Notes from 2004 University of Tulsa Football Media Day
8/11/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Players Reporting . . . A total of 100 players reported to camp on Sunday, including 65 returning players and 35 newcomers. Among the newcomers 19 are scholarship players and 16 are walk-ons. Delete from the media guide roster walk-ons Jared Brejcha, Rodney Tucker and J.D. Wright. (list of roster additions is on the back page) Four Players Named to Award Watch Lists . . . Entering the 2004 football season, four Tulsa football players have been named to Preseason Watch Lists for National Awards. Senior quarterback James Kilian was named to the Davey O'Brien Award list, an honor awarded to the nation's top quarterback. Senior tight end Caleb Blankenship is a preseason candidate for the John Mackey Award, which goes to the nation's top tight end. Junior tight end Garrett Mills and sophomore linebacker Nick Bunting were named to the 2004 Rotary Lombardi Award Watch list that recognizes the nation's top lineman. Tulsa Faces Five Bowl Participants in First Six Games . . . Tulsa faces an early season schedule that features five of the first six opponents that played in bowl games last year. Tulsa has its first two games on the road against Big 12 opponents, Kansas and Oklahoma State. Kansas played in the Tangerine Bowl, while OSU played in the Cotton Bowl a year ago. Tulsa's home opener is against Navy, a participant in last year's EVI.net Houston Bowl. After a home date against Southwest Missouri State, Tulsa begins the Western Athletic Conference schedule at Hawaii (Hawaii Bowl participant) and returns home to face defending WAC Champion and Plains Capital Fort Worth Bowl Champions Boise State. Those five teams combined for a 45-22 record and a .672 winning percentage last year. The Head Coach . . . Steve Kragthorpe is in his second season at The University of Tulsa. He was named to his new position on December 18, 2002, and was introduced to the media and public as The University of Tulsa's new head football coach a day later. He is the 26th head football coach in school history. In his first season, Kragthorpe led the Hurricane to the nation's biggest turnaround in the 2003 season with an 8-5 record, a second-place finish in the Western Athletic Conference and the school's first bowl appearance in 12 seasons. Kragthorpe earned the WAC's Coach of the Year award, and was also named the Football Writer's Association of America/Scripps First-Year Coach of the Year. Kragthorpe was a finalist for numerous Coach of the Year awards. He was one of six semifinalists for the Eddie Robinson/FWAA National Coach of the Year award, and finished in a third-place tie with Oklahoma's Bob Stoops for Associated Press National Coach of the Year honors. He was also a candidate for the Bobby Dodd and Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year awards. Kilian Shy of All-Time Total Offense List . . . Senior quarterback James Kiian enters the 2004 campaign needing 86 yards to move into 10th place on the school's career total offense chart. He is 736 yards shy of 10th place on Tulsa's all-time passing list. Kilian has 2,618 career passing yards and 3,419 career total offense yards. Let's Look at that Secondary . . . In 2003, Tulsa had one of the nation's top defensive secondary's. The Hurricane defense ranked 11th nationally in pass efficiency defense and 16th in overall pass defense. A lot of that success could be traced to a secondary that among the five starters combined to total 377 tackles, 14 interceptions and 27 pass breakups. Four of five starters from the Tulsa secondary return to the lineup for the 2004 season -- cornerbacks Oliver Fletcher and Jermaine Hope, and SPUR Clint Rountree and free safety Shannon Carter. Of Tulsa's statistical totals from the secondary in 2003, the Hurricane returns 256 tackles, 11 interceptions and 21 pass breakups with that group of four returning starters. The Tight End Combination . . . Tulsa's tight end combo of senior Caleb Blankenship and junior Garrett Mills have combined for 125 catches for 1,320 yards, a 10.6 average and 17 touchdowns in their careers. In 2003, the duo combined for 843 yards on 86 receptions for a 9.8 average per catch. Blankenship caught 33 passes for 387 yards, while Mills had a team-high 53 receptions for 456 yards and a team-high 10 receiving TDs on the year. The duo has each played in every game of their careers, Blankenship has 62 catches for 726 yards and five TDs in 36 career games, while Mills has 63 receptions for 594 yards and 12 touchdowns in 25 career games. Tulsa 5-1 at Home in 2003 . . . Tulsa completed the 2003 home season with a 5-1 record. The last time Tulsa won five home games in a single season was in the 1991 campaign, as Tulsa posted a 6-1 record at Skelly Stadium. Tulsa's lone home loss in 2003 came against Nevada. In that 1991 season, Tulsa's only home loss came against #2-ranked Miami. Tulsa Scores Points in 2003 . . . In the eight wins in 2003, Tulsa scored an average of 40.8 points, while holding the opposition to 20.0 points per game. The Hurricane surpassed the 30+ point barrier in seven of the eight wins. Tulsa scored less than 30 points in only one win, 27 points vs. Hawaii. The Hurricane scored 41 vs. Texas State, 54 vs. Arkansas State, 35 vs. SMU, 56 vs. UTEP, 31 vs. Rice, 48 against Louisiana Tech and 34 vs. San Jose State. WAC Preseason Media Poll . . . The following is the 2004 WAC football media preseason poll with first-place votes in parentheses.
