GAME PREVIEW: TULSA HOSTS MEMPHIS TONIGHT ON HOMECOMING

Saturday, October 9

Tulsa, Okla.

8:00 PM

Tulsa

Memphis

Tickets

Photo by: Brett Rojo

GAME PREVIEW: TULSA HOSTS MEMPHIS TONIGHT ON HOMECOMING

10/8/2021 3:49:00 PM | Football

HOMECOMING GAME KICKS OFF AT 8 PM SATURDAY

GAME 6: TULSA (1-4, 0-1 American) vs. MEMPHIS (3-2, 1-1 American)
Date/Time:	Saturday, Oct. 9, 8:05 p.m. (CT)
Site:	Tulsa, Oklahoma
Stadium:	Skelly Field @ H.A. Chapman Stadium
Coaches:	TULSA – Philip Montgomery (Tarleton State '95), 7th year MEMPHIS – Ryan Silverfield (Hampden-Sydney '03), 2nd year
TV:	ESPN2
Talent:	Brian Custer (pxp), Kelly Stouffer (analyst), Lauren Sisler (sidelines)
Tickets:	Buy HERE
Radio:	Big Country 99.5 FM or Online
Talent:	Bruce Howard (pxp), Rick Couri (analyst), Jeremie Poplin (sideline)
Live Stats:	Live Stats
Virtual Program:	Game Day Program
Series:	Memphis leads 19-11
First Meeting:	Sept. 23, 1961 (Memphis 48, Tulsa 12), Tulsa, Okla.
Last Meeting:	Oct. 26, 2019 (#25 Memphis 42, Tulsa 41), Tulsa, Okla.
Game Notes:	Tulsa \| Memphis \| American Athletic Conference

TULSA, Okla. –– The forecast calls for a beautiful Saturday night with game time temperatures in the 80's as the Tulsa Golden Hurricane hosts the Memphis Tigers on Homecoming. Kickoff is at 8:05 p.m.

Both teams are coming off American Athletic Conference losses last week. Memphis sits at 3-2 overall and Tulsa at 1-4 on the season.

Tulsa will need to be clicking in all phases of the game to muster a win against the Tigers. Memphis brings one of the league's top offenses into Saturday's Homecoming matchup, gaining 476 yards and scoring 37.4 points per game.

The Tigers' offense is managed by freshman quarterback Sean Henigan, who is among the national leaders in numerous passing categories and ranks second in the AAC for passing yards per game. Henigan has completed 60-percent of his passes for 1,475 yards and has a 12-to-1 touchdown to interception ratio. His targets are explosive and the run game has been more than complimentary.

Calvin Austin is the third-ranked receiver in the country with 35 receptions for 637 yards, seven TDs and a 127.4 average per game. The tight end position plays a key role in the Tigers attack as Sean Dykes has compiled 391 yards and three TDs. Wide-out Javon Ivory gives Memphis three receivers with over 200 yards and more than 15 yards per catch this season.

The run game is led by the league's second-leading rusher Brandon Thomas with 509 yards, a 101.8-yard average per game and a 6.9 average per carry. Rodrigues Clark has a 6.8 average per carry while rushing for 265 yards.

The offensive line, although not the biggest, has provided Henigan time and the running backs lanes to make the Tigers offense click. Two seniors, right guard Dylan Parham and right tackle Matt Dale, anchor the front five.

Tulsa's defense will have tackle Jaxon Player back for the start of the game this week. The senior missed the first half of last week's contest after a targeting call a game earlier.

Player is joined up front by nose guard Tyarise Stevenson and end Cullen Wick in the starting rotation of Tulsa's 3-3-5 scheme. Anthony Goodlow, Everitt Rogers, Deven Lamp, Joseph Anderson and Elijah Taylor will all see considerable playing time up front as well.

Wick has totaled 21 tackles and 7.5 TFL for -23 yards to lead the front line, while Player has tallied 12 stops, 3.5 TFL for -5 yards and four hurries.

Tulsa's linebacker corps has seen a number of players contributing this season. Yohance Burnett, Justin Wright and Grant Sawyer were the starters the last two weeks. Treyvon Reeves, who was a starter in 2020, returned to the lineup a week ago after missing the first four contests. Robert Revels III, Dorian Hopkins and Mitchell Kulkin will see playing time as well.

