Tulsa Has Explosive Capabilities on Offense in 2005
8/6/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 6, 2005
Tulsa, Oklahoma -
THE OFFENSE
Tulsa returns 18 letterwinners to an offensive unit that has averaged over 35 points a game in nine of 12 home games since Steve Kragthorpe took over as the Hurricane head coach. Tulsa has six starters returning to an offense that returns two running backs that gaines over 1,600 yards last year, and two pass catchers that caught 44-percent of Tulsa's passes in 2004 for over 1,000 yards.
The Quarterbacks
With the graduation of James Kilian, Tulsa enters preseason drills with the quarterback position up for grabs between sophomore Paul Smith (6-2, 192) and red-shirt freshman David Johnson (6-2, 205).
Both players sat out the 2004 season, but Smith brings experience as a backup during his true freshman season of 2003.
"Obviously, anytime you lose your starting quarterback you have questions about that marquee position," said Kragthorpe. "I was confident going into spring drills that we had two capable replacements. Paul and David's performances throughout the spring did nothing but confirm in my mind that we have excellent quarterback talent."
Smith completed 62-percent of his passes for 297 yards and one touchdown in eight games in the 2003 season. His best game came against San Jose State, filling in for an injured Kilian, as he entered the game in the first half and completed 10-of-17 passes for 166 yards and led Tulsa on four scoring drives to defeat San Jose State and guarantee Tulsa a Bowl game appearance.
Johnson had a solid prep career at Portland's Southridge (Ore.) High School. He completed 61-percent of his passes as a senior for 1,640 yards and 15 touchdowns, while also rushing for 375 yards and four TDs.
True freshman Drew Westling (6-3, 215) brings impressive numbers from the prep ranks in the Los Angeles area. He completed 62-percent of his passes for 2,988 yards and 28 touchdowns his senior season.
Red-shirt freshman Chris Boone (6-1, 204), a high school quarterback who played on defense last year, moved back to the offensive side of the ball during spring drills to add depth.
The Running Backs
The deepest position on the Hurricane offense in 2005 will be the running back slot. Tulsa not only has one player who has been in the starting lineup in the offensive backfield, but two starters who have each turned in a 200+ rushing game in their careers.
Tulsa returns two running backs who combined for 1,661 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns last season. Uril Parrish (5-9, 209) comes into his senior season after becoming just the 11th player in school history to gain over 1,000 yards in a single season and the first since 1997. He ran for 1,064 yards, a 5.1 average per carry and eight touchdowns in 2004.
Junior Brandon Diles (5-11, 212) is the other returning running back, as he totaled 597 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground for the Hurricane a year ago.
Last year, the duo became just the third pair of backs in school history to each gain over 200 yards rushing in a single game in the same season. Diles had 202 yards and three touchdowns on 34 carries against Nevada, and four games later Parrish rushed for 229 yards and two TDs on 30 attempts. Parrish's performance marks the 11th best single-game rushing performance in school history, while Diles' performance ranks 18th on the school's all-time list.
Parrish enters this season needing 280 yards to move into 10th place on the school's all-time rushing chart, while Diles needs just 132 yards to hit the 1,000-yard mark in his career.
"Running back is probably the most proven position from a depth standpoint on the offensive side of the football," Kragthorpe said. "Both Uril and Brandon had quality years in 2004 and have proven that they can both be starters."
Sophomore Cauvey Jackson (5-10, 194) and red-shirt freshman Tarrion Adams (6-1, 197) add quality depth to the position. Jackson had only five carries in 2004, but averaged 6.6 yards and scored one TD. The duo each showed signs in the spring of great promise and ability.
Red-shirt freshman Aaron Johnson (5-9, 187) adds depth, while University of Oklahoma transfer Courtney Tennial (5-9, 219), the 2002 Oklahoma High School Player of the Year, will have to sit out the 2005 campaign.
The Offensive Line
Tulsa's offensive line returns six lettermen with all six of those letterwinners having starting experience for the Hurricane. The front line possesses good size as the group of 12 players tips the scales at an average of 301 pounds, while the five projected starters have an average weight of 299 pounds.
The offensive front has more depth and versatility than in recent years. "I like the way our offensive line has molded together and I believe we'll have an opportunity to have a very solid unit," said Kragthorpe.
A trio of junior linemen are returning starters from the 2004 campaign, including tackles Jeff Perrett (6-7, 319) and Mike Mengers (6-4, 274) and center Aaron Danenhauer (6-5, 299).
Danenhauer started five games at tackle and seven games at guard last year, but made the move to the center position in the spring, a spot that he played as a red-shirt freshman in 2003. Perrett has started all 24 games in his career at right tackle, while Mengers moved into the starting lineup at left tackle in the seventh game a year ago.
Right guard Jesse Stoneham (6-4, 315) has started 16 games over the last two years, but just four last season before being sidelined with a season-ending injury. Stoneham started out at right guard, then moved to left tackle for one game before missing the rest of the season.
Junior Jon Hameister-Ries (6-6, 290), a former tight end, has not played a down for the Hurricane but came out of spring drills listed as the starter at left guard. Hameister-Ries will be pushed for the starting position by former starter and senior Victor Mercado (6-3, 315). Mercado has started 15 games in his career. True freshman Cody Puckett (6-3, 291) adds depth to the position.
"The athleticism of our offensive lineman allows us to continually find the best combination to put on the field," added Kragthorpe.
Stoneham will be backed up by junior Jeff Bryant (6-3, 310), who turned in a solid spring season and will be a capable backup to the senior.
