TULSA – NAVY GAME TONIGHT AT 6:30 PM

Saturday, October 12

Chapman Stadium

6:30 PM

Tulsa

Navy

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Photo by: Mario Terrana

TULSA – NAVY GAME TONIGHT AT 6:30 PM

10/12/2019 9:36:00 AM | Football

Tulsa Hosts Midshipmen in American Athletic Conference Match-up Saturday Night

GAME 5: TULSA (2-3, 0-1 American) vs. NAVY (3-1, 1-1 American)

Date/Time:

Saturday, Oct. 12, 6:32 p.m. (CT)

Site:

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Stadium:

Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman Stadium (30,000)

Coaches:

TULSA – Philip Montgomery (Tarleton State '95), 5th year
NAVY – Ken Niumatalolo (Hawaii '89), 12th year

TV:

ESPNU

Talent:

Mike Corey (pxp), Rene Ingoglia (analyst)

Tickets:

Purchase TIckets

Radio:

Big Country 99.5 FM or Online

Talent:

Bruce Howard (pxp), Rick Couri (analyst), Jeremie Poplin (sidelines)

Live Stats:

Live Stats

Series:

Navy leads 5-1-0

First Meeting:

Sept. 18, 2004 (Navy 29, Tulsa 0),Tulsa, Okla.

Last Meeting:

Nov. 27, 2018 (Navy 37, Tulsa 29), Annapolis, Md.

Game Notes:

Tulsa (PDF) | Navy (PDF) | American Athletic Conference (PDF)

The Navy offense, ranked second in the nation for rushing with 312 yards per game, has added a more efficient passing game element to its arsenal in 2019. The Midshipmen average 125 yards passing per game with an average gain of 20.8 yards per pass play.

Senior quarterback Malcolm Perry runs the ship as he leads Navy in rushing with 386 yards, 9 TDs and 4.7 average, while passing for 480 yards and 3 touchdowns. Fullback Nelson Smith and slotback CJ Williams lead the remaining 16 Navy players who have had at least one carry this year. Nelson has 249 yards and 5 TDs, while Williams 136 yards and a 6.5 average per rush.

When Perry throws, he has used 7 receivers, but Williams and wideout Mychal Cooper lead the way. Williams has a team-high 171 yards and a 34.2 average per catch, while Cooper has 146 yards and a 24.3-yard per reception.

Although a little smaller than your normal offensive line in this era of college football, the Navy offensive front has been extremely effective.

'Assignment Football' are the words heard when defensive coaches discuss defending the option offense. The Hurricane defense will have to be at its best in defending Navy's offensive attack.

End Trevis Gipson has totaled 22 tackles with 8.5 of those stops resulting in lost yardage, while nose tackle Jason Player has 15 stops and 3.5 TFLs. Shemarr Robinson starts at tackle in Tulsa's 3-3-5 defensive alignment with 14 stops. Juniors Tyarise Stevenson, Cullen Wick and Cade Baumann, sophomore Deven Lamp and red-shirt freshman Anthony Goodlow all get playing time in the rotation.

The Tulsa linebacker corps is led by senior MIKE linebacker Cooper Edmiston, who has a team-leading 44 tackles. Edmiston's forced fumble late in Tulsa's last home game against Wyoming prevented the Cowboys from scoring from the Tulsa three-yard line.

Last season, Edmiston was the team leader for tackles (113), interceptions (4) and fumble recoveries (4). WILL linebacker Zaven Collins was named Freshman All-America by USA Today and the FWAA after totaling 85 tackles and a team-high 9.5 TFLs. Collins has tallied 35 stops this year, while senior Diamon Cannon and junior Yohance Burnett share time at the STAR position. Burnett has totaled 19 tackles and 2.5 TFLs, while Cannon has 16 stops and 2 TFLs on the season.

Tulsa's secondary is long and athletic and experienced – Reggie Robinson II and Allie Green – man the corners, while the safeties are seniors Manny Bunch and Brandon Johnson. The nickel safety position is controlled by Cristian Williams and Bryson Powers.

Johnson has 38 tackles to rank second on the team and a team-high 5 pass break-ups, while Bunch has 33 stops and one fumble recovery. Green and Robinson have combined for 33 tackles and 7 pass break-ups.

Navy's offense controls the clock for 35:12 minutes, so it's not only important that the Tulsa defense forces 3-and-outs but that the Hurricane offense control the clock and get into the end zone while doing so.

But, it will be a challenge against a Navy defense that holds its opponents to 90 yards on the ground and just 186 yards passing.

Tulsa's offense has shown steady progress as the season moves along, averaging 468 total yards over the last four games after being shut down to less than 100 total yards in the season opener at Michigan State. On the season, the Hurricane averages 115.6 rushing yards and 274.8 yards through the air.

Shamari Brooks has had over 100 yards in two games this year, going for 140 yards at San Jose State and 107 yards against Oklahoma State. Corey Taylor II was slowed by injury in the first 3 games, but gained 107 yards in Tulsa's last two games. Red-shirt freshman TK Wilkerson has also seen playing time in the backfield, gaining gained 128 yards for a 5.8 average per game.

Zach Smith has settled into the role of starting quarterback. Smith has thrown for 1,364 yards and 9 touchdowns this year, including 300+ yards in each of the last two contests to go along with 6 TDs.

Smith has targeted multiple receivers as the season progresses with five Tulsa wide-outs having totaled over 100 yards. Junior Keylon Stokes has a team-leading 403 yards, 16.8 yards per game and 4 TDs. Sophomore Sam Crawford, Jr. has 370 yards and 2 touchdowns on 26 receptions. Senior Keenen Johnson has 235 yards, Josh Johnson 158 yards and JuanCarlos Santana with 116 yards.

Tulsa's young offensive front came into the season with just 27 career starts after losing three players who started 128 games.

The Hurricane line is led by senior left tackle Chris Ivy, Jr. and sophomore left guard Chris Paul, who has combined for 30 of the entire starting offensive linemen's 43 starts. Center Gerard Wheeler and right guard Dante Bivens made their first career starts in the second week of the season and has started since, while right tackle X'Zauvea Gadlin has started all 5 contests this year.

Tulsa goes up against a Navy defense that has been just as effective as the potent Midshipmen offense. Navy's 277.0 total defense average leads the American Athletic Conference and is ranked as the nation's 12^th best defense.

The Midshipmen defensive unit is led linebacker Diego Fagot's 29 tackles and 4.5 TFLs, while Jacob Springer, Nizaire Cromartie, Paul Carothers and Tama Tuitele, Carter Bankston and Tony Brown all join Fagot to form a deep and experience linebacker corps. Navy's 6'3", 300-pound nose guard Jackson Pittman is a load in the middle of the Navy defense, and he's flanked by Jackson Perkins and J'arius Warren.

Safeties Kevin Brennan and Evan Fortman are second and third on the team for tackles with 21 and 17, respectively, while starting corners Michael McMorris and Cameron Kinley have combined for 23 tackles and six pass break-ups.