On September 5, 2023, the Tulane Green Wave traveled to Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, North Carolina, where they fell 17‑3 to the Duke Blue Devils in the season opener, marking the first time the Green Wave have lost their opening game since 2021.
Opening Day Setback
Duke struck first with a nine‑yard touchdown run by sophomore running back Nate Sheppard, giving the Blue Devils an early 7‑0 lead, and a 22‑yard field goal from kicker Cosme Salas extended the advantage to 10‑0 by halftime, while Tulane responded with a 37‑yard field goal by Jackson Courville to cut the margin to 10‑3.
Sheppard continued his dominance in the second half, adding a 14‑yard touchdown run that sealed a final score of 17‑3, and finished the game with 227 rushing yards and two touchdowns, underscoring his role as the centerpiece of Duke’s offense.
Tulane’s offense struggled to find rhythm, finishing with only 258 total yards—54 on the ground and 204 through the air—while the team managed ten first downs but was hampered by 15 yards in penalties and a 3‑for‑14 conversion rate on third downs, highlighting execution issues early in the season.
Coach Will Hall, who took the helm of Tulane in 2022, now faces a 0‑1 start that interrupts a promising run of 43 wins in 58 games since the 2022 season, and his career record stands at 70‑51 (.578) over 11 years as he guides the program through early ACC challenges.
The loss also drops Tulane to a 3‑4 all‑time series record against Duke, a rivalry dating back to 1946, and leaves the Green Wave with a 70‑119‑2 mark against current ACC schools, reflecting the competitive pressures they face within the conference.
Despite the setback, Tulane remains one of six programs to win 43 or more games between 2022 and 2026, sharing that distinction with powerhouse programs such as Georgia, Ohio State, and Oregon, and the early defeat underscores the need for the Green Wave to improve turnover creation, a factor that has helped them secure victories in 36 of their last 45 games when forcing a turnover.