Tulsa Takes Down UCF 34-31

Friday, November 8

Chapman Stadium

6:00 PM

Tulsa

3-7 , 1-5

UCF

7-3 , 4-2

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

UCF

Tulsa

Photo by: Brett Rojo

Tulsa Takes Down UCF 34-31

11/9/2019 12:34:00 AM | Football

Box Score

GAME BOOK I POST-GAME NOTES I POST-GAME QUOTES I PHOTO GALLERY I SEASON STATS

TULSA, Okla. –– Seth Boomer led Tulsa to 17 second-half points as the Golden Hurricane captured a 34-31 victory over the UCF Knights (7-3, 4-2 AAC) Friday night in front of 16,331 fans at H.A. Chapman Stadium. Tulsa overcame an 11-point deficit twice for its 12^th comeback victory in the past 5 seasons.

Tulsa (3-7, 1-5 AAC) outscored the Knights, 17-3, in the second half as Boomer replaced an injured Zach Smith at quarterback and led Tulsa on scoring drives of 50, 63 and 12 yards for those 17 points.

Boomer completed 6-of-10 passes for 87 yards and one touchdown, and before leaving the game late in the first half Zach Smith had connected on 10-of-14 passes for 127 yards and one TD. The Tulsa run game behind Shamari Brooks, Corey Taylor and TK Wilkerson totaled 139 yard and 2 TDs.

The Tulsa defense was bend-but-don't-break in the first half and dominant in the second 30 minutes. The Hurricane held the nation's 2^nd-ranked UCF offense to 94 yards less than its season average and also limited the 5^th-ranked scoring offense to 15.3 points under its average. In the second half, Tulsa limited the Knights to 171 yards and forced 3 turnovers, 2 of which led to 10 points.

57133 — Reggie Robinson had 5 tackles, 3 pass breakups and the interception that led
to Tulsa's game winning field goal.

Cristian Williams had a team-high 10 tackles and one interception, while linebackers Zaven Collins and Cooper Edmiston totaled 9 stops each, one sack each for -6 yards and Collins also added a TFL for a total of 2 TFLs for -8 yards.

"What a game! First of all, hats off to UCF. Everyone knows how talented they are. They played a heck of a ball game," said Montgomery. "I'm just so proud of our young men with the adversity that we've faced throughout the year. We knew that we're a good football. We've been close many times. It was good to see us finish it tonight.

"I thought our physical style of play was a big factor. I think as the game went on that kept showing its presence. I thought our defense there late had some really huge stops and our special teams came up big. Overall, it was a great team win. All three phases contributed to it. We faced adversity again tonight, but continued to battle. I couldn't be more proud of our team," added Montgomery.

Boomer, who took one snap before intermission after Smith went to the sidelines, was at the helm at the start of the second half.

Tulsa's first second-half scoring drive culminated in a 2-yard TK Wilkerson run that capped an 8-play, 50-yard possession to make the score 28-24. Then, Boomer, who started 8 games last year for the Hurricane, marched the Hurricane 63 yards in 7 plays and connected with Sam Crawford Jr. on a 17-yard toss in the end zone bringing the score to 31-31 with 9:14 on the 4^th quarter clock.

The Hurricane scored what would be the game-winning points on a 23-yard Jacob Rainey field goal to make the score 34-31 at the 5:09 mark. The score was set-up by a Reggie Robinson II's interception and 24-yard return.

On UCF's subsequent possession, the Knights converted 4^th-and-3 and 4^th-and-9, but the Hurricane defense stopped the visitors on a 4^th-and-12 that gave the ball back to the Hurricane with 1:27 left to play. Tulsa ran out the clock, thanks also to a 12-men on the field penalty by UCF, on a 4^th-and-1 play.

In the 3^rd quarter, the Tulsa defense held the Knights on their first two possessions, and on the second Cristian Williams intercepted a Dillon Gabriel giving possession to the Hurricane at the 50-yard line, setting up Wilkerson's TD run with 5:08 left in the 3^rd period.

UCF took the subsequent possession to the Tulsa 16-yard line and on 3rd-and-6 Trevis Gipson had his second sack of the game forcing a field goal attempt. The Knights converted from 35 yards out with 0:37 left in the 3^rd stanza for a 31-24 lead.

On the Knights next possession, the Hurricane defense stuffed UCF on 3 plays, giving way to Boomer's TD toss to Crawford in the right corner of the end zone for the tie.

On the kickoff, Kendarin Ray recovered a UCF fumble, giving Tulsa possession at the UCF 21-yard line. However, a 35-yard field goal attempt by Rainey hit the left upright to keep the score tied at 31.

Tulsa turned another takeaway as Reggie Robinson II's 4^th interception of the season and 3^rd in the last two weeks put the Hurricane at the UCF 18-yard line. Tulsa could only manage 3 points on a Rainey 23-yard field goal, but it gave the Hurricane its first lead at 34-31 since an early 7-0 lead and would prove to be the game-winner.

To start the game, Tulsa took its second possession 48 yards in 10 plays as Shamari Brooks ran in from one-yard out to give the Hurricane a 7-0 lead. The score was the first time since the Oklahoma State game that the Hurricane scored a touchdown in the first quarter.

It took the quick strike Knights offense just 2:07 to go 75 yards in 10 plays and knot the score at 7-7 with 4:23 to play in the first quarter.

UCF took its next possession 64 yards in just 5 plays and 0:58 to take a 14-7 lead at the 1:32 mark of first period. The Knights connected on a 49-yard pass play to the Tulsa 2-yard line that set up the score.

In the second quarter, Tulsa responded on the subsequent possession with a Jacob Rainey 31-yard field goal to make the score 14-10 as the Hurricane got to the UCF 14-yard line. The drive covered 56 yards in 11 plays and took 3:48 off the second-quarter clock.

The Knights wasted little time again in scoring, only taking 0:47 off the clock for a 75-yard, 4-play drive as Adrian Killins raced 57 yards for the touchdown and a 21-10 lead at the 11:51 mark.

57134 — Keenen Johnson's 2nd quarter touchdown cut Tulsa's deficit to 21-17.

On Tulsa's third drive of the 2^nd quarter, the Hurricane marched 74 yards in 7 plays and scored on a 35-yard pass from Smith to Keenen Johnson, cutting the UCF lead to 4 points, 21-17, with 6:35 left on the clock.

The Knights went ahead 28-17 right before halftime on an 8-play, 70-yard scoring drive that was capped by a 6-yard pass from Gabriel to Otis Anderson with 0:11 left on the clock.

At the half, UCF had a 296 to 220-yard edge in total offense, but Tulsa dominated the time of possession 18:47 to 11:13.

Tulsa will have a bye week next Saturday before returning to Chapman Stadium for the home finale against the Houston Cougars on Saturday, Nov. 23. The game time will be announced this Monday.