Burnett leads the linebackers with 29 tackles, Wright has 16, Hopkins 14, Sawyer 12 and Revels has nine tackles. Jon-Michael Terry will miss his second straight game with an injury.

The secondary is led by three returning safeties who have combined to start 54 areer games. Kendarin Ray, at 6'4", leads the way with a team-high 32 tackles in five games, but he missed the first half at Ohio State. TieNeal Martin, who missed the opener, has 14 stops, two pass breakups and his only career pickoff, while nickel safety Cristian Williams has tallied eight tackles in just three games.

Bryson Powers did not miss a beat when he replaced Williams in the starting lineup at nickel safety for two games. He has totaled 23 tackles, one pass breakup and one forced fumble this season, while LJ Wallace and Jaise Oliver have played valuable minutes for the Hurricane.

The corner slots are manned by senior Tyon Davis and graduate transfer Travon Fuller with Tyree Carlisle, Reggie Ellis and Kenney Solomon adding depth. Davis is second on the team with 31 tackles and has three pass breakups, while Travon Fuller has 11 stops, a team-high four pass breakups and one interception.

Memphis' odd-man front defense is led by 5^th-year senior linebacker JJ Russell with 61 tackles, including 42 solos. Fellow linebackers Xavier Cullens, Thomas Pickens, Jaylon Allen and Cole Mashburn have combined for 87 tackles and 11.5 TFL for -42 yards. Cullens leads the Tigers with five TFL.

Just like Tulsa, the Memphis safeties have played key roles on the defense with starters Quindell Johnson and Sanchez Blake leading the way. Johnson has 47 stops and five pass breakups and Blake has 38 tackles and three breakups. Corner Greg Rubin has broken up a team-high 10 passes to go along with 28 tackles

The three-man front is led by the man in the middle, 6'4", 295-pound John Tate with 17 stops and 2.5 TFL, while starting ends – Wardalis Ducksworth and Morris Joseph – have been active as well, combining for 23 tackles.

The Tulsa offense will need to get back to where it averaged 582 yards against No. 9 Ohio State and Arkansas State in weeks three and four. The Hurricane averages 449.8 yards in total offense but was held to under 300 yards a week ago.

Davis Brin, who has completed 102-of-173 passes for 1,467 yards and six touchdowns, will be behind center for the Hurricane.

The Hurricane receiving corps should be at full speed after 2,50-yard receiver Keylon Stokes returned last week after missing two games. In Stokes' absence, Josh Johnson turned in two 100+ receiving games, while Sam Crawford Jr. had two 100-yard receiving games over the last two weeks.

Johnson has a team-best 341 yards on 26 catches, followed by Crawford with 338 yards on 17 receptions. JC Santana has also been on the receiving end of some big passes, totaling 271 yards on 18 receptions.

Tulsa's running game will have to be productive this week after totaling just 1.1 yards per carry a week ago. Three Tulsa runners have rushed for over 100 yards in at least one game this season. Shamari Brooks has a 155-yard performance, Anthony Watkins turned in a 115-yard game and Deneric Prince has also rushed for 100-plus yards with 151 yards in the season opener against UC Davis.

On the year, Brooks leads the way with 290 yards, followed by Prince with 261 and Watkins with 214. Brooks enters this week's game just 10 yards shy of becoming the school's fifth 3,000-yard career rusher.

The backs run behind a veteran and versatile offensive line, led by all-AAC tackles Tyler Smith on the left side and Chris Paul at right tackle. Dylan Couch and X'Zauvea Gadlin are slotted at guard and Gerard Wheeler handles the snapping duties.

Tulsa tight ends Ethan Hall and James Palmer have been important cogs in Tulsa's run game.

On special teams, Tulsa will again face an explosive group of return men in the likes of Calvin Austin, averaging 33.8 yards on punt returns, and Gabriel Rogers with a 27.2-yard average on kickoffs.

Tulsa has experience with both their kicker and punter. Senior Zack Long has connected on 7-of-7 field goals this year, including a season-long of 45 yards. Sophomore Lachlan Wilson has averaged 47.8 yards on 29 punts and has placed eight inside the 20-yard line.

Long snapper Rey Higuera is in his fifth season starting for the Hurricane, while Cannon Montgomery handles the holding duties for the fourth year.