Tulsa
North Texas
Tulsa Storms by North Texas 56-26
9/6/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 6, 2008
Box Score | Notes
Denton, Texas - Tulsa used a first-half scoring barrage to capture a 56-26 victory over the North Texas Mean Green in non-conference action on Saturday night in front of 22,785 fans at Fouts Field.
Hurricane quarterback David Johnson completed 25-of-33 passes for 418 yards and a career-best six touchdowns to six different receivers. The six TD passes is the most for a Tulsa quarterback since the 1993 season when Gus Frerotte threw six touchdown passes against East Carolina.
Tulsa improved to 2-0 on the season and it was the first time that Tulsa opened the season with two wins in its first two road games in a season. The Mean Green dropped to 0-2 on the year. The Hurricane will have an off week next Saturday before playing New Mexico in its home opener at the newly renovated H.A. Chapman Stadium on September 20.
Tulsa built a 42-10 halftime lead as Johnson threw for four touchdown passes and ran for another one as the Hurricane accounted for 300 of its 555 total yards in the first half, and the Tulsa defense held the Mean Green to 169 first-half yards.
"We have a lot of weapons on offense. I don't think we've missed a beat. We picked up from where we were last year, except I think we're a lot more conservative with the football, and I like that. I don't want to be 103rd in the country in taking care of the ball," said Tulsa Head Coach Todd Graham. "I'm very pleased with the way Dave is playing within himself, playing his game and doing what he's coached to do.
"At times I thought we were sloppy tonight. It's hard not to do that. We have 12 more opportunites. We have 10 more to see if we can get two more," added Graham."I was straining them all the way to the end of the game, because I thought we were letting our guard down and being sloppy at times."
Tulsa scored on its first possession of the game, traveling 57 yards in 12 plays to take a 7-0 lead at the 9:17 mark of the first quarter. The Hurricane converted 2-of-2 third downs and one fourth down try en route to its first score.
The Hurricane scored on its second drive going 53 yards in three plays to take a 14-0 lead, as Johnson threw an 18-yard TD strike to true freshman Damaris Johnson for his first collegiate touchdown.
The Mean Green scored its first touchdown with 2:02 left in the first period as Lance Dunbar ran in from two yards out to cap a 7-play, 70-yard drive.
Tulsa took its first possession of the second quarter 67 yards in eight plays to take a 21-7 lead, as David Johnson ran in from four yards out for the score at the 10:21 mark. The Hurricane added to its lead on the next possession going 80 yards in seven plays and taking 2:46 of the clock. Johnson threw an 11-yard toss to Charles Clay for the touchdown at the 5:18 mark of the first half.
On the subsequent kickoff, Tulsa's Ade' Manga recovered a fumbled kick at the North Texas seven-yard line. Three plays later, Johnson threw a five-yard TD toss to Jake Collums to take a 35-7 lead at the 4:32 mark.
The Hurricane defense held on a fourth down and two for the Mean Green at the 50-yard line as John Destin broke up a North Texas pass in the end zone. The Tulsa offense then went 50 yards in xx plays as Johnson connected on his fourth touchdown pass of the game, this time going 22 yards to Trae Johnson.
The Mean Green used a 47-yard field goal as time expired for its 10th point of the game, but the Hurricane held a 32-point first half advantage with a 42-10 halftime lead.
At the half, the Hurricane held a 300 to 169-yard edge in total yards, with 213 coming through the air and 87 yards on the ground. The Hurricane scored on all six of its possessions in the red zone.
Tulsa's first drive of the second half stalled on a fourth down pass attempt that was batted down, while North Texas then went 62 yards in 10 plays for another three points as Jeremy Knott hit a 22-yard field goal for the home team to make the score 42-13.
Unlike the first half, when the Hurricane scored on its first two possessions, the Hurricane failed to score on its first two second half drives. The second one ended in a missed 39-yard field goal. But on Tulsa's third possession after a Moton Hopkins fumble recovery, the Hurricane offense went 64 yards in three plays as Johnson hit Brennan Marion for a 50-yard TD strike giving the Hurricane its first second half score with 14:12 gone in the half.
UNT scored with 9:55 left in the game on a 32-yard pass from Giovanni Vizza to Casey Fitzgerald, capping an eight-play, 62-yard drive to cut Tulsa's lead to 49-19.
The Hurricane added to it score with a five-play, 58-yard drive that resulted in a 22-yard pass play from Johnson to Whitmore. The Mean Green then marched 80 yards in nine plays to make the score 56-26 with 4:01 left in the game.
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
| Tulsa | (9:17) | Charles Clay 13 run | (Fitzpatrick kick) | 7-0 |
| Tulsa | (4:45) | David Johnson 18 pass to Damaris Johnson | (Fitzpatrick kick) | 14-0 |
| UNT | (2:02) | Lance Dunbar 2 run | (Knott kick) | 14-7 |
2nd Quarter
| Tulsa | (10:21) | David Johnson 4 run | (Fitzpatrick kick) | 21-7 |
| Tulsa | (5:18) | David Johnson 11 pass to Charles Clay | (Fitzpatrick kick) | 28-7 |
| Tulsa | (4:32) | David Johnson 5 pass to Jake Collums | (Fitzpatrick kick) | 35-7 |
| Tulsa | (1:02) | David Johnson 22 pass to Trae Johnson | (Fitzpatrick kick) | 42-7 |
| UNT | (0:02) | Jeremy Knott 47 FG | 42-10 |
3rd Quarter
| UNT | (8:17) | Jeremy Knott 22 FG | 42-13 | |
| Tuls | (0:46) | David Johnson 50 pass to Brennan Marion | (Fitzpatrick kick) | 49-13 |
4th Quarter
| UNT | (9:55) | Giovanni Vizza 32 pass to Casey Fitzgerald | (Knott kick NG) | 49-19 |
| Tulsa | (7:36) | David Johnson 22 pass to AJ Whitmore | (Fitzgerald kick) | 56-19 |
| UNT | (4:01) | Giovanni Vizza 6 pass to Breece Johnson | (Knott kick) | 56-26 |
