Thursday, September 20
Philadelphia, Pa.
6:30 PM
Tulsa
at
Temple
Photo by: Brett Rojo
GAME PREVIEW: Tulsa at Temple Tonight
9/20/2018 9:05:00 AM | Football
Tulsa Looks to Move to .500 and Get Off to 1-0 Start in American Athletic Conference Tonight at Temple
The college football spotlight will be on the city of Brotherly Love Thursday night as the Tulsa Golden Hurricane (1-2, 0-0 AAC) and the Temple Owls (1-2, 0-0 AAC) open American Athletic Conference play in a nationally televised ESPN game.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. (ET) from Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pa.
The two teams open their league schedules tonight after ending the regular season last November against each other, as Temple garnered a win in Tulsa.
Temple is coming off of a 35-14 road win at Maryland after dropping home games against Villanova and Buffalo, while Tulsa's comeback bids the last two weeks against Texas and Arkansas State fell short.
The Owls have seen three quarterbacks manage the offensive attack with Frank Nutile, Anthony Russo and Todd Centeio. Nutile has thrown for 401 yards and four touchdowns in the first three games, while Russo made his first start last week at Maryland and completed 15 passes for 228 yards and a touchdown.
Branden Mack, standing at 6'5", leads the Owls receiving corps with 13 receptions for 155 yards and two touchdowns. Bryant Ventell and Isaiah Wright, two more 6'2"+ receivers, have combined for 19 catches for 199 yards for Temple.
The Owls running attack is led by Ryquell Armstead with 256 of Temple's 326 yards on the ground this year behind a line averaging 6-feet, 5-inches tall and 302 pounds.
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 and Stevenson have played solid on the interior whether anchoring Tulsa's 3-man or 4-man fronts. Robinson and end Gipson share the tackle lead on the front line with 15 stops apiece.
Linebackers Cooper Edmiston at MIKE, Zaven Collins at WILL and Diamon Cannon at the STAR position have each totaled double-digit tackles on the year. Edmiston leads the Hurricane with 25 stops, while Collins, who received his first start a week ago, has 18 stops to rank third on the team and Cannon has 14 tackles and his 14 yards on two TFLs leads the team.
Tulsa starts two true sophomores at cornerback – Akayleb Evans and Allie Green – while two veterans Keanu Hill and Reggie Robinson see plenty of time as well. Hill started the first two games, after sitting out last year with an injury. Robinson was a starter last year, but missed the preseason and the first game with an injury.
The secondary is led by senior safety McKinley Whitfield, who has 22 tackles and two pass breakups on the season. Manny Bunch and TieNeal Martin, who had 14 stops in his first start last week, also patrol the backend for the Hurricane.
The Hurricane offense has scored on its first possession in two of three games this year, but has only scored 14 more points in the remainder of the first half. The Hurricane will look to be more productive on the offensive side o the ball early and often. Sophomore Luke Skipper leads the Tulsa offense at the quarterback position and has completed 61-percent of his passes for 521 yards and four TDs, one more touchdown than he threw for in seven games a year ago.
The running load has been carried by sophomores Shamari Brooks and Corey Taylor II, but junior Javan Thomas, carrying 240 pounds on his 6-2 frame, is on hand as well. Brooks has rushed for a team-high 310 yards and 4 touchdowns, while Corey Taylor II has tallied 163 yards for a 4.5 average.
There have been four main targets in the receiving corps. Senior Justin Hobbs, who came into the season with over 2,000 career yards, and this year has 6 catches for 96 yards, a 16-yard average and one TD. Junior Keenen Johnson has a team-leading 159 yards, along with one touchdown. Keylon Stokes and Jarion Anderson are inside receivers for the Hurricane who have combined for 21 receptions and 205 yards in the first three games.
Skipper has also found tight end Cole Neph five times this season, including two for touchdowns, while Chris Minter returned to the lineup last week after missing preseason camp and the first two games with an injury. The senior has been a key cog in Tulsa's rushing attack during his first three seasons.
