TULSA FOOTBALL NOTES: ECU GAME

TULSA CLOSES OUT SEASON ON ROAD AT ECU

GAME #12
TULSA (3-8, 1-6 AAC) vs. ECU (4-7, 1-6 AAC)
Saturday, November 30, 2019 • 11:00 am (CT) / 12 noon (ET)
Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium (50,000) • Greenville, NC
TV: ESPNU
Radio: Big Country 99.5 FM

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TULSA                   3-8, 1-6 The American
Head Coach:         Philip Montgomery
(Tarleton State '95)
5th year at Tulsa
Career Record:     24-36 (5 years)
TU Record:           same

ECU 4-7, 1-6 The American
Head Coach:        Mike Houston
(Mars Hill '94)
1^st year at ECU
Career Record:    75-28 (8 years)
ECU Record:        4-7 (1 year)

THE STORYLINES . . .
• Tulsa is in its 120th season of football this year, as college football celebrates its 150th year.
• Tulsa has the smallest FBS enrollment with 3,297 undergraduate students … Tulsa's overall enrollment is 4,412 … ECU's enrollment is 28,000.
• A total of 16 Tulsa seniors will be playing in their final collegiate game this Saturday.
• Tulsa and ECU have not met since the 2016 season as Tulsa won at home 45-24.
• After 11 games, the combined record of Tulsa's opponents entering that particular game was 40-14 (MSU 0-0, SJS 1-0, OSU 2-0, WYO 3-0, SMU 5-0, Navy 3-1, CINCI 5-1, Memphis 6-1, Tulane 5-3, UCF 7-2 and Houston 3-7) for an .727-win percentage.
• Tulsa and ECU have faced 4 of the same AAC opponents –– Navy, UCF, Cincinnati and SMU – Tulsa is1-3, ECU 0-4 in those games – the loss margin of those games for Tulsa was 10.5 and ECU 14.0 points.
• Five of Tulsa's opponents already played were ranked in the 1st CFP Rankings when announced 4 weeks ago – #20 Cincinnati, #21 Memphis, #23 Oklahoma State, #24 Navy and #25 SMU
• Four of Tulsa's first 8 opponents are currently ranked in the AP top-25 this week – #17 Memphis, #18 Cincinnati, #21 Oklahoma State and #24 Navy … SMU dropped out after its loss at Navy Saturday
• Eight of the 11 opponents Tulsa has already faced are bowl eligible this year.

THE SERIES . . .
• This is the 15th meeting between Tulsa and ECU.
• The Pirates lead the series 8-6-0.
• Tulsa won the last meeting at home in the 2016 season by a score of 45-24, but ECU won the previous 6 contests.
• The Hurricane won the first 3 meetings of the series (1984, 1985 1993) and 5 of the first 7 games.
• Tulsa has an 18.7 margin in its 6 wins, 37.5 to 18.8 … in ECU's 8 wins the Pirates have a 14.9-win margin over Tulsa, 38.7 to 23.8.

TULSA'S STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE HAS BEEN RANKED AS HIGH AS 3RD, NOW 12TH . . .
• Tulsa's strength of schedule according to Cody Kellner's Points Index Strength of Schedule Ratings this week is 12th nationally.
• The next closest American Athletic Conference member with the toughest strength of schedule is 53rd-ranked Houston and the next closest is #66 Cincinnati.
• The Hurricane's strength of schedule was as high as No. 3 in the country on Nov. 3 and Nov. 10 … Tulsa's schedule was ranked 6th toughest last week.
• The Cody Kellner Points Index gives each team a rating that is reflective of the success they had within their strength of schedule.

TULSA 'D' TURNS IN ANOTHER TOP PERFORMANCE IN HOUSTON GAME . . .
• In the Houston game, Tulsa's defense held the Cougars to 163 yards under its season average, by allowing Houston to just 231 total yards.
• The Hurricane had a season-high 10.5 tackles for loss, totaling -24 yards.
• Senior LB Cooper Edmiston had a game-high 13 tackles and 2 TFLs for -3 yards.
• Senior DE Trevis Gipson had a season-best 3.5 TFLs for -13 yards, including one sack for -6 yards, among his 7 total tackles.

TULSA TAKES THE AMERICAN'S THREE 9+ WIN TEAMS DOWN TO THE WIRE . . .
• Tulsa has faced 3 conference opponents that were ranked among the nation's top-25 at the time of the meeting –– #24 (AP) SMU, #21 (AP) Cincinnati and #25 (Coaches) Memphis.
• These three teams have 10-1 (Cincinnati), 10-1 (Memphis) and 9-2 (SMU) records this season.
• All 3 games came down to the final minutes … Tulsa lost the 3 games by an average of 6 points.

REGGIE! REGGIE! REGGIE! LEADS AAC FOR PICKOFFS, 2ND FOR PASSES DEFENSED...
• Senior Reggie Robinson II has had a knack for making big plays this season.
• He has 4 of Tulsa's 5 interceptions this season, including a career-high 2 INTs at    Tulane … his 4th INT led to the game-winning FG vs. UCF.
• Robinson ranks first in the AAC for INTs (4) and 2nd for passes defended (13).
• His overall stat line this year is … 35 tackles, 1 TFL/-2 yards, 4-37 INTs, 9 PBUs,      one fumble recovery and one blocked kick.

COOP HAS MOST TACKLES IN THE AMERICAN; LOOKS TO GO OVER 100 FOR 3RD STRAIGHT YEAR . . .
• Cooper Edmiston, a 4th year senior, has a team-leading 99 tackles this year, while also leading the American Athletic Conference in tackles.
• With one more tackle, Edmiston will have his 100th tackle, giving him 100 or more tackles in each of his last 3 seasons … he had 106 tackles in 2017 and 113 stops in 2018.
• He now has 17 career double-figure tackle games, including 4 this year … he had a season-high 13 tackles vs. Houston, 12 stops vs. Navy, 11 tackles at San Jose State and 10 stops at SMU.
• In addition to his 4 double-digit tackle games this year, Edmiston also had 7 in 2018 and 6 in 2017 … he had a career-best 17 stops at UConn in 2017.
• Edmiston 's 336 career tackles ranks 10th on the FBS' active career tackles list, and          9th on Tulsa's career tackles chart.

TREVIS GETS CAREER-BEST 3.5 TFLS IN LAST GAME; RANKS AMONG AMERICAN TFL, SACK LEADERS . . .
• Senior defensive end Trevis Gipson has been effective in creating lost yardage plays by opposing offenses.
• Of his 44 tackles this year, Gipson has 15 TFLs for -72 yards, including 8 sacks for -52 yards … 34.1-percent of his stops this year have gone for lost yardage.
• Gipson has had at least 2 TFLs in 6 games this season with a career-high 3.5 TFLs for -13 yards vs. Houston.
• He ranks 3rd in the AAC for TFLs (15) and 4th for sacks (8).

TULSA FOOTBALL NOTES: ECU GAME

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Cooper Edmiston

Trevis Gipson

Reggie Robinson II

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