GAME PREVIEW: Tulsa vs. Tulane

Saturday, October 27

H.A. Chapman Stadium

6:00 PM

Tulsa

Tulane

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Photo by: BRETT ROJO/For the Tulsa World

GAME PREVIEW: Tulsa vs. Tulane

10/26/2018 7:40:00 AM | Football

1991 All-America Offensive Lineman Jerry Ostroski will have his Number 55 Jersey Retired at Halftime

GAME 8: TULSA (1-6, 0-3 American) vs. TULANE (2-5, 1-2 American)
Date/Time:	Saturday, October 27, 6:02 p.m. (CT)
Site:	Tulsa, Okla.
Stadium:	Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman Stadium (30,000)
Coaches:	TULSA – Philip Montgomery (Tarleton State '95), 4th year TULANE – Willie Fritz (Pittsburg State '83), 3rd year
TV:	ESPNU
Talent:	Mike Couzens (pxp), Kirk Morrison (analyst)
Tickets:	To purchase tickets, click here
Gameday Guide:	For gameday guide, click here
Radio:	Big Country 99.5 FM or Online
Talent:	Bruce Howard (pxp), Rick Couri (analyst), Jeremie Poplin (sidelines)
Live Stats:	Live Stats
Series:	Tulsa leads 11-3-0
First Meeting:	Tulane 25, Tulsa 15 (Nov. 9, 1968), New Orleans, La.
Last Meeting:	Tulane 62, Tulsa 28 (Oct. 7, 2017), New Orleans, La.
Game Notes:	Tulsa \| Tulane \| American Athletic Conference

TULSA, Okla. –– Tulsa (1-6, 0-3 AAC) returns home to host the Green Wave of Tulane (2-5, 1-2) at H.A. Chapman Stadium Saturday night. Both teams are looking to get back on the winning trek this weekend in a matchup of American Athletic Conference West Division teams.

Tulsa will look to avenge it's worst performance last year when the Green Wave scored its most points in the series with a 62-28 win in New Orleans, on a day in which the game was moved up from 3 p.m. to 10 a.m. due to the arrival of Hurricane Nate.

Saturday's game will be aired on ESPNU and kickoff at 6:02 p.m. It's a special day in Tulsa football history as 1991 All-America offensive lineman Jerry Ostroski will have his number 55 jersey retired at halftime.

As for the game, Tulane is looking for its first road win of the season, while the Hurricane is looking for its first victory since the season opener.

Tulane's offense comes into the game averaging 369 yards of total offense and 29.7 points through its first seven games. This week it appears that the Green Wave will be making a change at quarterback. Senior Jonathan Banks, who has started the first seven games, will make way for junior Justin McMillan, but don't be surprised if Banks sees playing time as well.

Banks has thrown for 1,074 yards and five touchdowns, while rushing for 120 yards and two TDs in his seven starts. McMillan has played in three games and three of his 14 completions have gone for touchdowns.

Like Tulsa, the Green Wave has a double-headed monster in the backfield as Darius Bradwell and Corey Dauphine have combined for 955 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground. Receivers Darnell Moody and Terren Encalade are big-play targets for whoever is triggering the ball from the quarterback slot. Moody has 560 receiving yards for a 17.5 average and five touchdowns, while Encalade has caught 25 passes for 415 yards and three TDs.

The Tulane offensive front tips the scales at an average of 298 pounds and are led by 6'7" senior guard John Leglue.

Tulsa counters with a defense that ranks among the top-5 in The American for passing (3^rd), total defense (4^th) and scoring defense (5^th). The Hurricane holds opposing offenses to 363 total yards, 29.1 points and 176 passing yards.

Tulsa's defensive front features two 300+ pounders on the interior with junior Shemarr Robinson and sophomore Tyarise Stevenson. The lone senior upfront is Myles Mouton at one end spot and junior Trevis Gipson mans the other defensive end position for the Hurricane.

Stevenson has started 6 games this year whether anchoring Tulsa's 3-man or 4-man fronts, while it's hopeful Robinson will return to the field after missing the last two games. Gipson and Robinson have tallied 30 and 20 tackles, respectively, to lead the front four, while Stevenson has 15 stops and 3.5 TFLs for -6 yards.

Linebackers Cooper Edmiston at MIKE, Zaven Collins at WILL and Diamon Cannon at the STAR position have been active for the Hurricane this season Edmiston leads the way with 63 tackles and three interceptions. Collins has added 47 tackles and six TFLs for -22 yards, while Cannon has tallied 35 stops for 2 TFLs for -14 yards and three pass breakups.

