Photo by: Brett Rojo
TULSA FOOTBALL NOTES: AAC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME vs. CINCINNATI
12/14/2020 9:00:00 AM | Football
AAC Championship Game Pits No. 20 Tulsa Against No. 6 Cincinnati
GAME #8
#20/20 TULSA (6-1, 6-0 AAC) vs. #6/6 CINCINNATI (8-0, 6-0 AAC)
American Athletic Conference Championship Game
Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020 • 8:00 p.m. (ET) / 7:00 pm (CT)
Nippert Stadium (40,000), Cincinnati Ohio
TV: ABC
Radio: Big Country 99.5 FM
FOR FULL GAME NOTES PACKAGE, CLICK HERE
TULSA 6-1, 6-0 The American
Head Coach: Philip Montgomery
(Tarleton State '95)
6th year at Tulsa
Career Record: 31-38 (6 years)
TU Record: same
CINCINNATI 8-0, 6-0 The American
Head Coach: Luke Fickell
(Ohio State '97)
4th year at Cincinnati
Career Record: 40-20 (5 years)
Cincinnati Record: 34-13 (4 years)
THE STORYLINES . . .
• Tulsa is in its 121st season of football.
• Tulsa has the smallest FBS enrollment with 3,269 undergraduate students … Cincinnati has an enrollment of 46,388.
• Tulsa's 6-0 AAC record marks the best league start in its 7 years as an AAC member … it is also the best conference start for a Tulsa team since starting 7-0 in Conference USA in 2012.
• Tulsa has won 6 straight games after a season-opening loss … it is the longest winning streak for Tulsa since 7 straight wins in the 2012 season.
• Tulsa is 8-1 in its last 9 games dating back to 2 wins in its final 3 games of the 2019 season.
• The last time Tulsa played a team ranked as high as No. 6, it also came in Ohio when the Hurricane faced No. 4 Ohio State on Sept. 10, 2016.
IN CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES . . .
• This is the 5th conference championship game for Tulsa, but the first in the American Athletic Conference.
• Tulsa had a 2-2 record in Conference USA Championship games, winning the first C-USA title game in 2005 with a 44-27 win at UCF.
• Tulsa dropped the 2007 game at UCF (44-25) and the 2008 title game at home against East Carolina (27-24).
• The Hurricane won the 2012 C-USA Championship game at home against UCF (33-27 in OT) in its last appearance in a league championship contest.
THE SERIES . . .
• This is the 35th meeting in the series as Tulsa leads 17-15-2.
• The first meeting came in 1946 as Tulsa claimed a 20-0 victory.
• Cincinnati has won 6 of the last 7 games, including a 24-13 victory at home last year as the nation's 21st-ranked team.
• This is only the fourth meeting for the two teams as members of the American Athletic Conference … Cincinnati has a 2-1 record.
• The last win for Tulsa was a 40-37 overtime victory in the 2016 season in Tulsa.
FROM PRESEASON NO. 9 TO THE AAC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME . . .
• Tulsa was picked to finish in 9th place in the 2020 American Athletic Conference preseason coaches poll.
• In its first AAC game, Tulsa faced the preseason first-place team UCF on Oct. 3 and came away with an 18-point comeback win (34-26) over the #11-ranked Knights.
• Tulsa went on to defeat the preseason-picked No. 4 (SMU), No. 5 (Navy) and No. 6 (Tulane) teams.
• Now, Tulsa faces the preseason No. 2 Cincinnati in the AAC Championship game.
TULSA RANKED IN AP POLL FOR 5th STRAIGHT WEEK . . .
• For the 5th straight week Tulsa is ranked in the Associated Press poll, the most weeks ranked and the most consecutively for Tulsa since 1945 when Tulsa was ranked for 8 weeks, and 5 consecutively.
• Tulsa is ranked 20th this week in both the AP and USA Today Amway Coaches polls.
• Tulsa has been ranked this year as high as No. 18 in the Associated Press poll and 19th in the USA Today Amway Coaches poll the week of Dec. 6
• Tulsa moved into the AP's top-25 on Nov. 15 with at No. 25 following a 28-24 win over No. 19 SMU … Tulsa jumped to No. 24 a week later after a win over Tulane.
• Tulsa debuted in the USA Today Amway Coaches poll at No. 25 on Nov. 22.
• The AP ranking this year is the first time Tulsa has been ranked in the AP poll since ending the 2010 season ranked 24th nationally … before that, Tulsa was ranked in the AP poll for three weeks during 2008.
• The last time Tulsa was in the USA Today Coaches poll was at the conclusion of the 2012 season when the Hurricane was ranked No. 25.
• Tulsa has received votes in both AP and Coaches polls since the Oct. 4 rankings.
• In the College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings, Tulsa began at No. 25, then moved to 24th.
BEST SINCE 2016 . . .
• In the COVID-shortened season, Tulsa turned in a 6-1 regular season record … it's the best regular season record since a 9-3 mark in 2016.
• The last time Tulsa had better than a 6-1 record was starting 7-1 in 2012.
• The last time Tulsa only lost one game in the regular season was in 1981 when Tulsa played 11 games and finished 10-1.
• The Hurricane posted a 4-1 mark in 2016 after its first five games with the only loss coming against #4-ranked Ohio State on the road.
• Tulsa's lone loss this year came on the road at #11-ranked Oklahoma State.
COLLINS NAMED FINALIST FOR THE BRONKO NAGURSKI TROPHY; SEMIFINALIST FOR BUTKUS AND BEDNARIK. . .
