TULSA – MISSISSIPPI STATE: LOCKHEED MARTIN ARMED FORCES BOWL PREVIEW

Thursday, December 31

Fort Worth, Texas

11:00 AM

Tulsa

Mississippi State

Photo by: Brett Rojo

TULSA – MISSISSIPPI STATE: LOCKHEED MARTIN ARMED FORCES BOWL PREVIEW

12/30/2020 9:10:00 PM | Football

TULSA TAKES ON SEC'S MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS FOR FIRST TIME EVER ON THE GRIDIRON

GAME 9: #22 TULSA (6-2, 6-0 AAC) vs. MISSISSIPPI STATE (3-7, 3-7 SEC) LOCKHEED MARTIN ARMED FORCES BOWL
Date/Time:	Thursday, December 31, 11:00 a.m. (CT)
Site:	Fort Worth, Texas
Stadium:	Amon G. Carter Stadium (46,000)
Coaches:	TULSA – Philip Montgomery (Tarleton State '95), 6th year MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mike Leach, (BYU '83), 1st year
TV:	ESPN
Talent:	Chris Cotter (pxp), Mark Herzlich (analyst), Ian Fitzsimmons (sideline)
Tickets:	Sold Out
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:	FIRST MEETING
Game Notes:	Tulsa (PDF) \| Mississippi State (PDF) \| Armed Forces Bowl (PDF)

Tulsa and Mississippi State have extended their seasons and will face each other for the first time on the gridiron with an appearance in the 2020 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl.

The Hurricane, ranked 22^nd in the latest Associated Press poll, comes into Thursday's game with an overall 6-2 record after finishing with a 6-0 American Athletic Conference record but fell to No. 6 Cincinnati in the AAC Championship game. Mississippi State garnered 3 wins coming against the #6 LSU Tigers, Vanderbilt and Missouri, while suffering close losses to #11 Texas A&M and #13 Georgia.

Tulsa will be making the schools 22^nd bowl game appearance and the first since a Miami Beach Bowl victory in 2016. It's the third showing for Tulsa in the Armed Forces Bowl. The Bulldogs are making a bowl game for the 11^th consecutive season and their 24^th all-time appearance.

Mississippi State, under Mike Leach, brings in one of the most prolific passing offenses in college football. The Bulldogs "air raid" offense has attempted 53 passes a game this year, while being the only team in the nation to boast four players with 40+ receptions.

The Bulldogs have put up 311 passing yards as freshman Will Rogers and senior K.J. Costello has shared time behind center. Rogers has completed 69 percent of his passes for 1,828 yards and 10 TDs, while Costello has thrown for 1,283 yards and 6 TDs, while completing 64 percent of his passes.

The run game produces only 38 yards per contest but has only run the ball 17 times per game this year and is very active in the MSU passing game. Jo'quavious Marks and Dillon Johnson each average 4.1 yards per carry for the Bulldogs.

Marks has a team-high 56 receptions out of the backfield for 238 yards, while wide-outs Jaden Walley, Osirus Mitchell and Austin Williams also have hauled in more than 40 receptions each. Walley has a team-high 691 yards, followed by Mitchell with 502 yards and Williams with 330. In all, Mississippi State has had 17 different players on the receiving end of a pass this season.

MSU's front line averages 6-feet, 5-inches tall and 320 pounds as a pair of seniors – right guard Dareuan Parker and left guard Greg Eiland lead the way.

The Hurricane defense will need to slow down the MSU passing attack. This year, Tulsa has held the opposition to 20.8 points and 341 yards to rank second in The American. The Hurricane has allowed 241 passing yards and 160.3 yards on the ground.

Tulsa's defense will be without All-American and the 2020 Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner Zaven Collins, who has declared for the NFL draft and will not be suited up for the bowl game.

Senior Robert Revels III will slide into Collins' spot at linebacker, while he is joined by fellow senior Treyvon Reeves and second-team all-conference sophomore Justin Wright. Both Reeves and Wright have been effective this year from their linebacker slots, combining for 93 tackles, 14 TFLs and 2 pass breakups. Grant Sawyer and Dorian Hopkins have also seen consistent playing time at linebacker, combining for 30 tackles and 8 TFLs.

Getting the majority of the reps upfront in Tulsa's 3-3-5 defensive scheme is Jaxon Player, seniors Tyarise Stevenson and Cullen Wick and sophomore Anthony Goodlow. Player and Goodlow have 32 and 31 tackles, respectively, to lead the group, while the quartet has totaled 18.5 TFLs for 58 yards. Player, who was a first-team all-league selection, has totaled 16 tackles and 5 TFLs in the last two games.

True freshmen Everitt Rogers at nose tackle and Haydon Grant at end as well as redshirt freshman RaQuan Thompson are young players that have filled in on the front line.

