Photo by: Brett Rojo
TULSA FOOTBALL NOTES: ARKANSAS STATE GAME
9/22/2020 2:30:00 PM | Football
Tulsa Travels Across the Border to Face Arkansas State
GAME #2
TULSA (0-1, 0-0 AAC) vs. ARKANSAS STATE (1-1, 0-0 Sun Belt)
Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020 • 2:30 p.m. (CT)
Centennial Bank Stadium (30,382), Jonesboro, Ark.
TV: ESPN2
Radio: Big Country 99.5 FM
FOR FULL GAME NOTES PACKAGE, CLICK HERE
TULSA 0-1, 0-0 The American
Head Coach: Philip Montgomery
(Tarleton State '95)
6th year at Tulsa
Career Record: 25-38 (6 years)
TU Record: same
ARKANSAS STATE 1-1, 0-0 Sun Belt
Head Coach: Blake Anderson
(Sam Houston State '92)
7th year at ASU
Career Record: 48-31 (7 years)
ASU Record: same
THE STORYLINES . . .
• Tulsa is in its 121st season of Tulsa football.
• Tulsa has the smallest FBS enrollment with 3,269 undergraduate students … Tulsa's overall enrollment is 4,380 … Arkansas State's enrollment is 13,930.
• Tulsa opened the season last week at #11 Oklahoma State, while ASU opened the season on Sept. 5 … ASU's home game last week was postponed due to ASU unable to assemble a full two-deep depth at a specific position.
• This is the 2nd of 3 straight road games for Tulsa … the last time Tulsa played 3 straight road games to open the season was in 2009 and the Hurricane started out 2-0 that year.
THE SERIES . . .
• This is the sixth meeting between Tulsa and Arkansas State.
• The Red Wolves lead the series 3-2 and has a 2-0 home record, while outscoring Tulsa in Jonesboro by 13 points.
• The first game of the series came in 1978 as Tulsa claimed a 21-20 home win.
• Arkansas State won the last meeting in Tulsa in 2018 by a score of 29-20.
LEADING THE NATION . . .
• Tulsa leads the nation in tackles for lost yards with 14 for -56 yards, all of which came in the season opener last week at Oklahoma State.
• Junior linebacker Zaven Collins ranks 1st nationally for TFLs with 4 for -24 yards and is also first for QB sacks with 3 for -16 yards.
• Sophomore safety Kendarin Ray leads the nation for solo tackles with 11.
• As a team, the Hurricane also ranks 2nd nationally for sacks after posting six for -24 yards against Oklahoma State.
ALSO IN THE TOP-5 DEFENSIVELY . . .
• Joining Zaven Collins and Kendarin Ray among the leaders in NCAA defensive statistics are two more Tulsa players.
• Junior linebacker Grant Sawyer is 3rd in the NCAA with 3.5 TFLs for -11 yards.
• Senior cornerback Allie Green IV ranks 3rd nationally for interceptions per game and 5th for total interceptions with one.
THREE OF THE FIRST FOUR Vs. RANKED TEAMS . . .
• Three of Tulsa's first four opponents – Oklahoma State, UCF and Cincinnati – are currently ranked among the nation's top-25.
• OSU was ranked #11 when Tulsa dropped 16-7 game to the Cowboys in the season opener for both schools last week.
• After the Arkansas State game, Tulsa travels to #14-ranked UCF on Oct. 3 and after an open week will face #13 Cincinnati at home on Oct. 17.
DEFENSE STEPS UP . . .
• In the season opener, Tulsa faced one of the nation's top returning offenses with the retuning leading rush Chuba Hubbard … OSU averaged 453.9 yards last year and returned all of its skill position players.
• Tulsa limited the OSU offense to 277 yards, including 139 on the ground and 138 rushing.
• Tulsa ended Chuba Hubbard's streak of 100+ rushing games at 11 games as he was held to 93 yards.
• The Hurricane 14 TFLs for -56 yards and 6 sacks for -24 yards, while also forcing one fumble and intercepting one pass.
PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA LINEBACKER ZAVEN COLLINS OFF TO AWARD-WINNING START . . .
• If his performance against No. 11-ranked Oklahoma State in the season opener is any indication, then junior LB Zaven Collins should be in the conversation for All-America honors as well as consideration for some of the top defensive player awards in the country.
• Collins totaled 6 tackles, all solos, with 4 of those for lost yardage of 24 yards, including 3 TFLs for -16 yards, and that came in just a little over 2 quarters of the game since he left in the 3rd period with an injury.
• For his performance, Collins was named the Chuck Bednarik National Defensive Player of the Week.
• He ended the week ranked first in the nation for TFLs and sacks.
• Collins earned preseason fourth-team All-America honors by Phil Steele's magazine.
• He was also named to the preseason watch list for the Bednarik Award presented the nation's top defensive player.
• The linebacker was left off of the Dick Butkus preseason watch list for the nation's top linebacker.
• Last year, Collins had the second-most tackles with 97 stops, has 8 TFLs for -27 yards, 2 sacks for -14 yards, 3 pass breakups, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick.
• As a redshirt freshman in 2018, Collins was named to the USA Today and Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) Freshman All-America Teams.
• He became the 9th Tulsa player to earn Freshman All-America honors, all coming since the 2003 season
• In 2018, Collins moved into the starting WILL linebacker spot in the 3rd game vs. Arkansas State due to a Robert Revels III injury moving over from his backup role at the MIKE position.
