GAME PREVIEW: TULSA HOSTS ARKANSAS STATE TODAY

Saturday, September 25

Tulsa, Okla.

4:00 PM

Tulsa

Arkansas State

Tickets

Photo by: David Dermer

GAME PREVIEW: TULSA HOSTS ARKANSAS STATE TODAY

9/24/2021 11:00:00 AM | Football

TULSA RETURNS HOME TO FACE ANOTHER TOUGH OPPONENT WITH ARKANSAS STATE COMING TO TOWN

GAME 4: TULSA (0-3, 0-0 American) vs. ARKANSAS STATE (1-2, 0-0 Sun Belt)
Date/Time:	Saturday, Sept. 25, 4:00 p.m. (CT)
Site:	Tulsa, Oklahoma
Stadium:	Skelly Field @ H.A. Chapman Stadium
Coaches:	TULSA – Philip Montgomery (Tarleton State '95), 7th year ARKANSAS STATE – Butch Jones (Ferris State '90), 1st year
TV:	ESPN+
Talent:	Courtney Lyle (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:	ASU leads 3-2
First Meeting:	Sept. 2, 1978 (Tulsa, 21, ASU 20), Tulsa, Okla.
Last Meeting:	Sept. 15, 2018 (ASU 29, Tulsa 20), Tulsa, Okla.
Game Notes:	Tulsa \| Arkansas State \| American Athletic Conference

GAME DAY FAN INFORMATION

TULSA, Okla. –– It's good to be back home as the Tulsa Golden Hurricane plays host to another explosive team as the Arkansas State Red Wolves visit H.A. Chapman Stadium this Saturday afternoon.

ASU brings their 1-2 record to Tulsa after defeating UCA, 40-21, on the opening weekend and falling just short against American Athletic Conference member Memphis 55-50 and then losing last week at Washington. Tulsa is looking for its first win of the year after close losses against UC Davis and on the road at Oklahoma State and No. 9-ranked Ohio State.

The game kicks off at 4:00 p.m.

The ASU offense comes into this week's game averaging 31.0 points and 489.3 yards per game with 373.7 of those yards coming through the air.

The Red Wolves have not just one, but two gunslingers at the quarterback position. Six-foot, five-inch Florida State transfer James Blackman has completed 55-percent of his passes for 651 yards and four touchdowns, while 5'11" Alabama transfer Layne Hatcher has thrown for 470 yards and five TDs while completing 67.2 percent of his passes.

The two signal-callers have thrown to 13 different receivers, while three wideouts have each hauled in passes for over 200 yards and combining for seven touchdowns. Jeff Foreman leads the way with 270 yards on 15 receptions, while Corey Rucker has 257 yards and Te'Vailance Hunt has 242 yards receiving.

The running back position is just as deep as the receiving corps for the Red Wolves. Alan Lamar, Johnnie Lang and Marcel Murray have combined for 233 yards behind an experienced offensive line.

Tulsa's defense gave up over 500 yards last week for just the second time in the last 36 games. The Hurricane defense will need to be at its best against the potent, quick strike Arkansas State offense.

Tulsa should have its safety corps intact this week with Kendarin Ray, Cristian Williams and TieNeal Martin, the starters a year ago, all back in the lineup. It will be the first time this season that the trio will be on the field at the same time. Williams will return to the lineup after playing only the first half in the season opener. Martin missed the first game, and Ray missed the first half of last week's game.

The 6'4" Ray has a team-high 25 tackles. In two games, Martin has 10 tackles, 1.5 TFL for -5 yards and one pass breakup, while Williams tallied three stops in his only appearance this season.

The trio combined for 138 tackles and 17 pass breakups last season. Bryson Powers, who has totaled 18 tackles to rank second on the team, and fellow safeties LJ Wallace and Jaise Oliver have filled in solidly over the first three weeks of the season.

The corner slots are manned by senior Tyon Davis and graduate transfer Travon Fuller and are spelled by three quality guys in the likes of Tyree Carlisle, Reggie Ellis and Kenney Solomon. Davis has 17 tackles and one pass breakup this year, while Travon Fuller has nine stops and two breakups.

Up front, Tulsa features a solid two-deep led by tackle Jaxon Player, 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 transfer Elijah Taylor will all see considerable playing time up front as well.

Wick has totaled 13 tackles and three TFL for -14 yards, while Jason Player has tallied nine stops and 3.5 TFL for -5 yards to lead the front line.

Tulsa's linebacking corps has seen a number of players contributing this season. Yohance Burnett, Justin Wright and Robert Revels III were the starters a week ago, while graduate transfer Jon-Michael Terry, Grant Sawyer, Dorian Hopkins and Mitchell Kulkin have seen valuable playing time in each of the first three games.

Burnett has 18 tackles, Terry is next with 13, Wright with 11, Sawyer and Revels with nine stops apiece and Hopkins has eight tackles.

ASU's defense has been strong against opponent running attacks this season, allowing just 168.3 yards on the ground.

Defensive ends Kivon Bennett, a transfer from Tennessee, and North Texas transfer Joe Ozougwu have provided pressure from the outside against opposing quarterbacks. Bennett has 11 tackles and 5.5 TFL for -27 yards, while Ozougwu has added nine stops and 1.5 sacks for -13 yards.

The linebacker corps is led by sophomore Anthony Switzer and senior Caleb Bonner, both of whom have totaled 12 tackles on the year.

The Arkansas State secondary has been tested through its first three games with explosive offenses like Memphis and Washington. Safety Taylon Doss leads the way with team-highs of 20 tackles and four pass breakups. Fellow safety Elery Alexander has 19 tackles and one interception, while corner Jarius Reimonenq has tallied 13 tackles and three pass breakups.

Tulsa's passing game was on target last week against No. 9 Ohio State, but the Hurricane offense will need to have a more balanced against the Red Wolves. A week ago, Davis Brin threw for a career-high 428 yards and two touchdowns, but the run game only produced 73 yards against the Buckeyes.

Brin targeted nine different receivers last week as Josh Johnson's 149 yards on eight receptions led the way.

Tulsa's run game is capable of balancing the Hurricane offense. The rushing attack produced 247 yards in the season opener but has averaged only 98 yards in the last two contests. Deneric Prince and Shamari Brooks combined for 231 of Tulsa's season-opening rushing total.

Prince had his second career 100-yard game with 151 yards and a 59-yard touchdown scamper in the season opener, while Brooks, who missed the 2020 season with an ACL injury, rushed for 80 yards on 10 carries against UC Davis. Brooks ranks fifth in school history for rushing with 2,837 career yards and 12^th for rushing TDs with 23.

The backs run behind a veteran offensive front that has nine players who have started games and five players who earned all-conference accolades a year ago. Those nine starters include first-team all-AAC Tyler Smith, second-teamer Chris Paul, honorable mention selections Dylan Couch, Gerard Wheeler and Dante Bivens as well as sophomores X'Zauvea Gadlin and Bryce Bray, senior Tiller Bucktrot and redshirt freshmen Jaden Muskrat.

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

Tulsa has experience in both the kicking and punting games. Senior Zack Long has connected on 4-of-4 field goals this year, including a season-long of 41 yards. Sophomore Lachlan Wilson has averaged 45.7 yards on 19 punts and has placed seven 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.

The game will be carried on ESPN+ with Courtney Lyle and former Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden calling the action.