GAME PREVIEW: TULSA HOSTS TEMPLE IN HOME FINALE

Saturday, November 20

Tulsa, Okla.

3:00 PM

Tulsa

Temple

Tickets

Photo by: David Dermer

GAME PREVIEW: TULSA HOSTS TEMPLE IN HOME FINALE

11/19/2021 9:28:00 PM | Football

SATURDAY IS THE FINAL HOME GAME FOR 25 HURRICANE SENIORS

GAME 11: TULSA (4-6, 3-3 American) vs. TEMPLE (3-7, 1-5 American)
Date/Time:	Saturday, Nov. 20, 3:05 p.m. (CT)
Site:	Tulsa, Oklahoma
Stadium:	Skelly Field @ H.A. Chapman Stadium
Coaches:	TULSA – Philip Montgomery (Tarleton State '95), 7th year TEMPLE – Rod Carey (Indiana '94), 3rd year
TV:	ESPN+
Talent:	Ted Emrich (pxp), Brandon Weeden (analyst)
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:	Temple leads 3-2
First Meeting:	Oct. 10, 1987 (Tulsa 24, Temple 17), Philadelphia, Pa.
Last Meeting:	Sept. 20, 2018 (Temple 31, Tulsa 17), Philadelphia, Pa.
Game Notes:	Tulsa \| Temple \| American Athletic Conference

TULSA, Okla. –– A total of 25 Golden Hurricane seniors will be running on the turf of H.A. Chapman Stadium for the final time on Saturday afternoon as Tulsa hosts the Temple Owls.

Kickoff is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. It's the first meeting between these two American Athletic Conference teams since the 2018 season and the first time in Tulsa since 2017.

Tulsa comes into the contest with a 4-6 record and 3-3- league mark after last week's overtime win over Tulane. Temple (3-7, 1-5 AAC) is looking to snap a five-game losing streak. The Owls' last win came on Oct. 2 against the Memphis Tigers, a team that Tulsa also defeated in early October.

It appears that Temple will be without starting quarterback D'Wan Mathis, who apparently left the Owls' program earlier this week. Not all is lost as his replacement Justin Lynch has completed 60-of-108 passes for 643 yards and three touchdowns and is Temple's second-leading rusher with 276 yards.

Fifteen of Temple's 22-man two deep are either freshmen or sophomores on offense. One of those freshmen is leading running back Edward Saydee with 272 yards and three touchdowns.

Graduate Randle Jones leads the Temple receiving corps with 434 yards and three TDs on 34 receptions, while sophomore Jose Barbon has caught 30 passes for 386 yards to pace the Owls passing game. Temple quarterbacks have also targeted a bevy of tight ends on 23 receptions for 289 yards.

Temple's offensive line has solid experience with two graduates and two three-year junior lettermen anchoring the front.

Tulsa's defense starts up front with a line that features tackle Jaxon Player, nose guard Tyarise Stevenson and end Anthony Goodlow. Player has tallied 35 stops with nine TFLs to lead the front line. Deven Lamp, Joseph Anderson and Elijah Taylor also see considerable playing time up front for the Hurricane, while end Cullen Wick will again be sidelined this week.

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

Wright leads the linebackers and shared the team-lead with 63 tackles and has added 5.5 stops for lost yards, while Burnett has totaled 54 stops and 4.5 TFLs for -8 yards. Sawyer has collected 25 tackles, Hopkins 21 and Revels has 11.

Cornerback Tyon Davis is Tulsa's co-leader for in tackles with 63 stops and has eight pass breakups, while fellow corner Travon Fuller leads Tulsa with nine pass breakups and two interceptions to total 11 passes defended.

Tyree Carlisle, Reggie Ellis and Kenney Solomon add depth at the corner slots.

The safety position brings experience to the secondary with three seniors – TieNeal Martin, Cristian Williams and Bryson Powers. Sophomore Jaise Oliver and junior LJ Wallace have filled in at strong safety when starter Kendarin Ray went down with an injury.

Powers has totaled 36 tackles, one pass breakup, one forced fumble and the one interception this season. Martin has 24 stops and three breakups and Williams has collected 20 tackles in just six games played.

October 3, 2020 - Orlando, FL, U.S: during 2nd half NCAA football game between the Tulsa Golden Hurricane and the UCF Knights. Tulsa defeated UCF 34-26 at the Bounce House in Orlando, Fl. Romeo T Guzman — TieNeal Martin

Temple's defense is also young with 12 freshmen or sophomores among the top 22, while five graduate students are in key positions for the Owls. Temple has held the opposition to under 400 yards per game, including 221 yards on the ground and 176 through the air.

A trio of safeties – Amir Tyler, M.J. Griffin and Alex Odom – lead the Temple defense while combining for 170 tackles and 10 pass breakups. Corners Cameron Ruiz and Keyshawn Paul have also been active with 31 and 23 tackles apiece.

The Temple linebacker corps is composed of five players, three freshman and two graduates, that have shared playing time. Freshman Jordan Magee has 47 tackles and 5.5 TFL for -17 yards, while graduate William Kwenkeu has a team-high 9.5 TFL with 42 tackles. Kobe Wilson has 43 stops, Yvandy Rigby 40 and George Reid 38.

Jerquavion Mahone anchors the defensive front from his nose tackle position, while being anchored by Manny Walker and Jacoby Sharpe on the outside. The trio have combined for 49 tackles.

Tulsa's offense needs to show its explosiveness both through the air and in the ground game against the Owls. The Hurricane puts up 434.9 yards per game with a balanced attack that rushes for 190.6 yards on 407 carries and passing for another 244.3 yards on 314 attempts.

Davis Brin has completed 59-percent of his passes for 2,443 yards and 13 touchdowns from his quarterback position and will need to be on target Saturday for the offense to have the balance needed.

The Hurricane receiving corps has been hit with injuries, including losing leader Keylon Stokes for the season. Senior Josh Johnson leads the way with 709 yards and three touchdowns, while Juan Carlos Santana has caught 36 passes for 510 yards.

Tulsa's running game has had three runners gain over 100 yards in at least one game this season. Shamari Brooks has four 100+ games, while Deneric Prince and Anthony Watkins have two each.

On the year, Brooks leads the ground game with 791 yards, followed by Watkins with 521 yards and Prince with 411 yards. Brooks enters this game need 24 more yards to move into fourth place on the school's career rushing chart. Earlier this season, Brooks became the fifth player in school history to rush for over 3,000 yards in a career.

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. Paul went out earlier in last week's win over Tulane with an injury, and if's he's unable to go Saturday Bryce Bray will fill that spot.

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

Tulsa's special team's unit will need to continue its improvement in kick coverage, after being a sore spot for the Hurricane earlier when opponents returned three kickoffs and one punt for touchdowns.

Tulsa has experience with both their kicker and punter. Senior Zack Long has connected on 14-of-15 field goals this year, including a season-long of 50 yards. Sophomore Lachlan Wilson has averaged 45.9 yards on 52 punts and has placed 19 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.