1. Boise State (23) 434 2. Fresno State (20) 427 3. Hawaii (3) 384 4. TULSA (1) 312 5. Nevada 256 6. Rice 212 7. Louisiana Tech 199 8. UTEP 179 9. SMU 95 10. San Jose State 87How They Finished Last Year in the WAC . . . The following is the 2003 WAC standings, compared to the 2003 preseason media poll:
2003 Final WAC Standings 2003 Preseason Poll
1. Boise State 1. Hawaii
2. Tulsa 2. Boise State
Fresno State 3. Fresno State
4. Hawaii 4. Nevada
Rice 5. Louisiana Tech
6. Nevada 6. San Jose State
7. Louisiana Tech 7. SMU
8. San Jose State 8. Rice
9. UTEP 9. UTEP
10. SMU 10. Tulsa
In 2003 NCAA Stats . . . A year ago, the Hurricane completed the season ranked among the top-50 in the nation in 13 different NCAA statistical categories. On the defensive side of the ball, Tulsa ranked 11th in pass defense efficiency, 13th in interceptions and 16th in pass defense. Offensively, Tulsa ranked 23rd in rushing offense and 28th in scoring offense.
• Rushing Offense - 23rd• Pass Efficiency -- 49th
• Passing Defense - 16th
• Pass Defense Efficiency - 11th
• Turnover Margin - 47th
• Turnovers Gained - 43rd
• Interceptions - 13th
• Fewest Fumbles Lost - 49th
• Fewest Turnovers Lost - 50th
• Scoring Offense - 28th
• KO Returns - 40th
• Punt Returns - 48th
• Fewest Passes Intercepted -- 47th
TU Games on TV in 2004 . . . As part of the Western Athletic Conference television package, two Tulsa football games will be produced by Sports West. The two games included in the TV package is at home against Rice on Oct. 30, and away at Louisiana Tech on Nov. 13 in Shreveport, La. The games will be televised locally on WB 19. Chamber Kick-off Luncheon . . . The annual Tulsa Metro Chamber's Hurricane Kick-off Luncheon is scheduled for Thursday, August 19 at 12:00 noon at the Crowne Plaza Hotel (formerly the Adams Mark Hotel) in downtown Tulsa. Head Coach Steve Kragthorpe will introduce the 2004 Golden Hurricane team to the public at this time. Cost is $20.00 per person. To RSVP, fans can call the Golden Hurricane Club at 631-2570. RSVPs required by Thursday, August 12, 2004. TU Football Back on KRMG . . . Tulsa Football games can be heard on KRMG 740 AM Radio again this fall. Bruce Howard and Rick Couri will call the action from the press box and former TU football player Chris Kaiser will give sideline commentary. J.V. Haney will have special interviews throughout the pre-game and game broadcast of home games. Airtime for TU football game broadcasts is one hour prior to kickoff. Kragthorpe's Radio Call-in Show Airs on Newstalk 740 AM . . . The Steve Kragthorpe Radio Call-in Show will air live from the Silver Flame Restaurant on Wednesdays throughout the football season from 7-8 p.m. The show will air on the home of Golden Hurricane football, Newstalk 740 AM KRMG. The first radio show airs on Wednesday, September 1. The Steve Kragthorpe TV Show Airs on KOTV . . . The Steve Kragthorpe Television Show will air on KOTV-Channel 6 at approximately 11:00 pm on Sunday nights throughout the football season. The show will immediately follow "The Sports Blitz". Coach Kragthorpe and host Bruce Howard will give fans an inside perspective of the Golden Hurricane football program. The show will re-run on Cox Cable-Channel 3 on Mondays. Time is TBA. New Book Chronicles TU Football . . . A new book "Golden Hurricane Football at The University of Tulsa" that chronicles the history of TU football has hit the newsstands. The book, authored by TU alumnus Chad Bonham, takes a look at these impressive historical accomplishments and offers a glimpse of TU's future through the eyes of Coach Steve Kragthorpe and the 2003 team. It can be purchased at: Steve's Sundry, Tulsa Treasures, Hillcrest Medical Center Gift Shop, Gift Gallery At the Promenade Mall, Barnes and Noble locations and Border's Books on 81st Street. Other sale locations may be added at a later date. The book can also be purchased at www.arcadiapublishing.com. 2004 Tulsa Football Roster Additions
No. Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl/Exp Hometown Previous School 42 Matt Anderson TE 6-1 210 Fr-HS Las Vegas, Nev. Faith Lutheran 49 Andrew Armstrong DB 6-2 210 Fr-HS Tulsa, Okla. Holland Hall 2D Chris Boone ATH 6-1 195 Fr-HS Tulsa, Okla. Cascia Hall 51 Tyler Carlton P 5-11 169 Fr-HS Sapulpa, Okla. Sapulpa 29 Jon Clayton WR 6-1 175 Fr-HS Inglewood, Calif. Bishop Mora Salesian 49D Zach Emel WR/K 5-11 212 Fr-HS Tulsa, Okla. Holland Hall 9D Chase Finney QB 6-0 180 Fr-HS Phoenix, Ariz. Bourgade Catholic 87 Roderick Foster WR 5-9 162 Fr-HS Houston, Texas Kingwood 35 Jacob Frank WR 6-1 215 Fr-HS Houston, Texas Klein Collins 48 Ryan Jackson * LB 6-1 205 So-JC Jacksonville, Fla. Hutchinson JC 26D Aaron Johnson RB 5-8 181 Fr-HS Tulsa, Okla. Victory Christian 32D Danny Koehler TE 6-3 237 Fr-HS Little Rock, Ark. Catholic Boys School 28D Trevoy Lenear II DB 6-1 197 Fr-HS Arlington, Texas Oak Ridge 8D Greg Richardson QB 6-2 210 Fr-HS Fairview, Texas Allen 25D Matt Schultz PK 6-0 158 Fr-HS Sand Springs, Okla. Sand Springs 57 Austin Todd LB 5-10 216 Fr-HS Sugar Land, Texas Strake Jesuit 33D Jarod Tracy PK 6-0 154 Fr-HS Aledo, Texas Aledo*indicates on scholarship, will sit out 2004 season