Tulsa's offensive front has three seniors who have combined to start 107 games. All-conference center Chandler Miller has started all 41 games since starting his first game of his red-shirt freshman season, while tackle Willie Wright has started 38 games and guard Tyler Bowling has started 28 consecutive contests. Junior Chris Ivy holds down the left tackle spot, while Waahid Muhammad, who also has returned from injury, will see playing time there as well. Two 300-pounders, Tiller Bucktrot and Chris Paul, have shared time at right guard this season.
The Temple defense was dominant last week at Maryland, holding the Terrapins to only 195 total yards –– 63 passing and 132 on the ground. Tackle Michael Dogbe is the leader upfront for the Owls line with 16 tackles, 5.5 TFL and 3.5 sacks, and is joined by 6-6, 285-pound Dan Archibong and 6-4 end Jimmy Hogan.
Linebackers Shaun Bradley and Chappelle Russell are the team-leaders for the Owls in tackles with 18 stops apiece. The Temple secondary is led by seniors Delvon Randall and Rock Ya-Sin and graduate Rodney Williams, as Randall leads the group with 16 stops and Ya-Sin has a team-high five pass break-ups.
A wildcard for the Owls this year has been the special teams which has scored a touchdown in each of the first three weeks of the season, including one blocked field goal and two blocked punts.
This Thursday night tilt will get one of these teams off to an important 1-0 start in American Athletic Conference play. The game can be season ESPN beginning at 6:30 p.m. (Tulsa time).
| GAME 4: TULSA (1-2, 0-0 American) vs. TEMPLE (1-2, 0-0 Amerian) | |
|---|---|
| Date/Time: | Thursday, September 20, 6:30 p.m. (CT)/7:30 p.m. (ET) |
| Site: | Philadelphia, Pa. |
| Stadium: | Lincoln Financial Field (68,596) |
| Coaches: | TULSA – Philip Montgomery (Tarleton State '95), 4th year TEMPLE – Geoff Collins (Western Carolina '94), 2nd year |
| TV: | ESPN |
| Talent: | Dave Flemming (pxp), Dan Orlovsky, Dusty Dvorcek (analysts), Laura Rutledge (sideline) |
| Tickets: | To purchase tickets, owlstix.com |
| Radio: | Big Country 99.5 FM or Online |
| Talent: | Bruce Howard (pxp), Rick Couri (analyst), Jeremie Poplin (sidelines) |
| Live Stats: | Live Stats |
| Series: | Series is tied 2-2 |
| First Meeting: | Tulsa 24, Temple 17 (Oct. 10, 1987), Philadelphia, Pa. |
| Last Meeting: | Temple 43, Tulsa 22 (Nov. 25, 2017), Tulsa, Okla. |
| Game Notes: | Tulsa | Temple | American Athletic Conference |
The college football spotlight will be on the city of Brotherly Love Thursday night as the Tulsa Golden Hurricane (1-2, 0-0 AAC) and the Temple Owls (1-2, 0-0 AAC) open American Athletic Conference play in a nationally televised ESPN game.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. (ET) from Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pa.
The two teams open their league schedules tonight after ending the regular season last November against each other, as Temple garnered a win in Tulsa.
Temple is coming off of a 35-14 road win at Maryland after dropping home games against Villanova and Buffalo, while Tulsa's comeback bids the last two weeks against Texas and Arkansas State fell short.
The Owls have seen three quarterbacks manage the offensive attack with Frank Nutile, Anthony Russo and Todd Centeio. Nutile has thrown for 401 yards and four touchdowns in the first three games, while Russo made his first start last week at Maryland and completed 15 passes for 228 yards and a touchdown.
Branden Mack, standing at 6'5", leads the Owls receiving corps with 13 receptions for 155 yards and two touchdowns. Bryant Ventell and Isaiah Wright, two more 6'2"+ receivers, have combined for 19 catches for 199 yards for Temple.
The Owls running attack is led by Ryquell Armstead with 256 of Temple's 326 yards on the ground this year behind a line averaging 6-feet, 5-inches tall and 302 pounds.
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 and Stevenson have played solid on the interior whether anchoring Tulsa's 3-man or 4-man fronts. Robinson and end Gipson share the tackle lead on the front line with 15 stops apiece.