Danenhauer, who has started just one game at center in his career, took control of the center position in spring drills. Junior Tyrone Milsap (6-2, 273) and sophomore Nick Grimes (6-0, 274) will serve as Danenhauer's backup. Milsap has not seen action in his career, but Grimes' only action came in two games on defense as a true freshman last year.
At left tackle, senior Eric Tibbits (6-4, 293) and true freshman Jody Whaley (6-3, 288) will back-up Mengers. On the right side, sophomore Wade Whitlow (6-4, 303), who started two games at guard last season, will serve as Perrett's back-up but could move to the guard slot if needed.
A pair of freshmen, red-shirt Rodrick Thomas (6-4, 350) and true freshman Kevin Lane (6-5, 315), add depth at the left tackle position.
The Tight Ends
Tulsa returns three letterwinners with previous experience at the tight end position, including a three-year letterman and two one-year lettermen. The Hurricane has used one, two, three or even four tight ends on the field before in certain situations, and the position has been an integral part of Tulsa's offensive plan.
The Hurricane lost a three-year starter, Caleb Blankenship, and two steady reserve players, Cory Hathaway and Josh Reed, through graduation.
However, one of the nation's top tight ends returns to the Tulsa lineup in the likes of senior Garrett Mills (6-2, 232). Mills is a two-time first-team all-Western Athletic Conference selection and has been named to the 2005 Rotary Lombardi Watch List, and will also be a candidate for the John Mackey Award, presented to the nation's top tight end.
Mills has led the team in receptions in each of the last two seasons, and in 2004 was the leader in receiving yards as well. He caught 51 passes for 560 yards and two touchdowns during his junior season.
"Garrett has proven over the course of the last two years that he is one of the most complete players on our football team. He's athletic, extremely intelligent and plays with great toughness and tenacity," said Kragthorpe.
In his career, Mills has 114 receptions for 1,154 yards and 14 touchdowns. He has played in 37 career games and has caught a pass in 27 consecutive contests, which is the longest current streak among the nation's tight ends.
Tulsa's other two returning lettermen, senior Conner Long (6-1, 242) and sophomore Ted Curtis (6-1, 240), saw valuable playing time last year. Long had considerable playing time after transferring from Fresno City College, while Curtis played as a true freshman.
"We have a number of younger players who will now have the chance to showcase their abilities in our multiple tight end system," added Kragthorpe.
Sophomore Charles Ramsey (6-4, 259) came out of the spring listed as the starter at one of the two tight end slots, but will be pushed throughout the fall for playing time. Junior college transfer Aaron Roupoli (6-2, 239) turned in a solid season with 29 receptions for 379 yards and three touchdowns last year at Santa Ana Junior College.
Sophomore Blair Frederick (6-5, 265) and senior Drew Lagow (6-5, 245), a three-year letterman, moved to the tight end position during spring drills and will battle for playing time. Frederick moved from the offensive line, while Lagow made the move from the defensive front.
In addition to Roupoli, Tulsa has two more newcomers in the mix at the tight end position with true freshmen Jacob Collums (6-4, 228) and Travis Wike (6-4, 266) adding depth.
Red-shirt freshmen walk-ons Jacob Frank (6-1, 215) and Danny Koehler (6-3, 237) will add depth to the position as well.
The Receivers
The receiving corps loses two long-time contributors to the offensive success, Montiese Culton and Jermaine Landrum. However, the Hurricane does return five letterwinners, and expect to receive immediate help from a pair of junior college transfers.
Senior Ashlan Davis (5-8, 179) was second to only returning tight end Garrett Mills in the receiving category last year. An All-America kickoff returner in 2004, Davis caught 30 passes for 462 yards from his receiver slot last year.
As a kick return specialist, he established a new NCAA single-season record with five kickoffs for touchdowns and will enter the 2005 campaign needing one more return for a touchdown to tie the NCAA mark for career TDs scored on kickoff returns.
The remaining returning receivers combined to catch only two passes for 17 yards. Senior Landon Keopple (6-0, 188) and junior Donnie Johnson (5-9, 202) saw valuable playing time last year, and are expected to have expanded roles this season.
Two players with a chance to contribute this year return from sitting out the 2004 campaign with injuries. Senior Richard McQuillar (6-3, 197) and Monroe Nichols (6-0, 196) return this season. In 2003, McQuillar caught seven passes for 83 yards and one touchdown as a sophomore in all 13 games, while Nichols played in just six games and caught one pass for nine yards.
Two youngsters who made good strides during spring drills, sophomore Roland Garrett (6-1, 163) and red-shirt freshman Roderick Foster (5-9, 165), will get an opportunity to play on Saturdays. In addition, sophomore Kyle Grooms (6-3, 200), who started out at receiver when he first came to Tulsa but moved to tight end last year, has returned to the wide-out slot and provides a big target.
Tulsa coaches added three players to the receiver position during the recruiting process, including two junior college transfers and one high school senior. The two JC transfers -- Ryan Bugg (6-0, 190) and Idris Moss (5-10, 170) -- are expected to compete and contribute immediately.
Both transfers bring impressive numbers from California junior colleges, each grabbing 50 or more passes in 2004. Bugg had 50 receptions for 850 yards and was named his team's MVP at Allan Hancock Junior College last season. Moss hauled in 54 passes for 810 yards and six touchdowns in his only season at Chaffey College. He began his collegiate career at UCLA and in 2003 had four catches for 92 yards in limited action as a freshman.
Another newcomer is freshman Jesse Meyer (6-3, 197), a tall target, who had an outstanding senior season at Jenks (Okla.) High School with 36 receptions for 811 yards and eight touchdowns
