TULSA – SMU GAME PREVIEW

Saturday, November 14

Chapman Stadium

6:00 PM (CT)

Tulsa

#19-Ranked SMU

Photo by: Brett Rojo

TULSA – SMU GAME PREVIEW

11/13/2020 1:00:00 PM | Football

The No. 19 Mustangs come to Chapman Stadium for Saturday night game

TULSA HOSTS NO. 19 SMU IN KEY AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE MATCHUP SATURDAY NIGHT

GAME 5: TULSA (3-1, 3-0 American) vs. No. 19 SMU (7-1, 4-1 American)
Date/Time:	Saturday, Nov. 14, 6:05 p.m. (CT)
Site:	Tulsa, Oklahoma
Stadium:	Skelly Field @ H.A. Chapman Stadium
Coaches:	TULSA – Philip Montgomery (Tarleton State '95), 6th year SMU – Sonny Dykes (Texas Tech '93), 3rd year
TV:	ESPN2 or WatchESPN
Talent:	Anish Shroff (pxp), Tom Luginbill (analyst), Ian Fitzsimmons (sideline)
Tickets:	Buy HERE
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:	SMU leads 15-11
First Meeting:	Sept. 18, 1935 (SMU 14, Tulsa 0), Tulsa, Okla.
Last Meeting:	Oct. 5, 2019 (SMU 43, Tulsa 37 / OT), Dallas, Texas
Game Notes:	Tulsa (PDF) \| SMU (PDF) \| American Athletic Conference (PDF)
Post-Game Press Conference:	Live Post-Game Press Conference

Saturday's home game pits two of the teams still battling for top position in the American Athletic Conference as Tulsa hosts the nation's 19^th-ranked SMU Mustangs in a 6 p.m. contest at H.A. Chapman Stadium.

Tulsa comes into the game with a 3-0 league mark, while SMU, 7-1 overall, is 4-1 in conference play. The Cincinnati Bearcats sit atop the standings in percentage points with a 4-0 league record, including a victory over the Mustangs

During an unusual season, this is the 9^th game for SMU this season, while Tulsa plays just its 5^th contest of the year. The series has seen just about everything from high scores, close games, overtimes and come-from-behind victories. The last 4 games in the series have been decided by just an average of 4 points, as each team has won 2 games and 2 of the contests have gone into overtime.

The focus will be on whether Tulsa's second-best AAC defense can slow down the league's second-best offense. The Mustangs score 40.5 points and average 526.2 yards, while passing for 333 yards and rushing for 193 yards. On the other hand, the Hurricane has held its opponents to the league's second-lowest scoring output of 21.2 points and total offense by allowing 376.2 yards per game. Tulsa has held the opposition to 131 rushing yards and 245 yards through the air.

The American Athletic Conference has some of the nation's top quarterbacks and SMU's Shane Buechele is one of them that will be on display Saturday. The senior has thrown for 322.6 yards per game, 20 touchdowns and only 3 interceptions, while completing 66-percent of his passes with a 164.2 passing efficiency.

Buechele has a bevy of targets on the receiving end of his passes with 5 receivers each totaling more than 350 yards. Rashee Rice leads the way with 39 receptions for 580 yards and 5 TDs, while tight end Kylen Granson has caught 30 passes for 485 yards and 3 touchdowns.

The AAC's leading rusher is SMU freshman Ulysses Bentley IV with 774 yards, 10 TDs and a 5.9 average per carry. Tyler Lavine have tallied 297 yards for a 4.9 average.

The SMU offensive front may not be the biggest but has certainly been solid in paving the way for the Mustangs potent offensive attack as seniors Beau Morris and Haden Howerton lead the way.

Tulsa's defensive unit is led by 6'4" junior linebacker Zaven Collins, a second-team all-conference selection last year. Through four games this season, Collins has been named the Bednarik National Defensive Player of the Week in the season opener against Oklahoma State, the Pro Football Focus Defensive Player of the Week in a 42-13 win at USF, while also winning the AAC's Defensive Player of the Week honors for each of those performances.

Collins has totaled 28 tackles, 8 TFLs for -35 yards, 3 sacks for -16 yards, 2 interceptions for 51 return yards, 2 pass breakups, one forced fumble and one safety.

