GAME PREVIEW: TULSA BATTLES OLD DOMINION IN MYRTLE BEACH BOWL MONDAY

Monday, December 20

Myrtle Beach, S.C.

1:30 pm

Tulsa

Old Dominion

Tickets

Old Dominion Coach Ricky Rayne and Tulsa's Philip Montgomery

Photo by: © David Jensen Media

GAME PREVIEW: TULSA BATTLES OLD DOMINION IN MYRTLE BEACH BOWL MONDAY

12/19/2021 10:45:00 AM | Football

TULSA MAKING 23RD BOWL APPEARANCE WITH MATCHUP AGAINST OLD DOMINION IN MYRTLE BEACH BOWL

MYRTLE BEACH BOWL: TULSA (6-6, 5-3 American) vs. OLD DOMINION (6-6, 5-3 C-USA)
Date/Time:	Monday, Dec. 20, 1:30 p.m. (CT) / 2:30 p.m. (ET)
Site:	Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Stadium:	Brooks Stadium (20,000)
Coaches:	TULSA – Philip Montgomery (Tarleton State '95), 7th year ODU – Ricky Rayne (Cornell '02), 2nd year
TV:	ESPN
Talent:	Mike Corey (pxp), Hutson Mason (analyst), Marty Smith & Ryan McGee (sideline)
Tickets:	Purchase at the Gate
Radio:	Big Country 99.5 FM or Online
Talent:	Bruce Howard (pxp), Rick Couri (analyst), Jeremie Poplin (sideline)
Live Stats:	Live Stats
Series:	First Meeting
Game Notes:	Tulsa \| Old Dominion \| American Athletic Conference

COACH MONTGOMERY INTERVIEW, CLICK HERE

CONWAY, S.C. –– Tulsa will be making its 23^rd Bowl game appearance while the young Old Dominion program plays in its second Bowl game since moving to the FBS in 2013. The Myrtle Beach Bowl kicks off at 2:30 p.m. local time (1:30 p.m. CT) from Brooks Stadium on the campus of Coastal Carolina.

ODU is coached by second-year coach Ricky Rayne. The Monarchs' 2020 season was canceled due to Covid so this is Rayne's first season leading his team on the field. Tulsa's Philip Montgomery is in his seventh season guiding the Hurricane and is making his fourth bowl appearance with Tulsa.

The Monarchs come into the Myrtle Beach Bowl on a five-game winning streak and have been on target offensively since redshirt freshman Hayden Wolff took over at quarterback. The ODU defense has been very impressive against the run game all season long in controlling the opposition.

Tulsa has a winning streak of its own, posting wins over Tulane, Temple and SMU to finish the season at 6-6 overall and 5-2 in American Athletic Conference play.

The Hurricane will not only have a hot ODU team to contend with, but also a large contingent of Monarch fans expected to travel the 322 miles from Norfolk, contrasting the 1,137 miles Tulsa fans have to travel.

This is the first time that the two teams have met on the gridiron.

Wolff has guided the Monarchs to five wins in his six starts while completing 62 percent of his passes for 1,757 yards, 10 touchdowns and just six interceptions. A pair of sophomores lead the Old Dominion receiving corps as wide-out Ali Jennings has a team-high 992 yards on 56 receptions and 6'8" tight end Zack Kurtz has caught a team-best 71 passes for 674 yards, and they each have scored five touchdowns.

The Monarchs are led by yet another pair of sophomores at the running back slot. Blake Watson leads the ground attack with 1,035 yards for a 5.1 average per carry and seven TDs, while Elijah Davis has rushed for 561 yards, a 5.4 average and six TDs. The ODU front line measures 6'6" and 301 pounds and is led by one senior, center Isaac Weaver, as three of the remaining four starters are sophomores.

Tulsa's defense will have to get pressure on Wolff while also stopping an ODU running game that averages 166 yards. The Monarchs have thrown for 218 yards per game this season.

The Hurricane defense, which has started a different lineup in all 12 games this season, starts up front with a line that features tackle Jaxon Player, nose guard Tyarise Stevenson and end Anthony Goodlow. Player has tallied 44 stops with 12.5 TFL to lead the front line. Elijah Taylor, who started the last two games, and Joseph Anderson also see considerable playing time up front for the Hurricane. Cullen Wick's status is still questionable after missing six of the last seven games.

