Javin Gordon Leads Football To 31-14 Road Victory Over Tulsa

Saturday, September 27

Tulsa, OK

3 p.m.

Tulane University

4-1 , 1-0

University of Tulsa

2-3 , 0-2

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Tulane

Tulsa

Photo by: Parker Waters

Javin Gordon Leads Football To 31-14 Road Victory Over Tulsa

Sep 27, 2025 | Football

Box Score

TULSA, OK - Tulane's football team (4-1, 1-0 American), behind three rushing scores from Javin Gordon, earned a 31-14 road victory over Tulsa (2-3, 0-2 American) on Saturday at H.A. Chapman Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 27.

Besides his three rushing touchdowns, Gordon also led the squad with 78 yards on the ground. Arnold Barnes III totaled 48 yards on the ground. Quarterback Jake Retzlaff went 17-for-30 passing for 242 yards and added 29 yards on the ground and his seventh rushing score of the season. Shazz Preston hauled in five passes for 54 yards. Omari Hayes caught four passes for 89 yards. Bryce Bohanon picked up three catches for 42 yards.

Santana Hopper led the defense with six tackles including four stops for loss and 1.5 sacks. Jack Tchienchou totaled seven tackles. Sam Howard recorded seven tackles and a tackle for loss. Bailey Despanie had six tackles. Chris Rodgers totaled a sack and 1.5 stops for loss. Harvey Dyson III had a pair of stops for loss. Jahiem Johnson recorded an interception. Dickson Agu had five tackles and recovered a fumble.

Tulane put up 437 yards of offense in the game with 252 through the air and 185 on the ground. The team also totaled 23 first downs and held onto to the ball for 34:59. The defense totaled six sacks and 13 tackles for loss in the game while limiting Tulsa to 337 total yards including 92 on the ground.

Tulane scored first as the program marched down the field on seven play, 75 yard drive capped off on Retzlaff's eight-yard touchdown run to put the Green Wave up 7-0 with 11:28 remaining in the opening quarter.

Tulsa also scored on their first possession as Tim Hardiman rushed it in from the one to tie the score at seven all with 9:14 left in the first quarter.

The Green Wave took the 14-7 lead to start the second quarter on a 12-yard touchdown run from Javin Gordon at the 12:10 mark before the half.

The Golden Hurricane tied the game up at 14 with 6:57 remaining in the first half on a 72-yard pass to Brody Foley.

Tulane again took the lead on Gordon's second touchdown run of the game as the program went up 21-14 with 2:13 remaining in the first half.

After a stop of fourth down, the offense marched down the field and scored on a 28-yard field goal from Patrick Durkin with 12 seconds remaining in second quarter.

The Green Wave added a touchdown to the lead, 31-14 midway through the third, 5:28, as Gordon ran it in for the third time in the game this one from the four in what would be the final score.

Next, the football team, after a bye week, returns home to host American rival East Carolina on Thursday, Oct. 9, at 6:30 p.m. at Yulman Stadium in a game that will also be shown on ESPN

NOTES:

- Javin Gordon is the third Tulane freshman running back with three rushing touchdowns in a game along Matt Forte and Orleans Darkwa.

- In five games this season, Jake Retzlaff has now rushed for seven rushing touchdowns, thrown for 820 passing yards and no interceptions…Since 1995 the only other quarterbacks to have these numbers through five games are Matt Corral (2021), Justin Field (2019), Caleb Evans (2017), Marcus Mariota (2013) and Robert Griffin III (2008).

- The win was Tulane's third straight over Tulsa and improved to the team to 13-8 all-time against the Hurricane.

- The win improved Tulane to 17-3 in the last 20 road contests…The 17 road wins since the beginning of the 2022 season is the most in the nation…The team's only losses came to ranked opponents in No. 13 Oklahoma (34-19) during the 2024 regular season, No. 25 Army (35-14) in the 2024 American Championship Game and No. 11 Ole Miss (45-10) during the 2025 regular season.

- Since the start of the 2022 season, Tulane is now 36-11 (.782)…The win total is tied for the seventh-most in the country in that period of time (Georgia – 42, Ohio State – 40, Oregon – 39, Michigan – 38, Penn State – 38, Texas – 36, Tulane – 35, Notre Dame 35).

- The Green Wave are 1-0 in conference play for the fourth straight year, seventh time since 2016 and the 23rd time overall (2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2013, 2005, 2002, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1949, 1948, 1947, 1944, 1941, 1939, 1936, 1935, 1934).

- The win make the Green Wave 4-1 to start the season…It is the third time that Tulane has been 4-1 or better to start the year since 2019, fourth time since 1998 and the 27th time overall (2025, 2022, 2019, 1998, 1979, 1974, 1973, 1966, 1956, 1949, 1948, 1939, 1936, 1934, 1931, 1929, 1925, 1922, 1919, 1917, 1912, 1911, 1909, 1908, 1904, 1901 and 1900)

- Coach Sumrall saw his all-time record raise to 36-10 (.782) with the win over the Hurricane…His .782 career winning percentage ranks him fifth among current FBS coaches only behind Ohio State's Ryan Day (74-10, .880), Oregon's Dan Lanning (39-6, .867), Georgia's Kirby Smart (108-19, .850) and Indiana's Curt Cignetti (135-37, .784).

- With the win, Coach Sumrall is 4-1 for the first time in his four-year head coaching career.

- The win improved Coach Sumrall to 11-2 all-time against American Conference programs…He now has defeated 10 of the 13 other current teams in the American in his career…Additionally he now defeated 26 different schools in his head coaching career between his time at Troy and Tulane.

- Since the beginning of the 2022 season, Tulane has only had three games where it has been forced to punt more than six times (8 vs. Tulsa on Sept. 27, 2025, 9 on Dec. 2, 2023 vs. SMU and 7 on Sept. 17, 2022 vs. Kansas State)

- With a turnover forced against the Hurricane, Tulane has now won 31 of its last 37 games when forcing a turnover…Coach Sumrall is 28-2 in his head coaching career when winning or the turnover battle is tied (21-1 when winning and 7-1 when tied).

- The Green Wave have outrushed the opposition in 33 of its last 45 games (including 27 of its last 35). In those games, Tulane holds a 31-2 record (losses in 2022 to Southern Miss and in 2023 to Ole Miss).

- Since the beginning of the 2022 season, Green Wave are 30-3 (.909) when scoring first.

- Since the beginning of the 2016 season, Tulane is 55-7 (.887) when leading at the half and 56-9 (.861) when leading at the end of the third quarter.

- The program also has won 31 consecutive games when leading at the end of the third quarter with the last defeat coming to Memphis in 2021.

- Coach Jon Sumrall is 29-0 in his coaching career when his team (Troy and now Tulane) outrushes the opposition.

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