Photo by: BRETT ROJO, For the University o
GAME NOTES: Tulsa at SMU
10/23/2023 5:00:00 PM | Football
TULSA TAKES ON LEAGUE-LEADING MUSTANGS IN DALLAS
GAME #8
TULSA (3-4, 1-2 AAC) vs. SMU (5-2, 3-0 AAC)
Saturday, Oct. 28 • 11 am (CT)
Stadium: Gerald J. Ford Stadium (32,000)
TV: ESPNU
Radio: Big Country 99.5 FM
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TULSA 3-4, 1-2 The American
Head Coach: Kevin Wilson
(North Carolina '84)
1st year at Tulsa
Career Record: 29-51 (7 years)
TU Record: 3-4 (1 year)
SMU 5-2, 3-0 The American
Head Coach: Rhett Lashlee
(Arkansas '06)
2nd year at SMU
Career Record: 12-8 (2 years)
SMU Record: same
THE STORYLINES . . .
• Tulsa is coming into this week's matchup against SMU having lost its last two contests, while the Mustangs are on a three-game winning streak.
• The Hurricane is 3-4 on the year, while SMU has a 5-2 mark …Tulsa is 1-2 in The American and SMU is tied for first at 3-0.
• Tulsa is in its 127th season of football … Tulsa's first football season was 1895, (TU did not field a team in 1907), while SMU's first year of football was 1911.
• Tulsa has the smallest FBS enrollment with 3,777 students, while SMU has a student enrollment of 10,893
• The two schools have been members in three different conferences together – Western Athletic Conference (1996-2005), Conference USA (2005-13) and The American (2014-present).
THE SERIES . . .
• This is the 30th meeting between Tulsa and SMU.
• SMU leads the series 16-13 and has a 10-5 record in Dallas.
• The Mustangs won last year's meeting in Tulsa 45-34, while Tulsa garnered a road victory over the Mustangs a year earlier with a 34-31 win in 2021.
• Tulsa leads the series 6-3 since the two teams have been members together in the American Athletic Conference.
THE MATCHUP . . .
• Against common opponents this year that the two teams have played – Oklahoma and Temple – each team has a 1-1 record, both falling to OU and defeating Temple.
• On the field, Tulsa has been balanced offensively with 184.3 yards through the air and 187.9 yards on the ground.
• The Mustangs average 437.9 total yards per game with 273.4 passing and 164.4 yards on the ground.
• SMU leads the AAC in scoring offense (36.4), scoring defense (14.5) and total defense (285.5)
• In rushing defense, SMU is second in the AAC allowing just 113.0 yards, while Tulsa is fifth, giving up 135.0 yards per game.
QUICK HITTERS . . .
• Tulsa faced three FBS non-conference opponents who currently sport a combined 18-4 record, including two of the nation's top-10 teams Oklahoma and
• Tulsa has been efficient in the red zone this season, converting 22-of-25 attempts (88%), with 16 of those going for touchdowns.
• The Hurricane ranks 28th nationally for rushing offense with an average of 187.9 yards per game.
• Three Tulsa quarterbacks have started at least one game this year due to injuries … Braylon Braxton started the opener and vs. Rice, Cardell Williams vs. #8 Washington, NIU, Temple and FAU and Roman Fuller against #19 Oklahoma.
HURRICANE PLAYER WATCH . . .
• SAF Kendarin Ray leads the AAC with 71 tackles for a 10.1 average per game, while ranking 12th in the NCAA.
• Sophomore PK Chase Meyer leads the The American and shares the NCAA lead for field goal percentage at 100%, connecting on 8-of-8 field goals … Meyer has also converted 20-of-20 PATs.
• After missing two games with an injury, DE Owen Ostroski returned against Rice and had 2.5 TFL for -15 yards among his five tackles to give him a team-high seven TFL for -33 yards.
• Walk-on SAF Dayne Hodge has gotten the start at safety in each of the last four games and has responded with 22 tackles, one TFL, one interception and caused one fumble … he had two stops and one INT in his first start at NIU and tallied a team-high nine tackles and one forced fumble vs. Temple.
• JACK Ben Kopenski has 5.5 TFL for -26 yards and a team-high 4.5 sacks for -24 yards this season after transferring from Oklahoma State.
• SAF Jaise Oliver has a team-high three interceptions this year and five for his career.
• Oliver record 11 stops, one TFL for -3 yards, two PBUs and one INT against FAU … nine of his tackles, the TFL, INT and PBUs came in the first half.
• True freshman TE Luke McGary has caught five passes for 65 yards with two of those going for TDs, covering 35 yards.
• In the last five games, WR Kamdyn Benjamin has totaled 263 yards and one TD on 14 catches after having just five career receptions for 25 yards in his previous 25 games played.
• LB Julien Simon, after transferring from USC, had a career-high 10 tackles at FAU … in the last four games, Simon has 29 stops, 2.5 TFL, one PBU and one fumble recovery.