Tulsa's linebacker corps has seen seven players contributing this season. Yohance Burnett, Justin Wright and Treyvon Reeves are the starters. Reeves has started the last three games, but missed the first four contests of the season. Grant Sawyer, Robert Revels III, Dorian Hopkins and Mitchell Kulkin will see playing time as well.

Wright leads the Tulsa defense with 77 tackles and has added 5.5 stops for lost yards, while Burnett has totaled 76 stops and five TFL for -8 yards. Sawyer has collected 29 tackles, Reeves 25, Hopkins 24 and Revels has 12.

Cornerback Tyon Davis has tallied 72 tackles, including 59 solos, and has nine pass breakups, while fellow corner Travon Fuller leads Tulsa with 10 pass breakups and three interceptions to total 13 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 a mid-season injury.

Powers has totaled 41 tackles, one pass breakup, one forced fumble and one interception this season. Martin has 29 stops, six breakups and leads the Hurricane with four interceptions. Williams has collected 27 tackles in just eight games played.

The Monarchs 4-2-5 defense is stingy by allowing just 125 yards on the ground and 27.6 points in its 12 games. It all starts up with its front six for ODU as linebackers Jordan Young, Ryan Henry and Jason Henderson pave the way.

Jordan has a team-high 93 tackles and 3.5 TFL, while Henry has garnered 72 stops and Henderson 67.

Defensive linemen Amorie Morrison, Cory Jackson, Marcus Haynes, Sokoya McDuffie, Deeve Harris and Devin Brandt-Epps have combined to tally 30.5 TFL for 152 yards. Morrison leads the group with 31 tackles, while Haynes and McDuffie share the lead for tackles for loss with six apiece.

The secondary is the most veteran of the Old Dominion defense with seniors Roger Cray at one corner position and Joe Joe Headen holding down a safety spot. Cray has a team-high 10 pass breakups, while Headen has seven breakups and two interceptions for 89 return yards. Junior safety R'Tarriun Johnson leads the secondary with 78 tackles and has six pass breakups, and corner Trey Hawkins has totaled 70 stops and seven breakups.

Tulsa's offense will have to find some running lanes in the ODU defense. The Hurricane will need to eliminate mistakes and turnovers, be explosive down the field and score in the red zone. Tulsa puts up 436 yards per game with a balanced attack that averages 188 rushing yards on 484 carries and passing for another 248 yards per game on 377 attempts.

Davis Brin has completed 59-percent of his passes for 2,984 yards and 16 touchdowns from his quarterback position.

The Hurricane receiving corps has been hit with injuries, including losing leader Keylon Stokes for the season. Senior Josh Johnson leads the way with 985 yards and five touchdowns, while Juan Carlos Santana has caught 472 passes for 614 yards and Ezra Naylor II has collected 389 yards on 30 receptions.

Tulsa's running game has three runners each gaining over 475 yards on the ground. With 3,662 career rushing yards, senior Shamari Brooks is just 30 yards shy of moving into sole possession of second place on the school's all-time rushing chart. He leads Tulsa's ball carriers this year with 922 yards and six TDs on 192 carries.

Sophomore Anthony Watkins is next with 579 yards, four touchdowns and a 7.6 average per carry, while junior Deneric Prince has totaled 480 yards, a 5.4 average and five TDs.

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

Shamari Brooks vs South Florida 2021 — Running Back Shamari Brooks

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 be solid in kick coverage. After being a sore spot for the Hurricane earlier this season when opponents returned three kickoffs and one punt for touchdowns, the coverage units have made positive strides over the later part of the season.

Tulsa has experience with both their kicker and punter. Senior Zack Long is the nation's leader, connecting on 95 percent of his field goals (19-of-20) this year, including 8-of-9 of 40 yards or more. Sophomore Lachlan Wilson has averaged 45.9 yards on 59 punts and has placed 20 inside the 20-yard line with 23 punts covering 50 yards or more.

Long snapper Rey Higuera is in his fifth season starting for the Hurricane having started 57 consecutive games, while Cannon Montgomery handles the holding duties for the fourth year.

Kevin Brown and Hutson Mason will be calling the action from the booth for ESPN while Marty Smith and Ryan McGee are on the field.