FBS-CFB Game Preview: Duke Blue Devils (1-1) vs. Tulane Green Wave (2-0)

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Venue & Game Details

Kickoff: 8:00 PM ET / 7:00 PM CT

Venue: Yulman Stadium, New Orleans, Louisiana

Surface: Artificial Turf

Broadcast: ESPN2

Weather Forecast (Kickoff)

Conditions: Clear skies

Temperature: ~93°F (34°C) at kickoff, cooling to ~86°F by the fourth quarter

Humidity: ~60%

Wind: Light SE breeze at 4–6 mph

Impact: Hot and humid — hydration and depth will be factors, especially for Duke in its first road game.

Injury Report

Duke Blue Devils

No injuries reported.

Tulane Green Wave

No injuries reported.

Recent Form

Duke

W 45–17 vs. Elon — Mensah threw for 389 yds, 3 TD; defense forced 2 turnovers.

L 19–45 vs. Illinois — Five turnovers doomed the Blue Devils despite 334 pass yds from Mensah.

Tulane

W 30–14 vs. Northwestern — Dominant ground game (255 rush yds).

W 33–31 vs. South Alabama — QB Jake Retzlaff accounted for 189 total yds, 2 TD.

Series History

All-time: Duke leads 3–2.

Current streak: Duke has won the last three meetings, most recently in 2015 (37–7).

Note: This is the first meeting in a decade, and the first at Yulman Stadium.

Key Player Matchups

QB Darian Mensah (Duke) vs. Tulane Secondary — Mensah (723 pass yds, 5 TD, 1 INT, 73.5% comp) faces a defense allowing 196 pass YPG but leading the nation in turnover margin (+6).

WR Cooper Barkate (Duke) vs. CB Javion White (Tulane) — Barkate’s 205 rec yds lead Duke; White has 2 INTs in 2 games.

Tulane QB Jake Retzlaff vs. Duke Pass Rush — Retzlaff (277 pass yds, 177 rush yds, 4 total TD) is a dual threat; Duke’s Vincent Anthony Jr. has 4 sacks in 2 games.

RB Zuberi Mobley (Tulane) vs. Duke Front Seven — Mobley averaging 6.3 YPC; Duke allowing 143 rush YPG.

Turnover Battle — Duke is -6 (last in FBS) in turnover margin; Tulane is +6 (1st in FBS).

Betting Trends & Angles

Duke: 0-2 ATS in 2025; both games Over the total.

Tulane: 1-1 ATS; 1-1 O/U.

Totals: Both teams averaging 50+ combined points per game; Tulane’s defense has yet to allow more than 31 points.

Situational: Duke’s first road game; Tulane 8-2 SU in last 10 home games.

Game Odds

Duke Blue Devils              52.5

Tulane Green Wave        – 1.5

Odds Courtesy of Sports Odd Direct as of Friday, September 12, 2025