Photo by: David Dermer
TULSA FOOTBALL NOTES: ARKANSAS STATE GAME
9/20/2021 2:47:00 PM | Football
Tulsa Returns to Chapman Stadium to Host Arkansas State on Saturday at 4 PM
GAME #4
TULSA (0-3, 0-0 AAC) vs. ARKANSAS STATE (1-2, 0-0 Sun Belt)
Saturday, Sept. 25, 4:00 pm (CT)
Stadium: H.A. Chapman Stadium (30,000), Tulsa, Okla.
TV: ESPN+
Radio: Big Country 99.5 FM
FOR FULL GAMES NOTES PACKAGE, CLICK HERE
TULSA 0-3, 0-0 The American
Head Coach: Philip Montgomery
(Tarleton State '95)
7th year at Tulsa
Career Record: 31-43 (7 years)
TU Record: same
ARKANSAS STATE 1-2, 0-0 Sun Belt
Head Coach: Butch Jones
(Ferris State '90)
1st year at Arkansas State
Career Record: 85-56 (12 years)
ASU Record: 1-2 (1 year)
THE STORYLINES . . .
• Tulsa is in its 125th season of Tulsa football.
• Tulsa has the smallest FBS enrollment with 2,929 undergraduate students (based off 2020-21 statistics) … Tulsa's overall enrollment is 3,961 … Arkansas State's enrollment is 13,709 students.
• The two teams were scheduled to play last year in Jonesboro, but the game was canceled due to Covid-19.
• Both teams are looking to snap losing streaks … Tulsa has lost its first three games including back-to-back road games at Oklahoma State and Ohio State … ASU has lost consecutive games to Memphis and Washington.
• The two coaching staffs will be wearing special arm patches in honor of the AFCA's Coach to Cure MD program … the goal of CTCMD is to raise awareness and funding for Duchenne muscular dystrophy … to help tackle Duchenne text CURE to 501501.
THE SERIES . . .
• This is the sixth meeting between Tulsa and Arkansas State … The Red Wolves lead the overall series 3-2.
• The last meeting came in 2018 as ASU pulled out a 29-20 victory at Chapman Stadium.
• The Hurricane has a 2-1 record at home against the Red Wolves, winning the first-ever meeting in 1978 by a score of 21-20 … Tulsa also defeated ASU 54-7 in the 2003 season.
COMING OFF THE OHIO STATE GAME . . .
• Tulsa took the No. 9-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes down to the wire in Columbus last week.
• The Hurricane trailed 13-6 at halftime, 20-13 in the third quarter and again by seven at 27-20 until the final three minutes of the game when OSU scored twice, including one defensive touchdown.
• The Hurricane threw for 428 yards against Ohio State while putting up 501 total yards against the Buckeyes.
• Tulsa was without three starters – leading WR Keylon Stokes, NKL Cristian Williams and LB Treyvon Reeves – while safety and leading tackler Kendarin Ray had to miss the first half after a targeting call a week earlier.
500+ IN TOTAL OFFENSE . . .
• Tulsa totaled 501 yards in total offense against No. 9-ranked Ohio State, throwing for 428 and rushing for 73 yards.
• The 500+ total yards was the 24th time that a Montgomery team has reached that 500-yard plateau.
• Ohio State also gained over 500 yards in total offense with 508 yards … it was just the second time in the last 36 games that an opponent gained over 500+ ayrds against the Tulsa defense.
• Tulsa had the edge in total offense in the first two games, but was seven yards behind the Buckeyes, 508 to 501 … the Hurricane out-gained UC Davis by 49 yards, 448 yards to 399 … Tulsa also out-gained Oklahoma State by 34 yards, 347 to 313.
• In those first two games, Tulsa's margin of loss was just 3.5 points.
BRIN PUTS UP 400 YARDS IN JUST 3rd CAREER START . . .
• Davis Brin threw for a career-best 428 yards and two TDs against No.9-ranked Ohio State in just his 7th career game.
• The 428 yards is the 11th best passing performance in school history and just the 19th time a Tulsa quarterback went over the 400-yard plateau.
• Brin's 31 completions and 54 attempts were also career highs for the Tulsa junior.
• His previous-high was 266 yards in a reserve role last year against Tulane.
• It's the most passing yards for a Tulsa quarterback since Dane Evans threw for 421 yards against Memphis on Oct. 23, 2015 against #17 Memphis.
• In his three starts, Brin has completed 60-percent of his passes (65-of-109) for 853 yards and two TDs.
THE TARGETS . . .
• Without leading receiver Keylon Stokes on the field against Ohio State, Tulsa's Davis Brin targeted nine receivers in the game.
