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Tulsa Continues Preparations for Season Opener at Tulane
8/30/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 30, 2009
Tulsa, Oklahoma - The college football season will kickoff for The University of Tulsa on Friday night, as the Golden Hurricane takes on Tulane in a nationally-televised ESPN game at 7 pm in the New Orleans Superdome. Calling the action for ESPN is Joe Tessitore and Rod Gilmore.
Tulsa is coming off of a school-record 11 wins, while Tulane will be seeking to improve upon two wins from a year ago. The Green Wave, under third-year Head Coach Bob Toledo, is expected to be much improved this season. Injuries devastated Tulane last year, as the number of injured skyrocketed to nearly 20 players gone for the season when these two teams met on November 22.
The nation's leading offense in each of the last two seasons will see how it's offensive unit can operate after losing it's top passer, rusher and receiver, as well as three linemen to graduation. However, the skill positions return a lot of talent and experience. Quarterback may be the one exception as for experience, but the talent is abndant with the likes of a trio of contenders for the position ¬¬¬-- Shavodrick Beaver, Jacob Bower and GJ Kinne. Tulsa coaches have also been satisfied with the offensive line, led by senior guard Curt Puckett and sophomore tackle Tyler Holmes.
The Hurricane defense is experienced with eight starters returning to the lineup, led by leading tackler Mike Bryan at his linebacker position. All three starting linebackers return, as do four of the five players in the secondary. Tulsa's defensive front, although losing two starters, appears to be strong and filled with depth.
This is the sixth meeting between Tulsa and Tulane, as the Hurricane leads the series 4-1, having won the last four games as members of Conference USA. Tulsa has outscored Tulane by a 45-12 margin in those games. The last two times the two teams met in New Orleans in 2007, Tulsa captured a 39-25 victory.
Game week is here... Watch to the Live TU press conference with Head Coach Todd Graham on Monday at 11:30 am (CT)... The Todd Graham Radio Show is Monday night from 7-8 pm at TeKei's. Listen on KRMG Radio 740 AM and FM 102.3, or online at www.tulsahurricane.com... Tulsa's full game notes package will be posted on the Football page of tulsahurricane.com later on Sunday... CHECK OUT THE TU ATHLETIC BLOG THIS WEEK ON THE WEBSITE.
SOME NOTES ABOUT TU FOOTBALL . . .
TULSA COMING OFF MOST WINS EVER . . . Last year, Tulsa finished the season with an 11-3 record, setting a school record with 11 wins . . . the Hurricane has had six seasons with at least 10 wins, but last year's 11 victories was a first in school history . . . the 2008 campaign was also the second straight year that Tulsa won at least 10 games, making it the first back-to-back 10 win seasons in school history . . . Tulsa's 10-win seasons have come in 1916, 1920, 1942, 1982, 1991 and 2007.
ONE OF ONLY 11 SCHOOLS . . . Tulsa became one of just 11 schools to post back-to-back 10 win seasons in each of the last two years . . . Tulsa had 10 wins in 2007 and 11 wins last year . . . the other schools with consecutive 10+ win seasons over the last two years are: USC, Oklahoma, Boise State, Texas, Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Georgia, BYU, Missouri and Cincinnati.
TULSA ENTERS 2009 SEASON RANKED 20th FOR WINS OVER PAST SIX YEARS . . . Tulsa Golden Hurricane football teams have posted a 50-29 record in the last six seasons (since 2003) . . . the 50 wins is good for a 20th place tie in the NCAA for Most Wins Over the Last Six-Year Period . . . it is also the most wins for any Conference USA school over the past six seasons . . . Tulsa is tied with Hawaii, Missouri and Florida State with 50 wins since 2003 . . . USC leads the country with 73 wins, followed by Boise State (68), Oklahoma (66), Texas (64) and Ohio State and LSU (63) tied for fifth-place.
TULSA FACES NO. 2 AND NO. 3 TEAMS ON SIX-YEAR WINS LIST . . . This year's schedule has the Hurricane playing two teams that are among the top-3 teams in the nation for wins over the past six seasons . . . Boise State is ranked second with 68 victories since the 2003 season, while Oklahoma is third with 66 wins . . . BSU entered this season ranked 14th in the Associated Press poll, while Oklahoma was the AP's preseason third-ranked team.
WILLIAMS APPROACHING 1,000 CAREER RUSHING YARDS . . . Junior Jamad Williams, the back-up in each of the last two years to Tulsa's career, single-season and single-game record-holder Tarrion Adams, is nearing a milestone of his own . . . he enters the 2009 campaign with 981 yards, needing 19 yards to reach the 1,000 career rushing mark . . . Williams had a career-best 153 yards on 31 carries the last time the Hurricane played in the Superdome against Tulane in 2007.
TULSA'S SUCCESS OVER SIX-YEAR PERIOD . . . Although Todd Graham was in his first season as Tulsa's head coach in the 2007 season, he came to the Hurricane in 2003 and spent three seasons as Tulsa's defensive coordinator before serving as the head coach at Rice in 2006 . . . Graham helped lay the groundwork for the recent success that the program has seen . . . in addition to appearing in five bowl games, Tulsa has 50 victories in the past six seasons, posting a 50-29 (.633) record . . . the 50 wins is ranked in a 20th place tie for most victories in the last six years among FBS schools . . . in an 11-year stretch before that, Tulsa won just 34 games from 1992 through the 2002 campaign, compiling a 34-88 mark for a .279 winning percentage.