The secondary, led by corners Allie Green IV and Akayleb Evans, will have their hands full with the Mississippi State passing attack. The two big, tall corners with good speed and skills will need to control the Bulldog receivers. The tandem has combined for 54 tackles and 3 pass breakups. Green was a semifinalist for the Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back. Tyon Davis and Ryan Nixon have done more than an admirable job filling in for the two starters in reserve roles.

The safety position has also been solid for the Hurricane in 2020. Strong safety Kendarin Ray has 57 tackles to lead the Hurricane, along with sharing the team lead with 6 pass breakups, while senior TieNeal Martin has totaled 21 tackles and also has 6 breakups in just 5 games from his free safety spot. Lamar Mullins and Jaise Oliver provide solid production in backup roles.

The nickel safety position is manned by second-team all-conference selection Cristian Williams, Bryson Powers and Daiquain Jackson. The starter, Williams, has 41 total tackles, while Powers and Jackson have combined for 23 stops.

Offensively, it's been well documented that the Hurricane has not come out of the gate very strong in starting games, scoring only 10 offensive points and suffering 9 turnovers in the first quarter. Tulsa will be looking to turn that around against Mississippi State on Thursday.

On the year, Tulsa's offense averages 27.2 points and 401.3 yards per game, while putting up 241 yards through the air and 160 rushing yards.

The extra time between games will hopefully help senior quarterback Zach Smith in dealing with an injury from the Tulane game. On the year, Smith has completed 58-percent of his passes for 1,434 yards, an average of 205 yards per game and 11 TDs.

His backup, sophomore Davis Brin, saw his most extensive playing time earlier this year against Tulane when Smith and Seth Boomer both went out with injuries. Brin led Tulsa back from a 14-point deficit in the 4^th quarter by completing 18-of-28 passes for 266 yards and 2 TDs, including a 'Hail Mary' pass to tie the game at the end of regulation.

The Hurricane front-line, averaging 6-feet, 3-inches and 323 pounds, had all 5 starters each earn all-conference honors. The O-Line will need to live up to that honor when going up against an SEC defensive front.

Redshirt freshman left tackle Tyler Smith was a first-team all-AAC performer, while veteran right tackle Chris Paul earned second-team honors for the Hurricane and fellow linemen –– center Gerard Wheeler and guards Dylan Couch and Dante Bivens were honorable mention all-league selections. Paul has seen limited time the past two game with a foot injury, but true freshman Jaden Muskrat has filled in admirably.

Gerard Wheeler snapping — Center Gerard Wheeler anchors the middle of an offensive front that will have a
huge test against the Bulldogs defense.

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.

Tulsa has had a trio of running backs that have shared the load for the Hurricane this season.
Corey Taylor II leads the way for the TU ballcarriers with 431 yards, a 5.1 average and 3 TDs in 7 games, while Texas A&M transfer Deneric Prince is close behind with 429 yards, a 5.2 average and 3 touchdowns. Power back T.K. Wilkerson, who has gained 317 yards and 4 TDs in 6 games, will miss his second straight game.

With Wilkerson out, freshman redshirt Christian Lovick jumped in for his chance at Navy and responded with 31 yards on 6 carries, while Missouri transfer Anthony Watkins also adds depth.

A quartet of Tulsa receivers have been the main targets for Tulsa quarterbacks this year, led by second-team all-AAC Keylon Stokes with 527 yards and two TDs on 37 receptions, followed by junior Josh Johnson with 48495yards and a team-best 6 TDs on 37 catches. Fellow juniors Sam Crawford Jr. and JC Santana have combined for 765 yards and 5 TDs on 54 receptions. Santana had his first career 100-yard game with 138 yards and the game-tying 'Hail Mary' touchdown catch in the Tulane contest, while Stokes and Johnson each had 100-yard receiving games this season against SMU.

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

Mississippi State's defense has faced some of the nation's top offenses this year, including No. 1 Alabama, Texas A&M, Georgia and Ole Miss. The Bulldogs had held the opposition to 380.3 yards per game, including 125 yards on the ground to ranked 21^st nationally and has given up 255 passing yards.

Linebackers Erroll Thompson and Aaron Brule lead the MSU defense. Thompson has a team-high 86 tackles and 2.5 TFLs, while Brule had 69 stops and 8 TFLs.

Corner Martin Emerson leads the secondary with 67 tackles and a team-high 9 pass breakups, while safeties Shawn Preston Jr., Londyn Craft and Collin Duncan are active as well.

The Bulldog front-3 is huge, tipping the scales at 286 pounds with seniors Kobe Jones and Marquise Spence leading the way.

Thursday's game will kick off at 11:03 a.m. (CT) and be aired on ESPN with Chris Cotter and Mark Herzlich on the call and Ian Fitzsimmons providing sideline commentary.