• A three-time winner of the National Defensive Player of the Week Award, Tulsa linebacker Zaven Collins was named one of 5 finalists for the Bronko Nagurski Award, one of three national defensive player of the year awards.
• Collins was also named one of 18 semifinalists for the Chuck Bednarik Defensive Player of the Year Award and one of 16 semifinalists for The Butkus Award, given to the nation's top linebacker.
• Collins is the lone non-Power 5 selection chosen to the Butkus list.
• Collins has won each of the 3 Defensive Player of the Week Awards in different weeks this year – the Bednarik, the Bronko Nagurski and the Walter Camp Foundation.
• In 7 games this year, Collins has totaled 51 tackles, 11.5 TFLs, 4 sacks, 4 INTs, 2 TDs off INTs while being named the American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week 4 times.
• Two of his INTs were game-clinchers … his INT against #19 SMU stopped any possible final scoring drive for the Mustangs … his pick-6 against Tulane in overtime went 96 yards for the game-winning score.
GREEN IV NAMED SEMIFINALIST THORPE AWARD AS THE NATION'S TOP DEFENSIVE BACK . . .
• Tulsa cornerback Allie Green IV was named a semifinalist for the 2020 Paycom Jim Thorpe Award, given to the nation's top defensive back.
• Green IV is one of three players representing the American Athletic Conference on the Thorpe Award list tying the SEC for the most semifinalists of any conference.
• The 6'3" senior has totaled 21 tackles, including 17 solos, in helping lead the Hurricane to a No. 18 national ranking and an overall 6-1 record and league-leading 6-0 mark.
• Green IV has one interception, one pass breakup and one fumble recovery.
• The three finalists for the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award will be announced on Tuesday, Dec. 22.
COLLINS NAMED NATIONAL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK THREE TIMES . . .
• Tulsa played only 7 games, but 6'4" junior linebacker Zaven Collins has been named the National Defensive Player of the Week three different times this year, once each by the 3 main awards handed out for that category.
• Collins is one of only 2 players to earn each National Defensive Player of the Week honor this year, but the only one to earn the award in different weeks … Texas Joseph Ossai won all 3 on the same week, Oct. 31.
• Collins was named the Bednarik National Defensive Player of the Week against No. 11-ranked UCF on Oct. 3, with 10 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 2 PBUs, one INT and a safety.
• He was selected as the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week by the FWAA for his performance after his 6 tackles, 2 TFLs and game-ending INT vs. #19 SMU
• Collins was the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week award winner after his 15-tackle, game-winning 96-yard pick 6 against Tulane.
PLAYER STEPS UP IN DOMINANT DEFENSIVE EFFORT . . .
• Junior defensive tackle Jaxon Player has been a steady force all season long for the Hurricane, but in Tulsa's last outing he was in another zone.
• A 6'0' junior from Waco, Texas, Player led a Tulsa defense that was dominant in a 19-6 road win at Navy on Saturday.
• The Hurricane defense held the Midshipmen to 6 points, zero touchdowns and only 153 yards of total offense … for most of the 2nd half Tulsa was without All-America linebacker Zaven Collins due to injury.
• Player was the catalyst behind the defensive effort, as he tallied a career-best 12 tackles, including 10 solos, and had a team season-best of 4.5 TFLs for -12 yards and added 2 sacks for -3 yards.
PLAYER, LONG THE LATEST TO EARN AAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS . . .
• In what amounted to be Tulsa's final regular season game against Navy, the Hurricane came away with 2 AAC Player of the Week selections.
• Junior Jaxon Player was named the Defensive Player of the Week, while senior Zack Long won the award for special teams.
• From his defensive tackle position, Player tallied a career-best 12 tackles, including 10 solos, and had a team season-best of 4.5 TFLs for -12 yards and added 2 sacks for -3 yards.
• Long scored 13 of Tulsa's 19 points, while connecting on 4-of-4 field goals and added one PAT … Long's first FG was a career-long 48-yarder.
• In addition, punter Lachlan Wilson was named to the AAC weekly honor roll after punting 4 times for a 41.8 average and converting a first down on a 22-yard run on a 4th-and-10 fake punt from Tulsa's own 26-yard line.
IN THE RED ZONE . . .
• Defensively, Tulsa's opponents have crossed the red zone 25 times and have scored 76 percent of the time, but only 40 percent of the time having scored a touchdown.
• Tulsa has held the opposition to 10 TDs, 9-of-12 FGs, forced a fumble and held on one 4th down attempt.
• On offense, Tulsa has scored 80 percent of the time in the red zone with 20 scores in 25 attempts, including 12 TDs and 8-of-11 FGs.
DC GILLESPIE NAMED TO BROYLES LIST . . .
• Tulsa defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Joseph Gillespie has been named a nominee for the Broyles Award which honors college football's top assistant coaches.
• The 56 nominees in this year's Broyles Award class were selected from approximately 1,270 assistant coaches representing 127 FBS programs across the country.
JJ LEADING IN TD RECEPTIONS . . .
• Junior receiver Josh Johnson is tied with Keylon Stokes for receptions this season with 35 and has 484 yards.
• His 6 receiving TDs leads all Hurricane players for touchdowns.
• Johnson has had scoring receptions of 16 yards (OSU), 48 (UCF), 20 (SM), 35 (SMU), 19 (Tulane) and 66 (Navy).
Players Mentioned
Linebacker
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Cornerback
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Wide Receiver
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Defensive Line
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Wide Receiver
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Punter
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