Collins is not the only linebacker making an impact on the defensive side of the ball for the Hurricane. Fellow starters Justin Wright and Treyvon Reeves have combined for 40 tackles. Grant Sawyer, Robert Revels III and Dorian Hopkins have also seen consistent playing time 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 duo has been solid upfront in Tulsa's first 4 games this season. Anthony Goodlow has started the last two games in place of Cullen Wick, and has tallied 11 stops and 3.5 TFLs for -9 yards. True freshmen Everitt Rogers at nose tackle and Haydon Grant at end as well as redshirt freshmen RaQuan Thompson and Cooper Laake will get reps on the front line.

The secondary, led by corners Allie Green IV and Akayleb Evans, will get its stiffest test this season with the SMU passing game.

Green and Evans are big, tall corners that possess good speed and skills to handle opposing receivers. The duo has multiple starts over the last 4 years for the Hurricane, while Tyon Davis, Ryan Nixon and Reggie Ellis will all be in the rotation to try to slow down the Mustangs potent attack.

Green and Evans have combined for 29 tackles this year, while Green had his first career interception earlier this season.

Strong safety Kendarin Ray leads the Hurricane with 31 tackles and 4 pass breakups, while junior Lamar Mullins, who has started the last two games, and senior TieNeal Martin, who is expected to make his return to the lineup this week, man the free safety spot. The duo has combined to tally 26 tackles and 4 TFLs.

The nickel safety position is manned by Cristian Williams, Bryson Powers and Daiquain Jackson. Williams has 16 total tackles, while Powers and Jackson have combined for 17 tackles.

SMU's offense may get the headlines, but the Mustangs' defense is as equally strong. SMU's defensive unit is ranked among the top-3 in the AAC for scoring, passing and total defense, while totaling 61 TFLs, 20 sacks and 13 takeaways through eight games.

The Mustang linebackers Delano Robinson, Richard McBryde and Trevor Denbow are 3 of SMU's top-4 tacklers to lead the defensive unit. Robinson leads the way with 62 tackles and 4 TFLs for 19 yards, while McBryde has 47 stops and a team-high 8 TFLs for -20 yards with 2 pass breakups. Denbo has totaled 30 tackles, 6 TFLs, 3 forced fumbles and one interception.

Elijah Chatman and Harrison Loveless hold down the front line for the Mustangs, while ends Toby Ndukwe and Turner Coxe bring pressure from the outside.

Safety Chace Cromartie leads the Mustangs secondary with 34 tackles, while cornerback Brandon Stephens has a team-high 8 pass breakups. Fellow corners Ar'mani Johnson and Brandon Crossley have combined to total 40 tackles and 8 pass breakups. Crossley has 5 PBUs and a team-high 3 interceptions.

The Hurricane offense will need to get off to a faster start against the solid SMU defense. Tulsa has scored just 10 offensive points in the first quarter but has totaled 82 points in the middle two quarters. On the year, Tulsa averages 232 yards through the air and 170 yards on the ground, while scoring 29.2 points per game.

Senior quarterback Zach Smith has completed 59-percent of his passes for an average of 231.0 yards per game and 7 TDs. Last year, Smith passed for 3,279 yards and 19 TDs with a 131.9 pass efficiency and just 9 interceptions.

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 Smith and paving the way for the Hurricane run game. Tulsa's line will have to keep the SMU defenders off of Smith to live up to its' AAC first place ranking for fewest sacks, as Tulsa has allowed just 6 sacks for 43 yards.

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.

One of Tulsa's three top rushers has started at least one game this year. Texas A&M transfer Deneric Prince leads the way with 279 yards, a 6.1 average and 2 TDs in 4 games. He had a season-high 109 yards and 2 TDs on 15 carries for a 7.3 average in a reserve role at USF.

T.K. Wilkerson has gained 197 yards and 3 TDs, while Corey Taylor II has totaled 128 yards, a 5.1 average and 2 touchdowns. In his career, Taylor has 1,618 yards and is ranked 10^th in school history for rushing TDs with 24.

Freshman redshirt Christian Lovick and Missouri transfer Anthony Watkins add depth at the running back slot.

A quartet of Tulsa receivers has been the main targets for Smith this year, led by senior Keylon Stokes with 20 receptions for 306 yards and two TDs, followed by junior Josh Johnson with 212 yards and 2 TDs on 17 receptions.

Fellow juniors Sam Crawford Jr. and JC Santana have combined for 337 yards and 3 TDs on 22 receptions.

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

The game will kick-off at 6:05 p.m. (CT) on ESPN2. The contest is the only FBS game in the state as Oklahoma and Oklahoma State sit this weekend out heading into Bedlam next Saturday.