The secondary is led by senior safety McKinley Whitfield, who has 47 tackles and seven pass breakups on the season. Whitfield is coming off a game last week at Arkansas in which he totaled 11 tackles, three pass break-ups and one interception. Fellow safety Manny Bunch has 41 tackles and two pass break-ups this year. When Tulsa goes to five players on the back-end, red-shirt freshman Bryson Powers and JC transfer TieNeal Martin get the call. Powers has started the last two contests and has 23 stops on the year.

Tulsa has used four cornerbacks interchangeably this season –– true sophomores Allie Green and Akayleb Evans, junior Reggie Robinson and senior Keanu Hill. Green has five starts, Hill has four, while Evans and Robinson each has three. Evans and Robinson missed last week's game at Arkansas, and their return for Saturday is questionable.

The foursome has combined for 65 tackles and 11 pass break-ups.

Strength vs. strength will be on display when Tulsa's ground games goes up against the Green Wave defense. Tulsa has averaged 198 rushing yards, while Tulane's defense has held opponents to just 155.6 rushing yards.

Tulane linebacker Zachery Harris leads the way with 49 tackles, while fellow linebacker Lawrence Graham is next with 41 tackles. The duo has combined to tally nine TFLs for -25 yards. Upfront for the Green Wave, Robert Kennedy has 5.5 TFLs for -10 yards along with 23 total tackles from his tackle spot, and on the outside Patrick Johnson holds down the Joker position with a team-high eight TFLs and five sacks, while totaling 26 tackles.

The Green Wave secondary is led by safeties Roderick Teamer Jr. and P.J. Hall, who have combined for 60 tackles and six pass breakups. Corners Donnie Lewis Jr. and Thakarius Keyes have tallied 15 pass breakups and four interceptions between them.

Despite injuries that have knocked Tulsa's backfield tandem of Shamari Brooks and Corey Taylor II out of one game each, the run game has been the strength for the Hurricane, averaging nearly 200 yards per game. It's been turnovers and an inconsistent passing game that has hampered what could be a solid and balanced offensive attack.

Tulsa has turned over the ball 18 times, while opponents have turned those takeaways into 71 points, an average of 10.1 points per game. Tulsa's margin of loss this season has been 8.2 points.

Seth Boomer will be in the saddle at the quarterback position for the fourth straight game for the Hurricane. The red-shirt freshman has completed only 27-of-77 passes this year, while those completions have gone for 433 yards. His first career appearance resulted in 13 completions for 227 yards at Houston, the second-most yards ever for a Tulsa freshman making their collegiate debut, but since then the rookie has completed just 14 passes.

For success on Saturday, the Hurricane offense will need to get some production from the passing game.

On the ground, Brooks has gained 566 yards and six touchdowns, while Taylor has 465 yards and four touchdowns. In 15 career contests, Brooks has rushed for 1,253 yards, 16 TDs and seven 100+ rushing games. In Brooks' absence at Houston, Taylor turned in a career night with 152 yards on 33 carries.

All-conference center Chandler Miller will be starting his 46^th consecutive game since his first start as an opening day starter in 2015 as a red-shirt freshman. Right tackle Willie Wright has started 42 straight contests.

The offensive front took a blow when 31-game starter Tyler Bowling missed last week with an injury, but in his place stepped junior Tristan Wyatt. It appears as though Wyatt will get the start this week, while fellow junior Chris Ivy will lineup next to him at left tackle.

Waahid Muhammad, who missed preseason camp, has also seen playing time at left tackle, while two 300-pounders, Chris Paul and Tiller Bucktrot, have shared time at right guard this season.

The Hurricane receivers will need to make plays against a pretty solid Green Wave secondary to help open up running lanes for the Tulsa backs. True sophomore Keylon Stokes has a team-high 294 yards on 22 receptions, while true junior Keenen Johnson has 20 catches for 275 yards and senior Justin Hobbs has hauled in 21 passes for 268 yards.

The tight end position features senior Chris Minter, who missed the first two games with an injury, and fellow senior Cole Neph. A main force in Tulsa's run game offense, Minter has also totaled four TDs on 10 career receptions, while Neph has caught five passes this year for 50 yards and two touchdowns.

Daytime temperatures in Tulsa are expected to reach high 70s on Saturday and be near 70-degrees at kickoff. So it will be a great night for college football. Fans can purchase tickets online at www.TulsaHurricane.com/tickets or by calling 918-631-GoTU (4688) for as low as $15. Tailgating on Chapman Commons begins at 3:00 p.m.