Duke football defeats Tulane 17-3 in season opener

Duke defeated Tulane 17-3 in the 2026 season opener for both programs. The Duke offense generated 250 rushing yards, led by Nate Sheppard who recorded 227 yards and two touchdowns. Tulane struggled offensively, relying on a 37-yard fourth-quarter field goal from Jackson Courville for its only points. Quarterbacks Zeon Chriss-Gremillion and Kadin Semonza combined for 204 passing yards, but the team converted only three of 14 third-down opportunities. Penalties hampered the Green Wave throughout the night, as the team committed 15 infractions for a loss of 104 yards. Tulane will look to address these issues in its next matchup against South Alabama on September 12th at Yulman Stadium.

• 4:11 AMYahoo Sports — Tulane Drops Disappointing Game to Duke to Open Season