Linebackers Cooper Edmiston at MIKE, Zaven Collins at WILL and Diamon Cannon at the STAR position have each totaled double-digit tackles on the year. Edmiston leads the Hurricane with 25 stops, while Collins, who received his first start a week ago, has 18 stops to rank third on the team and Cannon has 14 tackles and his 14 yards on two TFLs leads the team.
Tulsa starts two true sophomores at cornerback – Akayleb Evans and Allie Green – while two veterans Keanu Hill and Reggie Robinson see plenty of time as well. Hill started the first two games, after sitting out last year with an injury. Robinson was a starter last year, but missed the preseason and the first game with an injury.
The secondary is led by senior safety McKinley Whitfield, who has 22 tackles and two pass breakups on the season. Manny Bunch and TieNeal Martin, who had 14 stops in his first start last week, also patrol the backend for the Hurricane.
The Hurricane offense has scored on its first possession in two of three games this year, but has only scored 14 more points in the remainder of the first half. The Hurricane will look to be more productive on the offensive side o the ball early and often. Sophomore Luke Skipper leads the Tulsa offense at the quarterback position and has completed 61-percent of his passes for 521 yards and four TDs, one more touchdown than he threw for in seven games a year ago.
The running load has been carried by sophomores Shamari Brooks and Corey Taylor II, but junior Javan Thomas, carrying 240 pounds on his 6-2 frame, is on hand as well. Brooks has rushed for a team-high 310 yards and 4 touchdowns, while Corey Taylor II has tallied 163 yards for a 4.5 average.
There have been four main targets in the receiving corps. Senior Justin Hobbs, who came into the season with over 2,000 career yards, and this year has 6 catches for 96 yards, a 16-yard average and one TD. Junior Keenen Johnson has a team-leading 159 yards, along with one touchdown. Keylon Stokes and Jarion Anderson are inside receivers for the Hurricane who have combined for 21 receptions and 205 yards in the first three games.
Skipper has also found tight end Cole Neph five times this season, including two for touchdowns, while Chris Minter returned to the lineup last week after missing preseason camp and the first two games with an injury. The senior has been a key cog in Tulsa's rushing attack during his first three seasons.
Tulsa's offensive front has three seniors who have combined to start 107 games. All-conference center Chandler Miller has started all 41 games since starting his first game of his red-shirt freshman season, while tackle Willie Wright has started 38 games and guard Tyler Bowling has started 28 consecutive contests. Junior Chris Ivy holds down the left tackle spot, while Waahid Muhammad, who also has returned from injury, will see playing time there as well. Two 300-pounders, Tiller Bucktrot and Chris Paul, have shared time at right guard this season.
The Temple defense was dominant last week at Maryland, holding the Terrapins to only 195 total yards –– 63 passing and 132 on the ground. Tackle Michael Dogbe is the leader upfront for the Owls line with 16 tackles, 5.5 TFL and 3.5 sacks, and is joined by 6-6, 285-pound Dan Archibong and 6-4 end Jimmy Hogan.
Linebackers Shaun Bradley and Chappelle Russell are the team-leaders for the Owls in tackles with 18 stops apiece. The Temple secondary is led by seniors Delvon Randall and Rock Ya-Sin and graduate Rodney Williams, as Randall leads the group with 16 stops and Ya-Sin has a team-high five pass break-ups.
A wildcard for the Owls this year has been the special teams which has scored a touchdown in each of the first three weeks of the season, including one blocked field goal and two blocked punts.
This Thursday night tilt will get one of these teams off to an important 1-0 start in American Athletic Conference play. The game can be season ESPN beginning at 6:30 p.m. (Tulsa time).
Players Mentioned
Wide Receiver
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Offensive Guard
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Running Back
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Offensive Guard
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Safety
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Linebacker
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Linebacker
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Cornerback
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Defensive End
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Cornerback
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Wide Receiver
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Center
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Tight End
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Defensive End
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Offensive Tackle
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Quarterback
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Running Back
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Safety
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Offensive Tackle
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