Tulane Green Wave went against 22nd-ranked Memphis on the road and emerged a 38-32 winner, despite Jake Retzlaff’s injury scare. In the first quarter, Jake had an injury issue after an impressive 35-yard touchdown drive. Later in the next possession, we saw QB2 Brendan Sullivan passing on 1st and 10. Now, Jon Sumrall has provided an update regarding QB1’s injury.

The head coach appeared in the post-game press conference and commended Retzlaff’s durability and mental toughness for playing throughout the game. “Jake got dinged up a little bit in the first half. Had to come out for a couple of plays. We weren’t sure if he’s going to be able to return, but man, he’s a tough dude,” said head coach Jon Sumrall. That resiliency ultimately showed, as QB2, Brendan Sullivan, had just a single pass attempt, while Jake made a solid comeback.

The first quarter ended as Tulane led, 14-7. In the second quarter, Retzlaff was a ghost possessed after his injury scare. The QB1 started with an incredible 75-yard touchdown drive, which included a 33-yard rushing touchdown. Not to mention the incredible 24-yard screamer he passed to Bryce Bohanon. It was almost like the injury was a boon for the 6’10” and 205 lb. QB.

“I said this just a minute ago, like Jake Retzlaff, Brendan Sullivan, both those quarterbacks. If I were going down a dark alley in New Orleans or Memphis or anywhere in the world, I would love to have those guys by my side because those dudes are built the right way between the ears,” said Jon Sumrall. It was Jake Retzlaff’s second-half performance that ultimately made the difference for Tulane.

The former BYU QB scored not one, but a whopping 3 touchdowns in a dominant third quarter by Tulane. On the second drive, the QB1 passed another 54-yard screamer to Brown Stephens for a touchdown. On the next possession, Retzlaff again helped in a 75-yard touchdown drive. The highlights? A 22-yard pass to Lewis Jr. finally capped off a 5-yard touchdown pass by Retzlaff. Tulane now led 35-17. Despite Memphis closing the lead in the second half, Retzlaff’s performances were enough to seal the win. All of it, of course, boils down to the mentality the QB1 is showing.

What’s next for Jon Sumrall and Jake Retzlaff?

In 2024, Jake featured for the BYU Cougars, passing for 2,947 yards. Many thought that his transfer to Tulane would be a downgrade. Why? BYU is performing incredibly well this season. Not to mention, Kalani Sitake has even found success with a freshman QB, Bear Bachmeier. However, Jon Sumrall isn’t lagging behind either. For Sumrall, the recipe for success is a never-back-down attitude. Jake Retzlaff is showing just that.

“He’s the type of guy that man, He’ll fight no matter what. Not always going to be pretty, but I thought he was accurate as heck with the football. I thought man really did some great things. I thought Memphis might have attacked us better defensively in the second half, but man, I thought Jake played his tail off,” said Jon Sumrall.

Tulane has lost just two games this season and is expected to finish with 10 wins, thanks to a manageable schedule. They will face a 3-5 Florida Atlantic on 15th November and will face a 5-4 Temple on the road. Lastly, a game against 1-7 Charlotte will also be easy to win.

Overall, Jake has led Tulane well so far, and since this will be his final season of eligibility, a favorable position in the NFL draft seems likely. As for Jon Sumrall, it wouldn’t be surprising if a Power Five team seeks his services after his back-to-back seasons with more than nine wins.