Tulane will take on North Texas tonight at Yulman Stadium in the American Conference Championship Game. Not only is a conference title on the line, but a berth in the College Football Playoffs is also at stake.
So what are the keys to victory for the Green Wave?
"We've got to win at the line of scrimmage and win in the running game," Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall said. "It is a line of scrimmage deal. You have to win up front. You can throw to score, but you have to run to win, usually."
Sumrall says even though North Texas is viewed as a pass-heavy team, they run the ball effectively. That's why he believes the game's result will be decided in the trenches.
"I think one thing that makes this North Texas team so impressive is that everybody thinks of them as a pass/spread offense, but they run the football really well," Sumrall said.
However, Sumrall says North Texas quarterback Drew Mestemaker is the reason why the Mean Green's offense has been effective and efficient all year.
"They're dynamic and explosive offensively," Sumrall said. "He's a good player. He makes great decisions. He's quick. He's a great processer. He makes the right decision in a fast manner. I have a lot of respect for how he's playing."
Sumrall noted that his team needs to clean up its mistakes from last week's game against Charlotte if they want a chance to win. The Green Wave turned the ball over three times in that game, errors that Sumrall says can't happen tonight.
"It's ridiculous," Sumrall said. You can't win games that way. If we do that this week, we're going to get embarrassed."
Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. The game will be televised on ABC.