Photo by: Brett Rojo
GAME PREVIEW: TULSA HOSTS 3-0 JACKSONVILLE STATE
9/16/2022 7:00:00 AM | Football
Kickoff is 6 p.m. Saturday at Chapman Stadium
TULSA TAKES ON 3-0 JACKSONVILLE STATE ON SATURDAY AT 6 PM
| GAME 3: TULSA (1-1, 0-0 American) vs. JACKSONVILLE STATE (3-0, 0-0 ASUN) | |
|---|---|
| Date/Time: | Saturday, Sept. 17, 6 p.m. (CT) |
| Site: | Tulsa, Okla. |
| Stadium: | H.A. Chapman Stadium (30,000) |
| Coaches: | TULSA – Philip Montgomery (Tarleton State '95), 8th year JAX STATE – Rich Rodriguez (West Virginia '86), 1st year |
| TV: | ESPN+ |
| Talent: | James Westling (pxp), Taylor McHargue (analyst) |
| Tickets: | Click HERE |
| 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 | JAX State | American Athletic Conference |
TULSA, Okla. –– The Tulsa Golden Hurricane (1-1) returns to H.A. Chapman Stadium this Saturday to take on the 3-0 Jacksonville State Gamecocks for a 6 p.m. kickoff.
Temperatures will reach the 90s during the day and expected to be in the high 80s by game time.
Tulsa is coming off a thrilling 38-35 win over Northern Illinois last Saturday, while JAX State claimed a 34-3 road victory at Murray State. If statistics are a sign of what's to come, then this game has the potential to be a high-scoring and explosive shootout between the two teams.
This is the first meeting between the two schools.
Let's look at the storylines …
HIGH-SCORING TEAMS GO HEAD-TO-HEAD
Tulsa and Jacksonville State are each averaging 37.0 points per game this year. Tulsa has put up 40 and 48 games in its two games, coming at Wyoming and home against Northern Illinois, both bowl teams a year ago. The Gamecocks opened the season by scoring 42 points in a 25-point victory over the FCS' 10th-ranked Stephen F. Austin and tallied 35 and 34 points in the past two games. Seven of Tulsa's nine TDs have come through the air, while JSU has 12 rushing touchdowns and four passing scores.
THE COACHES
JSU's Rich Rodriguez is in his 25th season as a collegiate head coach with his most prominent stops at West Virginia for seven seasons, Michigan three years and Arizona for six years. Tulsa's Philip Montgomery is in his eighth year guiding the Hurricane program, his first head coaching position. He has led Tulsa to the second-most bowl games in school history with four and the first Tulsa coach to defeat two top-20 teams in the same season and the first coach to have two No. 1 NFL Draft selections, and that came in back-to-back years (2021, 2022).
THE RUN VS. THE PASS
JAX State has averaged 277 yards rushing in its first three games to rank sixth in the FCS. The Gamecocks have four backs with over 100 yards on the year with Anwar Lewis leading the way with 300 yards for an 8.6 average per carry. Matt LaRoche has gained 208 yards and a 6.5 average. In comparison, Tulsa has put up most of its yards through the air as the Hurricane rank third nationally with 391.0 yards per game. The Hurricane has four receivers with over 100 yards through the first two games and our led by Keylon Stokes 304 yards.
BRIN NO. 1, STOKES NO. 2
Davis Brin is the FBS leader for passing yards per game with 391 yards, while completing 58-percent of his passes with seven touchdowns. Brin has totaled 782 passing yards through the first two games, including a career-best 460 yards in the season opener at Wyoming and a career-high four TDs last week against NIU. One of Brin's top targets, Keylon Stokes, is second in the nation for receiving yards (304), receiving yards per game (152.0) and receptions per game (9.5).
THE TURNOVER STORY
Jacksonville State's defense has produced six turnovers to rank third among all FCS teams, forcing five fumbles and getting one interception. But, offensively JSU has also given up six turnovers. On the other side, the Tulsa defense has managed just two takeaways, a fumble recovery at Wyoming and an interception by Tyon Davis that sealed the Hurricane victory a week ago. Tulsa has lost three fumbles and an interception.
WEBB, BRIN AMONG TOPS FOR POINTS RESPONSIBLE
JSU quarterback Zion Webb has been responsible for eight touchdowns, six rushing and two passing, to tie for fourth place nationally. Webb had three TD runs in each of JSU's first two games. On Tulsa's side, Davis Brin ranks 13th in FBS stats for points responsible for.
TULSA'S O-LINE GROWING
Tulsa, along with Virginia, came into the season with the least experienced offensive line. Tulsa's first game starters had zero career starts. In game two, the Hurricane had different starter on the right side of the line – transfer Tai Marks at guard and Jaden Muskrat at tackle. Muskrat has one previous career start for the Hurricane. Tulsa has used seven linemen through the first two games in the starting lineup.
LUCKY 13
A Tulsa defender has had 13 tackles in each of the first two games. Linebacker Justin Wright tallied 13 stops in the season opener with nine solos and four assists, while nickel safety Bryson Powers totaled a new career-best with 13 stops a week later against NIU.
MOVING UP
Jacksonville State is a member of the ASUN in the FCS this year but will be making the move to FBS next year as a first-year member of Conference USA. Since the 2010 season, JAX State has the fourth-best winning percentage in the FCS with a 109-43 overall record for a .717 winning percentage. JSU has defeated four FBS teams since that 2010 season, including wins over Ole Miss and last year's 20-17 victory against Florida State.
NEXT WEEK
Tulsa travels to Oxford, Miss., to take on the SEC's Ole Miss Rebels next Saturday with kickoff slated for 3 p.m.
BACK HOME IN TWO WEEKS TO OPEN AAC PLAY
Tulsa returns to H.A. Chapman Stadium a week later to open the American Athletic Conference schedule with defending champion Cincinnati on Oct. 1. Fans can purchase tickets online at TulsaHurricane.com or call 918.631.4688.
Players Mentioned
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