• Brin targeted five receivers, three running backs and one tight end as the junior completed 31 of his 54 passes, both career highs as well.
• Josh Johnson had a career-best 149 yards and one TD on eight receptions to lead the Tulsa receivers.
• Graduate transfer Ezra Naylor II caught his first passes in a Tulsa uniform with five receptions for 81 yards, including a long of 38 yards.
• In addition, one receiver caught his first career TD on just his fourth career reception, when the Cannon Montgomery caught a 21-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
STOKES SURPASSES 4,000 CAREER ALL-PURPOSE YARDS . . .
• Senior receiver and kick return specialist Keylon Stokes entered the 2021 season ranked third on the school's career all-purpose yardage chart with 3,956 yards.
• In the season opener, Stokes totaled 116 all-purpose yards and went over the 4,000-yard plateau.
• Stokes now has 4,108 career all-purpose yards afetr two games this season … Stokes missed the Ohio State game with an injury.
• Damaris Johnson (2008-10) ranks first on the all-purpose chart with 7,796 yards and Trey Watts (2010-13) is second with 5,877 career yards.
• In 44 career games, Stokes has caught 161 passes for 2,516 yards, has 61 kickoff returns for 1,253 yards, 220 rushing yards and 119 punt return yards.
• Stokes is ranked 11th on the school's career receiving chart with 2,516 yards and needs 827 yards to tie Howard Twilley (1963-65) for the school record.
BROOKS 5th ON ALL-TIME RUSHING CHART . . .
• Running back Shamari Brooks missed the 2020 season with an ACL injury.
• The senior from Tulsa's Union High School came into the 2021 season ranked 5th on the school's career rushing list with 2,700 yards and 12th for career rushing TDs with 23.
• Brooks rushed for 80 yards on 10 carries in the season opener.
• He now has a 2,837 career yards and 23 TDs in 35 career games and needs 163 yards to become the fifth Tulsa running back to reach the 3,000-yard plateau.
• Brooks is 704 yards shy of moving into a 4th place tie with Trey Watts (2010-13, 3,515 yards) on the school's all-time rushing chart.
TACKLES FOR LOSS . . .
• Tulsa's defense has totaled 21 TFL for -67 yards thru three games this season.
• Among Tulsa's total TFL this season, five have been credited as sacks for -31 yards.
• A total of 14 players have recorded at least an 0.5 TFL for lost yards, while defensive lineman Jaxon Player leads the way with 3.5 TFL for -5 yards and end Cullen Wick has totaled three TFL for -14 yards, including a team-high two sacks for -11 yards.
• The Hurricane had nine TFL in each of the first two games, including nine TFL for -20 yards in the season opener against UC Davis and nine TFL for -32 yards at Oklahoma State.
• Tulsa totaled three TFL for -15 yards at #9 Ohio State, including two sacks for -14 yards.
PRINCE GOES FOR CAREER-HIGH IN OPENER . . .
• Junior Deneric Prince opened the season with a career-best 151 yards and one TD vs. UC Davis.
• He averaged 10.8 yards per carry in the opener with his second career 100+ rushing game.
• Prince also had his second career rushing TD of 55+ yards with a 59-yard touchdown run in the third quarter … he had a career-long 62-yard TD run last season against USF.
• In three games this season, Prince has totaled a team-high 223 yards and two TDs on 39 carries for a 5.7 average per carry.
RAY LEADS THE DEFENSE . . .
• Junior Kendarin Ray has a team-high 25 tackles, while adding one sack for -7 yards and one forced fumble.
• Last week against Ohio State, Ray missed the first half following a targeting call a week earlier at Okahoma State … he came back in the second half and totaled six tackles, one sack for -7 yards and foced one fumble.
• In the opener, Ray led Tulsa with a career-high 13 tackles against UC Davis.
• The double-digit tackle game was his fourth career game with 10 or more stops.
• Ray also opened last season with a double-digit tackle game when he had 11 stops, all solos, against #11-ranked Oklahoma State.
• He also had 12 tackles at Tulane in 2019 and had 10 stops against the Green Wave last year.
Players Mentioned
Quarterback
/ Football
Running Back
/ Football
Wide Receiver
/ Football
Wide Receiver
/ Football
Wide Receiver
/ Football
Defensive Line
/ Football
Running Back
/ Football
Safety
/ Football
Linebacker
/ Football
Wide Receiver
/ Football
Defensive Line
/ Football
Safety
/ FootballFB | Tre Lamb Army Preview
Monday, November 17
FB | Tre Lamb Oregon State Preview
Monday, November 10
FB | Tre Lamb FAU Preview
Monday, November 03
FB | Tre Lamb Temple Preview
Monday, October 20