot. An interception was a worry as soon as it left the quarterback’s hands. It seemed Retzlaff was almost too comfortable to start the half.
The Green Wave receivers needed another wakeup call as well. They had a few more slip through the fingers, including a few at the first down sticks. Sumrall’s squad has to clean that up soon or risk suffering a self-inflicted loss that kills Tulane’s College Football Playoff hopes. Those catches would have helped score some style points with the selection committee. Instead, they gave Northwestern hope.
Still, Retzlaff’s post-game comments indicate self-awareness of these misses, emphasizing that the offense feels explosive but needs fine-tuning on details. While the passing game may have been imperfect at best, it was more than adequate for the game plan. If nothing else, Sumrall now knows through first-hand experience that the 2024 Davey O’Brien Great 8 list honoree’s dual-threat ability (113 rushing yards) provides an additional dimension that can mask occasional passing inconsistencies.
As Retzlaff continues to develop chemistry with his receivers and becomes more comfortable in Tulane’s offensive system, expect that completion percentage to rise. For a debut performance against a Big Ten opponent, going 18-of-31 with no turnovers while adding over 100 rushing yards represents a solid foundation to build upon.
The real test will come as Tulane faces more familiar American Athletic Conference opponents. First up is a Week 2 trip to South Alabama (Sun Belt). If Jake Retzlaff can improve his completion rate while maintaining his turnover-free approach, the Green Wave should remain in the driver’s seat for that coveted Group of Five playoff berth.