GAME #2
TULSA (0-1, 0-0 AAC) vs. ARKANSAS STATE (1-1, 0-0 Sun Belt)
Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020 • 2:30 p.m. (CT)
Centennial Bank Stadium (30,382), Jonesboro, Ark.
TV: ESPN2
Radio: Big Country 99.5 FM
FOR FULL GAME NOTES PACKAGE, CLICK HERE
TULSA 0-1, 0-0 The American
Head Coach: Philip Montgomery
(Tarleton State '95)
6th year at Tulsa
Career Record: 25-38 (6 years)
TU Record: same
ARKANSAS STATE 1-1, 0-0 Sun Belt
Head Coach: Blake Anderson
(Sam Houston State '92)
7th year at ASU
Career Record: 48-31 (7 years)
ASU Record: same
THE STORYLINES . . .
• Tulsa is in its 121st season of Tulsa football.
• Tulsa has the smallest FBS enrollment with 3,269 undergraduate students … Tulsa's overall enrollment is 4,380 … Arkansas State's enrollment is 13,930.
• Tulsa opened the season last week at #11 Oklahoma State, while ASU opened the season on Sept. 5 … ASU's home game last week was postponed due to ASU unable to assemble a full two-deep depth at a specific position.
• This is the 2nd of 3 straight road games for Tulsa … the last time Tulsa played 3 straight road games to open the season was in 2009 and the Hurricane started out 2-0 that year.
THE SERIES . . .
• This is the sixth meeting between Tulsa and Arkansas State.
• The Red Wolves lead the series 3-2 and has a 2-0 home record, while outscoring Tulsa in Jonesboro by 13 points.
• The first game of the series came in 1978 as Tulsa claimed a 21-20 home win.
• Arkansas State won the last meeting in Tulsa in 2018 by a score of 29-20.
LEADING THE NATION . . .
• Tulsa leads the nation in tackles for lost yards with 14 for -56 yards, all of which came in the season opener last week at Oklahoma State.
• Junior linebacker Zaven Collins ranks 1st nationally for TFLs with 4 for -24 yards and is also first for QB sacks with 3 for -16 yards.
• Sophomore safety Kendarin Ray leads the nation for solo tackles with 11.
• As a team, the Hurricane also ranks 2nd nationally for sacks after posting six for -24 yards against Oklahoma State.
ALSO IN THE TOP-5 DEFENSIVELY . . .
• Joining Zaven Collins and Kendarin Ray among the leaders in NCAA defensive statistics are two more Tulsa players.
• Junior linebacker Grant Sawyer is 3rd in the NCAA with 3.5 TFLs for -11 yards.
• Senior cornerback Allie Green IV ranks 3rd nationally for interceptions per game and 5th for total interceptions with one.
THREE OF THE FIRST FOUR Vs. RANKED TEAMS . . .
• Three of Tulsa's first four opponents – Oklahoma State, UCF and Cincinnati – are currently ranked among the nation's top-25.
• OSU was ranked #11 when Tulsa dropped 16-7 game to the Cowboys in the season opener for both schools last week.
• After the Arkansas State game, Tulsa travels to #14-ranked UCF on Oct. 3 and after an open week will face #13 Cincinnati at home on Oct. 17.
DEFENSE STEPS UP . . .
• In the season opener, Tulsa faced one of the nation's top returning offenses with the retuning leading rush Chuba Hubbard … OSU averaged 453.9 yards last year and returned all of its skill position players.
• Tulsa limited the OSU offense to 277 yards, including 139 on the ground and 138 rushing.
• Tulsa ended Chuba Hubbard's streak of 100+ rushing games at 11 games as he was held to 93 yards.
• The Hurricane 14 TFLs for -56 yards and 6 sacks for -24 yards, while also forcing one fumble and intercepting one pass.
PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA LINEBACKER ZAVEN COLLINS OFF TO AWARD-WINNING START . . .
• If his performance against No. 11-ranked Oklahoma State in the season opener is any indication, then junior LB Zaven Collins should be in the conversation for All-America honors as well as consideration for some of the top defensive player awards in the country.
• Collins totaled 6 tackles, all solos, with 4 of those for lost yardage of 24 yards, including 3 TFLs for -16 yards, and that came in just a little over 2 quarters of the game since he left in the 3rd period with an injury.
• For his performance, Collins was named the Chuck Bednarik National Defensive Player of the Week.
• He ended the week ranked first in the nation for TFLs and sacks.
• Collins earned preseason fourth-team All-America honors by Phil Steele's magazine.
• He was also named to the preseason watch list for the Bednarik Award presented the nation's top defensive player.
• The linebacker was left off of the Dick Butkus preseason watch list for the nation's top linebacker.
• Last year, Collins had the second-most tackles with 97 stops, has 8 TFLs for -27 yards, 2 sacks for -14 yards, 3 pass breakups, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick.
• As a redshirt freshman in 2018, Collins was named to the USA Today and Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) Freshman All-America Teams.
• He became the 9th Tulsa player to earn Freshman All-America honors, all coming since the 2003 season
• In 2018, Collins moved into the starting WILL linebacker spot in the 3rd game vs. Arkansas State due to a Robert Revels III injury moving over from his backup role at the MIKE position.
Players Mentioned
Linebacker
/ Football
Cornerback
/ Football
Safety
/ Football
Linebacker
/ Football
Linebacker
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