I haven’t been able to write in weeks thanks to a healthy diet of other obligations. I was looking forward to the third Saturday of October as the first time I’d be home on my couch to enjoy a Tulane game this season. I had circled army on the schedule after watching firsthand last December what their three yards and a cloud of dust offense can do to a team. It looked like another nightmare was upon us until a heroic fourth quarter performance from Jake Retzlaff. Let’s get into the recap of an anxiety inducing roller coaster win.
As you know, I like to do drive by drive recaps. Army makes this easy on me by playing games with about 5 total drives across 4 quarters . The black knights run the ball for 2 to 3 yards 4 times in a row all the way down the field. It’s absolutely maddening to watch.
I could give a play by play of the first drive, but they say a pictures worth a thousand words. Please see attached.
That would be 18 plays yielding 48 yards across 11 minutes and 44 seconds of game time. That’s 2.6 yards per play or exactly enough to get a first down every 4 plays without actually going anywhere. You’ll also notice that this drive ended in zero points and it is the only entry in ESPN’s first quarter recap. This is army football.
In the time army had the ball on their first drive, I grew a beard that would make Albus Dumbledore proud. Tulane finally retained possession after a fortnight on defense. The first offensive possession looked crisp as Retzlaff moved between the 20s for the second week in a row. Jake spread the ball around to Hayes, Preston and Brown-Stephen’s with each getting big chunks on the way to the red zone or as Tulane should call it the dead zone.
That’s a terrible pun, but the red zone performance the last two weeks has been that bad. First an injury scare involving our fearless leader 12 then a turnover on downs that included a confounding Brendan Sullivan scramble on 4th down. I think it’s time to end the 2 QB experiment. Sully won this job at one point in the summer, but circumstances have changed.
At this point, we’ve had a quarter and change of football with no points and a grand total of 2 drives with Army now getting the ball back for a third drive. I figured if I began studying Cantonese at this point, I’d be fluent by the time Tulane got the ball again. Better punch line, I think so. Another 10+ play Army drive came and went with slow matriculation and zero points. The thing about Army’s offense though is that even without points, it wears on a defense almost as much as it wears on a viewer. 3 drives 0 points and nearly a half of football gone. Don’t worry, the madness had only just begun.
Tulane began its 2nd drive at its own 13 in the nil nil stalemate. Just as on the first drive and so many times in the ECU game, Retzlaff took the team on a nice drive to the red zone. Just as on the first drive and so many times in the ECU game, the wave stalled out without reaching the end zone. This time instead of going for it, Sumrall turned to his reliable kicker Patrick Durkin. Durkin has come a LONG way from that miserable night in West Point last December and deserves a ton of credit for his part in the team’s current 6-1 record. He’s perfect on the season including a long of 50 yards. You’d be hard pressed to find a kicker having a better season anywhere in the lower 48 states. We must respect the god like performance the Tokyo Toe is putting on in the island nation of Hawaii.
So for those keeping score at home, 4 drives, 3 points, 28 minute elapsed, and one Tokyo Toe reference. Army managed to drive the field in a minute 30 towards the end of the half highlighted by a deep pass to Brady Anderson. The namesake of my favorite leadoff hitter as a child was legitimately the only receiving threat on the black knights roster and still managed to be open on every passing play they ran. If not for a little luck, Anderson might’ve posted an 100 yard receiving first half for a team that threw maybe 5 total passes. Needless to say, E’Ziah Shine had a tough time with his assignment. Army finished this drive with a field goal of their own. 5 drives, 6 points, one full half. 3-3. Oh happy day.
I was hopeful that half time would bring about a chance to reset and figure out how to get the ball in the end zone. Instead, the wave kicked off the second half with a very uninspiring 3 and out. It was beginning to feel like the December game all over again. Tulane punted and Army took hold of the ball and with it, the clock.
The Knights started the second half with their best drive of the afternoon. In addition to their traditional 3 yard runs, they mixed in yet another bomb to Anderson.
