No. 22 Tulsa Clinches Spot in AAC Championship Game with 19-6 Road Win at Navy

Saturday, December 5

Annapolis, Md.

2:30 PM (CT)

Tulsa

6-1 , 6-0

Navy

3-6 , 3-4

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Tulsa

Navy

No. 22 Tulsa Clinches Spot in AAC Championship Game with 19-6 Road Win at Navy

12/5/2020 7:40:00 PM | Football

Box Score

GAME STATS | POST-GAME NOTES | SEASON STATS l PHOTO GALLERY

ANNAPOLIS, Md. –– No. 22-ranked Tulsa used a third quarter touchdown and four Zack Long field goals to claim a 19-6 victory over the Navy Midshipmen Saturday afternoon at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

The win clinched Tulsa a spot in the American Athletic Conference Championship game on Dec. 19 against the Cincinnati Bearcats. The two teams will square-off next week at Tulsa's H.A. Chapman Stadium in the final regular season game for both teams.

Tulsa moved to 6-1 overall and 6-0 in AAC play with today's win and won its sixth straight game, while Navy fell to 3-6 and 3-4 in league competition.

The Hurricane defense held the Midshipmen to 6 points, the lowest for a Tulsa opponent since Sept. 10, 2011 when Tulane scored just 3 points. It was also the last time a Tulsa opponent did not score a touchdown.

For the game, Tulsa outgained the Mids, 296 to 153, as the Hurricane had 128 rushing yards and 168 through the air. Corey Taylor II had 69 rushing yards, while Zach Smith completed 10 passes for 168 yards and Tulsa's only TD of the game.

The Hurricane defense, missing All-America candidate Zaven Collins most of the second half with an injury, totaled 12 TFLs for -49 yards and 5 sacks, as tackle Jaxon Player was a beast with a career-high 12 tackles, 4.5 TFLs for -12 yards and 2 sacks.

Tulsa's first touchdown of the game came at the 1:33 mark of the 3^rd quarter when Zach Smith connected with Josh Johnson on a 66-yard pass play to take a 13-6 lead into the 4^th quarter.

After putting its first points on the board with a field goal at the end of the first half, Navy came out in the second half and marched 14 plays, 60 yards and taking 7:08 off the clock to tie the score at 6-6 with a 32-yard field goal at the 7:08 mark of the period.

Navy overtook Tulsa in total offensive yards with that opening drive, with a 126 to 117-yard advantage, until Tulsa's 63-yard touchdown drive.

Zack Long's third field goal of the day gave Tulsa a 10-point lead at 16-6 on a 37-yarder, capping a 52-yard, 11-play drive.

There was not much offense in the first quarter as Tulsa totaled 64 yards on 22 carries, while the Hurricane defense held Navy to -4 yards on 11 plays, including -2 yards rushing and -2 yards passing. It was the second straight week that Tulsa and its opponent did not score in the first period.

After the scoreless first quarter, it appeared Tulsa would put the first points on the board on its first play of the quarter when Smith connected with Sam Crawford for the score, but a holding penalty brought the canceled the play.

The Hurricane would score on that same drive with a wind-aided career-long 48-yard field goal from Zack Long to give Tulsa a 3-0 lead at the 11:58 mark of the 2^nd quarter.

Tulsa took a 6-0 lead at the 3:22 mark after Zaven Collins recovered a fumble at the Navy 25-ayrd line. The Hurricane could only manage a second field goal, this one going for 25 yards.

Navy crossed mid-field for the first time in the game with less that 1:30 remaining in the first half and capped a 13-play, 57-yard drive with a 34-yard BJ Nichols field goal to make the score 6-3 at halftime.

Tulsa's defense held Navy to just 71 total yards in the first half. Navy's offense showed a spark in the 2^nd quarter outgaining Tulsa 75-53, including 56 yards on the ground for the Midshipmen.

Tulsa will be at home next Saturday, Dec. 12, to face the nation's seventh-ranked Cincinnati Bearcats in a game that will decide the regular season American Athletic Conference Champion and the host of the AAC Championship game. Game time will be announced on Sunday.