TULSA - USF GAME PREVIEW

Photo by: Brett Rojo

TULSA - USF GAME PREVIEW

10/22/2020 11:00:00 PM | Football

After 20 Days Off, Tulsa Gets Back on the Field Friday Night at USF

GAME 3: TULSA (1-1, 1-0 American) vs. USF (1-4, 0-3 American)
Date/Time:	Friday, Oct. 23, 7:30 p.m. (ET) / 6:30 p.m. (CT)
Site:	Tampa, Florida
Stadium:	Raymond James Stadium (65,857)
Coaches:	TULSA – Philip Montgomery (Tarleton State '95), 6th year USF – Jeff Scott (Clemson '03), 1st year
TV:	ESPN or WatchESPN
Talent:	Jason Benetti (pxp), Andre Ware (analyst), Paul Carcaterra (sidelines)
Tickets:	Contact USF Ticket Office
Radio:	Big Country 99.5 FM or Online
Talent:	Bruce Howard (pxp), Rick Couri (analyst)
Live Stats:	Live Stats
Virtual Program:	Game Day Program
Series:	USF leads 3-0
First Meeting:	Oct. 18, 2014 (USF 38, Tulsa 30), Tulsa, Okla.
Last Meeting:	Oct. 12, 2018 (#23 USF 25, Tulsa 24), Tulsa, Okla.
Game Notes:	Tulsa (PDF) \| USF (PDF) \| American Athletic Conference (PDF )

It has been a long time between games for the Tulsa football team in this unprecedented season. Tulsa last played 20 days ago when the Golden Hurricane upended the 11^th-ranked UCF Knights, also in the state of Florida.

This week, Tulsa plays the USF Bulls in Tampa on Friday night in a game that will have an ESPN audience. It's also the third straight road game for the Hurricane.

On Oct. 3, Tulsa defeated the Knights 34-26 to end UCF's 21-game home winning streak. After a scheduled open weekend, Tulsa's matchup against No. 8-ranked Cincinnati was postponed due to COVID cases on the Bearcat team.

So, now Tulsa will be back on the field, for what Head Coach Philip Montgomery described as "it's like a third first game of the season." Before the UCF contest, Tulsa's first game of the year came on Sept. 19 at Oklahoma State.

It's a different story for USF, as the Bulls will be playing for the sixth time in the last seen weeks and its fourth consecutive game. USF sits at 1-4 on the season, but that record could be flipped if it wasn't for 10 turnovers in the last three games.

The Bulls have shown more consistency offensively in its last couple games as it appears Jordan McCloud has established himself as the starting quarterback. He has completed 64-percent of his passes for 749 yards and 4 touchdowns, including 3 TDs last week in a 12-point loss at Temple.

Five different receivers have totaled over 100 yards apiece as DeVontre Dukes leads the way with 183 yards on 15 receptions for a 12.2 average. On the ground, 5'5" Johnny Ford and 5'9" Kelly Joiner have been a one-two punch by combining for 470 yards and 4 touchdowns, while running behind a line measuring 6'5" and 321 pounds.

The Tulsa defense has had solid performances in its first two games and will need that same type of outing Friday night.

The Hurricane has held its opponents to the league's second-lowest scoring output of 21 points per game. Tulsa has limited opposing offenses to 234 passing yards and 138 yards on the ground.

Leading the way for the Hurricane defense is 6'4" junior linebacker Zaven Collins, a second-team all-conference selection last year. Collins comes into this week's game second in the nation for TFLs with 7 for 35 yards and sacks with 3 for -16 yards, while totaling 16 tackles, two pass breakups and has one interception and one safety.

Collins leads a deep and experienced linebacker corps. Justin Wright and Treyvon Reeves are the two other starters for the Hurricane as the tandem has combined for 23 tackles and 3 TFLs. Grant Sawyer, Robert Revels III and Dorian Hopkins are solid backups at linebacker.

Upfront for Tulsa in its 3-3-5 defensive scheme are two players with multiple starting assignments –– junior Jaxon Player and senior Tyarise Stevenson. The two combined for 52 tackles and eight TFLs a year ago, while they have been solid upfront in Tulsa's first two games this season. Cullen Wick, Anthony Goodlow, RaQuan Thompson and true freshmen Everitt Rogers and Haydon Grant will get reps on the front line.

