GAME PREVIEW: Tulsa vs. UConn on Homecoming

Saturday, November 3

H.A. Chapman Stadium

6:00 PM

Tulsa

Connecticut

Tickets

Photo by: Brett Rojo

GAME PREVIEW: Tulsa vs. UConn on Homecoming

11/2/2018 8:33:00 AM | Football

It's Homecoming for Tulsa...
Get Homecoming Information by CLICKING HERE

GAME 9: TULSA (1-7, 0-4 American) vs. UCONN (1-7, 0-4 American)
Date/Time:	Saturday, November 3, 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 UCONN – Randy Edsall (Syracuse '80), 2nd/14th year
TV:	CBS Sports Network
Talent:	John Sadek (pxp), Randy Cross (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:	UConn leads 1-0-0
First Meeting:	UConn 20, Tulsa 14 (Oct. 21, 2017), Hartford, Conn.
Last Meeting:	UConn 20, Tulsa 14 (Oct. 21, 2017), Hartford, Conn.
Game Notes:	Tulsa \| UConn \| American Athletic Conference

TULSA, Okla. –– It's Homecoming at The University of Tulsa as the Golden Hurricane hosts the UConn Huskies Saturday night at H.A. Chapman Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:02 p.m.

The two teams have struggled this year as both come in to Saturday's contest with identical 1-7 overall records and 0-4 marks in the American Athletic Conference. It's been turnovers that have haunted the Hurricane and a porous defense for the Huskies.

Tulsa has turned the ball over 19 times, while UConn has given up an average of 625.5 yards per game. Part of the problem for both teams come from young players at certain positions who are getting better each week out, and a tough schedule. Tulsa has faced a schedule so far that featured five bowl teams from 2017 and three that have already become bowl eligible this year, while the Huskies have played three-ranked teams.

The only common opponent thus far between the two teams was top-25 USF, as Tulsa fell to a 4^th quarter comeback 25-24 and the Huskies took a 38-30 loss to the Bulls on the road in Tampa.

The UConn offense goes as quarterback David Pindell goes. The senior has totaled 2,065 yards of total offense, while completing 60-percent of his passes for 1,259 yards and nine TDs and rushing for another 806 yards and eight touchdowns for the Huskies, making up 68-percent of UConn's offense.

When Pindell hands the ball off, it normally goes to sophomore running back Kevin Mensah, who compliments Pindell in the run game with 631 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.

Pindell's receiving targets include three players with 250+ yards, led by tight end Aaron McLean (293), while receivers Kyle Buss (289) and Hergy Mayala (255) are next. The Huskies offensive line is rather young with three sophomores, one junior and the senior leader at center Ryan Crozier.

Tulsa counters with a defense that ranks among the top-5 in The American for passing (2^nd), total defense (4^th) and scoring defense (5^th). The Hurricane holds opposing offenses to 390 total yards, 28.5 points and 167 passing yards, which ranks 10^th nationally.

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 7 games this year whether anchoring Tulsa's 3-man or 4-man fronts, while Robinson returned last week after missing two games. Gipson and Robinson have tallied 31 and 21 tackles, respectively, to lead the front four, while Stevenson has 19 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 a team-high 75 tackles and three interceptions. Collins has added 59 tackles and 6.5 TFLs for -23 yards, while Cannon has tallied 44 stops for 2 TFLs for -14 yards and three pass breakups.

The secondary is led by senior safety McKinley Whitfield, who has 56 tackles and a team-best seven pass breakups on the season. Fellow safety Manny Bunch has 50 tackles and three 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 three contests and has 35 stops on the year after a season-high 12 stops last week.

Tulsa has used four cornerbacks interchangeably this season, and part of the reason has been due to injuries. True sophomores Allie Green and Akayleb Evans, junior Reggie Robinson and senior Keanu Hill have seen the majority of playing time this year, but true freshman Jabari James saw most of the action at one corner slot last week and responded with eight tackles.

Green and Hill has five starts, while Evans and Robinson each has three. The foursome has combined for 67 tackles and 11 pass break-ups.

As for the UConn defense, the Huskies are extremely young, as only one player in the Huskies starting defensive lineup is an upperclassman, junior Husky Marshe Terry. Five freshmen and five sophomores make up the rest of UConn's starting defense.

Sophomore safeties Tyler Coyle and Omar Fortt lead the Huskies with 73 and 51 tackles, respectively, while freshman linebacker Kevon Jones and sophomore Eddie Hahn have been active as well. Jones has 48 stops, 5.5 TFLs, two sacks and one pass break-ups, while Hahn has collected 39 tackles.

The Huskies have three freshmen and one sophomore manning the front four, as 350-pound freshman Travis Jones is a load and has been active with 30 tackles. Darrian Beavers, the sophomore, and Lwal Uguak, man the end positions for UConn.

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 offense, averaging nearly 200 yards per game. It's been turnovers and an inconsistent passing game that has hampered the offensive attack.

Tulsa has turned over the ball 19 times, while opponents have turned those takeaways into 71 points, an average of nearly nine points per game. Tulsa's margin of loss this season has been 8.1 points.

Seth Boomer will be in the saddle at the quarterback position for the fifth straight game for Tulsa. The red-shirt freshman is getting more comfortable handling the signal-calling for the Hurricane. He has completed only 39 passes for 613 yards and three touchdowns. 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.

For success on Saturday, the Hurricane offense will need to see the strides in the passing game made last week continue against the Huskies.

On the ground, Brooks has gained 623 yards and six touchdowns, while Taylor has 498 yards and four touchdowns. In 16 career contests, Brooks has rushed for 1,310 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 47^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 43 straight contests.

The offensive front took a blow when 31-game starter Tyler Bowling was injured late against USF and has missed the last two games. Junior Tristan Wyatt has stepped in the last two weeks and will get the start this week, while fellow junior Chris Ivy will lineup next to him at left tackle.

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

As for the receiving corps, true sophomore Keylon Stokes has a team-high 334 yards on 24 receptions, while true junior Keenen Johnson has 21 catches for 324 yards and senior Justin Hobbs has hauled in 25 passes for 293 yards.

The tight end position will see senior Cole Neph taking most of the snaps, as fellow senior Chris Minter is still working himself back from injury. Neph has caught eight passes this year for 84 yards and two touchdowns.

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., the entertainment by 'My So-Called Band' will begin at 4 p.m.