• Oklahoma State transfers Kanion Williams (SAF) and Demarco Jones (CB) each had their first career interceptions this year … Williams' interception came against UAPB in the opener and Jones' pickoff came against #19 Oklahoma.
OLIVER PLAYING BIG DEFENSIVELY . . .
• SAF Jaise Oliver has made a big presence in the Tulsa secondary this year.
• The fifth-year senior leads Tulsa for interceptions (3) and pass breakups (5), while ranking third for tackles with 33 stops … he has also forced one fumble.
• Oliver had a career-game with 11 stops, one TFL for -3 yards, two pass breakups and one interception at FAU.
BALANCE . . .
• Offensively, Tulsa has shown balance as only 25 yards separate Tulsa's season totals for rushing (1,315) and passing (1,290) yards.
• Tulsa has averaged 187.9 yards on the ground and 184.3 yards passing.
• Of Tulsa's 20 offensive touchdowns, Tulsa has 12 passing TDs and eight TDs on the ground.
K-RAY LEADING THE WAY . . .
• Sixth-year senior safety Kendarin Ray has been the leader of the Tulsa defense this season.
• He has a team-high 71 tackles thru seven games to lead the Hurricane defense and all the American Athletic Conference defenders.
• Ray was named the AAC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in the Northern Illinois game (Sept. 23).
• Ray had a team-high 10 tackles and came up with a game-clinching interception to lead Tulsa to a 22-14 win at NIU … he made a pivotal tackle on a 4th-and-1 play from the NIU 28-yard line that allowed Tulsa to get a key field goal, while his pickoff came at the Tulsa 21 with 26 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
• He entered the 2023 season with 222 career tackles and now has 293 career stops in 46 games and 33 starting assignments … Ray now 43 stops shy of 10th place on Tulsa's career tackles list.
• Ray has 5 double-digit tackle games this year and 12 for his career … he led or shared the lead for tackles in 5 of 7 games this season.
• In the season opener, Ray had 10 stops, 5 solos and 5 assists … he totaled 11 stops against #19 Oklahoma and tallied 10 tackles at both NIU and FAU.
• In his career, Ray has added 13 pass breakups, 10 TFL for -21 yards, four forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and two interceptions.
QB DEPTH . . .
• Tulsa has used three quarterbacks in the first seven games due to injuries.
• Braylon Braxton started the season as the opener, was replaced by Cardell Williams after suffering an injury in the first half vs. UAPB.
• Williams went 13-of-14 for 233 yards and three TDs in that role off the bench.
• Williams started the second game at Washington and late in the 2nd quarter was sidelined with an injury, thus giving Roman Fuller the reins.
• Fuller ended the game 12-of-18 for 85 yards and one TD against Washington, and started the next contest against #19 Oklahoma, but gave way to Williams.
• Williams was back in the starting lineup the next three games – Northern Illinois, Temple and FAU.
• Braxton returned in a reserve role, entering in the fourth quarter at FAU, and was back as the starter vs. Rice.
BRAXTON BACK IN ACTION …
• Braylon Braxton was injured in the first quarter of the season opener and had missed the next four games before seeing playing time in the FAU contest.
• In the opener, Braxton completed just 1-of-4 passes for nine yards.
• He made his first game appearance since then at FAU on Oct. 7 … Braxton entered the game with 7:56 remaining in the contest and took Tulsa on an 80-yard, 7-play drive.
• On that drive, Braxton rushed for 56 yards and on his first pass attempt hit Luke McGary for 20 yards and a touchdown, cutting Tulsa's deficit to 20-17 with 4:58 remaining.
• He finished the game with 47 rushing yards on seven carries and completed 3-of-8 passes for 67 yards and the one TD.
• Braxton started the next game vs. Rice and rushed for a team-high 89 yards and completed 4-of-8 passes for 37 yards.
WALKONS TO STARTERS . . .
• Three former walk-ons who earned scholarships during their careers have made strong showings in their senior years, while a current walk-on has also seen the starting rotation this year.
• Sixth-year seniors Joe Anderson and Mitchell Kulkin and fifth-year senior Kamdyn Benjamin are former walk-ons to current starters.
• Anderson and Kulkin, who play on the defensive side of the ball, redshirted in the 2018 season … Anderson has now played in 38 games with 17 career starts, while Kulkin has made 50 game appearances with three starts.
• Anderson, at tackle, has started all seven games this year and Kulkin has started the last three contests … Kulkin, at linebacker, has 22 tackles, three PBUs and two QB hurries this year, while Anderson has tallied 10 stops, one TFL and one PBU.
• Benjamin, a receiver who came to Tulsa in 2019, has played in 29 games and has started the last two contests … Benjamin has caught 16 passes for 270 yards and one TD, after coming into the year with just three receptions for 18 yards.
• Current walk-on SAF Dayne Hodge, a third-year sophomore, has started four games this year and has tallied 22 tackles, one TFL, one interception and caused one fumble this year.
Players Mentioned
Wide Receiver
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Place-kicker
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Safety
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Defensive Back
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