GAME PREVIEW: Tulsa Hosts Arkansas State

Saturday, September 15

H.A. Chapman Stadium

6:00 PM

Tulsa

Arkansas State

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Photo by: Brett Rojo

GAME PREVIEW: Tulsa Hosts Arkansas State

9/14/2018 7:00:00 AM | Football

Tulsa returns home to H.A. Chapman Stadium this Saturday for a non-conference game against the Sun Belt Conference's elite team, the Arkansas State Red Wolves. A team with 5 conference championships and 7 straight bowl game appearances since 2011, A-State has a 1-1 record after last week's loss at No.1-ranked Alabama.

The Hurricane, also 1-1 on the season, is coming off a 28-21 loss at Texas.

The game, designated as Alzheimer's Awareness Game, kicks off at Chapman Stadium at 6:00 p.m. and will be aired on CBS Sports Network. Tickets can still be purchased online at TulsaHurricane.com or by calling 918.631.GoTU (4688).

Will this contest be an offensive explosion or a defensive struggle? Both teams have shown the ability to put up strong offensive performances, while the defenses also have the capabilities to control opposing offenses.

The Tulsa defense has put up solid performances in the first two weeks of the season, but this Saturday the Golden Hurricane "D" faces perhaps its toughest test of the season against one of the nation's top offensive teams.

Arkansas State's big-play, quick strike offense has averaged 533.5 total yards and has scored 27.5 points. A-State has gained 176 yards on the ground and a whopping 357.5 passing yards.

Senior quarterback Justice Hansen has completed 57-percent of his passes for 281.5 yards per game and seven TDs. In the season opener, Hansen set a school-record with six touchdown passes and finished the night with 26-of-36 passing with 423 yards.A transfer from Oklahoma, Hansen has targeted 13 different receivers, including six with 20+ receiving yards per game.

Red Wolves A-Back Kirk Merritt has caught a team-high 10 receptions, while Omar Bayless has a team-best 103 yards on 5 receptions. Marcel Murray is averaging 37.5 yards per catch, while Javonis Isaac has a 26-yard average per reception.

The trio of running backs Armond Weh-Weh, Warren Wand and Marcel Murray has combined to rush for 275 yards in the two games. Those three backs run behind a Red Wolves offensive line that stands 6-feet, 4-inches tall and weighs in at a 324-pound average, led by seniors Lanard Bonner at left tackle and right guard Marvis Brown.

Tulsa counters with a defensive front that features two 300+ pounders on the interior with junior Shemarr Robinson and sophomore Tyarise Stevenson, while the lone senior upfront is Myles Mouton at one end spot and junior Trevis Gipson on the other side. Robinson shared the team-lead in the season opener with six tackles, while Gipson totaled a career-high 7 stops last week against Texas.

Linebackers Cooper Edmiston at MIKE and Diamon Cannon at the STAR position are one-two in tackles for the Hurricane. Edmiston has 14 stops, while Cannon has totaled 12 tackles, 2 TFLs for -14 yards, one sack for -12 yards and 2 pass break-ups.

An experienced, yet youthful secondary will be certainly tested by the A-State passing game. Senior safety McKinley Whitfield leads a group that returns fellow safeties Many Bunch and Jordan Mitchell, both of whom missed most of the 2017 season after suffering ACL injuries. True sophomores Akayleb Evans and Allie Green IV, senior Keanu Hill and junior Reggie Robinson have been interchangeable at the corner slots for the Hurricane.

Evans had 2 pass break-ups last week at Texas, while Bunch has totaled 10 tackles, Hill and Whitfield with 8 stops apiece and Green with 7 tackles in the first two games.

Not only does the Tulsa defense has its hands full, but the Hurricane offense will face one of the country's most opportunistic defenses over the past few seasons. A-State has totaled 108 takeaways for the 5^th-most over the previous four seasons, while ranking among the top -15 over that same time span for defensive touchdowns with a total of 19.

A-State is led by safety Darreon Jackson and nickelback Justin Clifton, who has totaled 15 and 14 tackles, respectively. Jackson totaled 10 stops at No. 1 Alabama last week. Up front, the Red Wolves bring size with 331-pound nose guard Tukua Ahoia and tackle Kevin Thurmon, a 298-pounder.

Sophomore Tajhe Chambers, who has 11 tackles, and his backup Kirk Louis has added eight tackles to pace the A-State linebacker corps.

Tulsa sophomore Luke Skipper quarterbacks the Golden Hurricane offense, having passed for 174 yards per game and 3 TDs and rushed for 84 yards and one touchdown.

Sophomores Shamari Brooks and Corey Taylor II carry the load at running back for the Hurricane. Brooks has rushed for a team-high 195 yards and 4 touchdowns, while Corey Taylor II has tallied 131 yards for a 5.0 average. Brooks has already rushed for 14 touchdowns in just 11 career games.

The receiving corps is led by senior Justin Hobbs, who came into the season with over 2,000 career yards, and this year has 5 catches for 74 yards, a 14.8 average and one TD. Junior Keenen Johnson has a team-leading 115 yards this year, along with one touchdown. Keylon Stokes and Jarion Anderson are inside receivers for the Hurricane who have combined for 10 receptions and 111 yards.

Skipper has also found tight end Cole Neph four times this season, including a 14-yard TD reception in the season opener.

Tulsa's offensive front has three seniors who have combined to start 104 games. All-conference center Chandler Miller has started all 40 games since starting his first game of his red-shirt freshman season, while tackle Willie Wright has started 37 games and guard Tyler Bowling has started 27 consecutive contests. Junior Chris Ivy holds down the left tackle spot, while two 300-pounders Tiller Bucktrot and Chris Paul have shared time at right guard this season.

Saturday's forecast calls for sunny skies and high 80-degrees for kickoff. For tickets, call 918-631GoTU or go online at TulsaHurricane.com.