He was seemingly in triple coverage here and still open for the 39 yard play. I don’t understand it. I may never understand it, but somebody must have said cover #84 all halftime long, right? Right?? Army capitalized on the big play by giving the game its first touchdown. I was beginning to worry as it felt like Tulane might only get the ball two more times and they’d need two scores to win the game down 10-3. I am being hyperbolic but it sure felt like time was running low even though the third quarter had just started.
Tulane received the ball again trailing on the scoreboard and massively in time of possession. Tough to have a must score drive in the third, but here we were. It started with a great brown-Stephen’s return and ended with Craddock finally running the touchdown play. The Retzlaff run, the Shana tova scamper, the manischewitz mile. Jake scored to with his legs for the 8th time this season in a flash to make it 10-10. I couldn’t help but think of Happy Gilmore, no need to putt if you just put the ball in the hole from long range. The end zone was impossible to find and then there we were in 4 plays. College football makes zero sense much of the time, it’s why people love it.
Tulane scored a touchdown and then forced a quick punt. Things finally seemed to be looking up. The Wave would have the ball twice in the span of 5 minutes for the first time all afternoon. Unfortunately, the fairy tale was short lived. Tulane’s drive to take the lead ended in disaster with Retzlaff’s first interception of the season. Army had retained possession in a tie game with 14 minutes left in the 4th quarter. I can’t be the only who thought there was a chance Tulane wouldn’t touch the ball again. Army started on another 10+ play drive that included a clear fumble and a clear recovery by the defense. The black knights kept the ball and the announcers seemed to think it was a good call. In a game full of mind bending events, this was the most stupefying.
Service academies get some help from the refs and everyone knows that, but this was egregious. It led to a touchdown for Army a few plays later that should’ve never happened. The score was now 17-10 Army with under 6 to play. It looked like the waves conference championship hopes would be extinguished by the black knights for a second straight year. Retzlaff would have likely one shot to lead a touchdown drive to tie the ball game.
Jake did as he has done for the last 7 quarters and led a methodical drive to the opponents red zone. Of course, Tulane’s red zone curse was still alive and well. The Wave had not scored a red zone TD all game and quickly found itself on 4th and long in the red zone with the season on the line.
As Shazz said, this play isn’t getting talked about enough. Retzlaff found Bryce Bohanan on 4th & 8 for his first ever collegiate touchdown in 48 games! The 5th year senior reeled in the 12 yard dart from his fellow old man on campus to save the season. An absolutely clutch throw and catch to tie the game on 4th & 8 with 2 minutes left. After an infuriating game, this was poetic justice. What happened next though, absolute cinema.
Tulane seemed destined for overtime given 2 minutes on the clock and army’s average time per possession being 3 hours 47 minutes and 13 seconds. Thanks to the Elias Sports Bureau for the above pinpoint statistic. Instead, coach Sumrall did something curious and called a timeout after army’s first down play. A move that many fans were shocked by, but I think one that galvanized his defense. Easy to say now, but trust me I also said it at the time. My poodle Dean as my witness.
Sumrall’s borderline insane gambit worked and Tulane managed to stop army and get the ball back in 26 seconds. Without a doubt the most surprising thing that happened all game was an Army possession that came and went without a sip of beer taken. The defense came through when they were needed most and Jake had a chance to bring the wave down for a game winning field goal.
No reason to do anything crazy with a kicker that’s perfect on the season. Move the ball into the red zone while taking time off the clock just as Retzlaff had done all game and go home a winner.
OR
Throw the ball into double coverage for absolutely no reason leading to a spectacular heart stopping circus catch. Jake Retzlaff, ladies and gentleman.
Watch it again.
All the angles
In a game that never made much sense, the ending was the craziest twist of all. Tulane escapes another nightmare with army with an unforgettable win. The American this year has more depth than I can ever remember.
Each week will be a grind and so it’s important to savor the wins, however hard they are to obtain. Bowl eligible, drivers seat for the conference championship game, inside track to the playoff. It’s all in front of us. Jake never quit on this team and the fans shouldn’t either.
After all was said and done, the Wave were victorious again while many others were not. The third Saturday in October, one I’ll never forget.
We win, we sing.
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