Tulsa Hosts #16/19 Navy Tonight
11/21/2015 9:53:00 AM | Football
| Game 11: Tulsa (5-5, 2-4 The American) vs. #16/19 Navy (8-1, 6-0 The American) | |
|---|---|
| Date / Time: | Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015/6:04 pm (CT) |
| Site: | Tulsa, Oklahoma |
| Stadium: | H.A. Chapman Stadium (30,000) |
| Coaches: | Tulsa – Philip Montgomery (Tarleton State '95); Navy – Ken Niumatalolo (Hawaii '89) |
| TV: | CBS Sports Network |
| Talent: | Rich Waltz (pxp), Adam Archuleta (analyst), Rashan Ali (sidelines) |
| Radio: | Big Country 99.5 FM |
| Talent: | Bruce Howard (pxp), Rick Couri (analyst), Jeremie Poplin (sideline) |
| Live Stats: | Live Stats |
| Series: | Tied 1-1 |
| First Meeting: | Navy 29, Tulsa 0 (Sept. 18, 2004), Tulsa, Okla. |
| Last Meeting: | Tulsa 24, Navy 23/OT (Sept. 23, 2006), Annapolis, Maryland |
| Game Notes: | Tulsa | Navy | American Conference |
American Athletic Conference West-Division co-Leader and the No 16/19 ranked Navy Midshipmen is Tulsa's opponent tonight as the Golden Hurricane says goodbye to 20 seniors playing in their last game at H.A. Chapman Stadium.
Those 20 seniors will be recognized at approximately 25 minutes prior to the 6:00 p.m. kickoff.
The game will be televised nationally on CBS Sports Network.
Navy comes into the game with an 8-1 record and a 6-0 league mark. The Midshipmen have won four straight games and its only loss has come against Notre Dame. Tulsa is looking for that sixth win to become bowl eligible, as the Hurricane comes into tonight's contest with an even5-5 overall mark and a 2-4 conference record.
Tulsa's offense ranks ninth nationally, racking up 526.9 yards per game, while Navy is only ranked 63rd in total offense nationally with an average of 404.7 yards per game. However, as usual, the Midshipmen always has one of the nation's best rushing offenses, and this year in no different. Navy ranked second for rushing offense with an average of 335.0 yards per, while throwing for just 69.7 yards per game passing.
The Navy offense begins with senior quarterback Keenan Reynolds, who has scored an NCAA FBS record 81 rushing touchdowns in his career. Reynolds, who has a team-best 928 rushing yards and 17 TDs, keys the option attack, but has a bevy of backs to give the ball to, including four with over 200 yards rushing. Fullback Chris Swain leads the way with 763 yards and eight touchdowns.
When you think Navy will run, Reynolds will surprise you and look for Jamir Tillman, who has a team-high 16 catches for 267 yards, on the outside.
Tulsa's defense will need to have a disciplined team focus to slow down the Navy attack.
Pressure will be put on the secondary against the option attack as safeties Michael Mudoh and Jeremy Brady will be tested. Mudoh has a team-high 109 tackles, while linebackers Matt Linscott and Trent Martin are next with 87 and 76 stops, respectively and have combined for 30 tackles for lost yards.
The Hurricane front line is led by senior tackle Derrick Luetjen, who has recorded 36 tackles and 8.5 TFLs, while fellow tackle Jess Brubaker has collected 24 tackles, The ends – Derrick Alexander and Jeremy Smith – have combined for 57 tackles and 13 TFLs.
Tulsa's offense is guided by junior quarterback Dane Evans, who has completed 61-percent of his passes, and has senior Keyarris Garrett leading the receiving corps. Evans has completed 227 passes for 3,313 yards and 19 touchdowns, while 74 of those passes have gone to Garrett for 1,164 yards.
Garrett is coming off of a 168-yard and one touchdown performance last week at Cincinnati. Fellow receiver Josh Atkinson has caught 52 passes for 762 yards and had a streak of five straight games of over 100 yards.
Red-shirt freshman receiver Justin Hobbs has become an integral part of the passing game since an injury sidelined 2014 leading receiver Keevan Lucas in the fourth game of the year. Hobbs has 26 receptions for 463 yards and a 17.8 average per catch.
Tulsa's ground attack has been a nice compliment to the Hurricane passing game, despite being banged up. Tulsa's top four rushers have each missed at least one game this season. D'Angelo Brewer has a team-high with 645 yards and three TDs for a 5.3 average per carry, while Zack Langer has 631 yards and 14 rushing touchdowns. A third running back, Ramadi Warren, is coming off of two straight 100-yard rushing games to total 307 yards, five TDs and a 9.3 average per carry.
Tulsa's offense will face a stiff test against a Navy defense that ranks No. 1 in the American Athletic Conference for total defense, allowing opponents to gain just 350 yards and score 18.4 points a game this season.
Navy sophomore linebacker Micah Thomas leads the Navy defense with 54 tackles, including 3.5 TFLs for -11 yards, while free safety Lorentez Barbour has added 51 tackles and has two pass break-ups.
Cornerbacks Quincy Adams and Brendon Clements have combined for 10 pass break-ups and 78 tackles for the Midshipmen. Ends Will Anthony and Amos Mason have been effective on the outside, combining for 79 tackles, 7.5 TFLs for -40 yards, six pass break-ups and three forced fumbles.
Players Mentioned
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