Despite losing three of its five starters in the secondary, the Hurricane has solid experience with good depth in the back end of the defense.

Safeties TieNeal Martin and Kendarin Ray moved into starting roles this year and has had solid performances in the first two games. Ray had 11 solo tackles and Martin collected five overall stops in the opener, while against UCF Martin totaled 4 pass break-ups. Ray leads the Hurricane with 18 tackles so far this campaign. The nickel safety position is manned by Cristian Williams, Bryson Powers and Daiquain Jackson.

Tulsa's corners – Allie Green IV and Akayleb Evans – are big and possess good speed and skills to handle opposing receivers. The duo has multiple starts at corner for the Hurricane, while Tyon Davis, Ryan Nixon and Reggie Ellis will all be in the rotation as well. Green and Evans have combined for 17 tackles, while Green had his first career interception in Tulsa's last outing.

Tulsa's offense will look to get off to a better start than it had in the previous two games. The only scoring for the Hurricane in the first quarter this season has occurred off of a defensive safety. Despite the 20-day layoff, Tulsa will need to display consistency early in the contest and stay away from anything close to the three turnovers on three plays to start the game the last time on the field.

The Hurricane front-line, averaging 6-feet, 3-inches and 342 pounds and led by tackles Chris Paul on the right side and Tyler Smith on the left, is charged with protecting senior signal-caller Zach Smith.

Smith got more comfortable as each of the first two games progressed, while completing 61.4-percent of his passes for an average of 219 yards per game and 4 TDs. Last year, Smith passed for 3,279 yards, 19 TDs with a 131.9 pass efficiency and just 9 interceptions.

Ever since the school's 5^th-leading rusher Shamari Brooks went down with a season-ending knee injury prior to the opener, Tulsa's run game has been by committee

Senior Corey Taylor II, who has 1,551 yards and 22 TDs in his career, is back at full strength after missing most of the season opener. He rushed 11 times for 60 yards against the Knights in Tulsa's last outing. Texas A&M transfer Deneric Prince carried most of the load in the opener, gaining 82 yards on 13 carries for a 6.3 average, while T.K. Wilkerson had 86 yards in Tulsa's win over UCF.

At some point this season, fans will most likely get to see more of freshman redshirt Christian Lovick and Missouri transfer Anthony Watkins. So far, Lovick and Watkins have been relegated to kick return roles.

Tulsa's receiving unit has four returnees that Smith can count on as senior Keylon Stokes leads the way. Stokes has 10 receptions for 150 yards and one TD, followed by junior Josh Johnson with 132 yards and 2 touchdowns on 7 receptions. Fellow junior, Sam Crawford Jr., has caught 8 passes for 97 yards and one score.

A young, but talented tight end position is led by James Palmer, Ethan Hall, Abe Anderson and newcomer Jacob Kainer.

Tulsa's offense will face a defense ranked fourth in the AAC for pass defense, giving up 173.6 yards, while allowing 205 yards on the ground. The Bulls are just behind the Tulsa defense in the league rankings for yards allowed at 378.8 yards per game.

USF's defense has been active, forcing 6 fumbles and intercepting 6 passes this year.

Upfront, the Bulls are led by senior Blake Green at nose guard and graduate tackle Thad Mangum. Mangum has collected 25 tackles and 3 TFLs for -9 yards, while Green has 16 stops om the year.

The linebacking unit is led by Antonio Grier, who shares the tackles lead with 36 stops and has team-highs of 4 TFLs for 15 yards and 3 sacks for -13 yards.

The secondary is experienced with one graduate student, one senior and two juniors leading the way.

Safety Nick Roberts is the co-leader in tackles with 36 stops and one pass breakup. KJ Sails, a 219 second-team all-AAC selection at corner last year, has 17 tackles, while safety Vincent Davis has tallied 30 stops and corner Mike Hampton has 23 tackles and three pass breakups.

The weather conditions for Friday night's contest appear to be clear and temperatures starting out in the 80's.