Tulsa Hosts UTSA Saturday on Homecoming

Saturday, October 26

H.A. Chapman Stadium

2:30 pm

Tulsa

UTSA

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Photo by: BRETT ROJO, For the University o

Tulsa Hosts UTSA Saturday on Homecoming

10/25/2024 1:00:00 AM | Football

TULSA FACES UTSA ROADRUNNERS SATURDAY FOR HOMECOMING 2024

GAME 8: TULSA (2-5, 0-3 American) vs. UTSA (3-4, 1-2 American)
Date/Time:	Saturday, October 26, 2:30 p.m. (CT)
Site:	Tulsa, Okla.
Stadium:	Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman Stadium (30,000)
Coaches:	TULSA – Kevin Wilson (North Carolina '84), 2nd year UTSA – Jeff Traylor (Stephen F. Austin '90), 5th year
TV:	ESPN+
Talent:	James Westling (pxp), Leger Douzable (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:	UTSA leads 1-0
Game Notes:	Tulsa \| UTSA \| American Athletic Conference I Game Program

TULSA, Okla. –– It's Homecoming Weekend for The University of Tulsa as the Golden Hurricane will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak Saturday afternoon against the UTSA Roadrunners.

Game time is set for 2:30 p.m. (CT) at H.A. Chapman Stadium and can be seen on ESPN+.

It's a meeting with two programs that have different histories on the gridiron. The Hurricane is in its 128^th year of football, while the Roadrunners is in only its 14^th year with its inaugural season coming in 2011.

Although UTSA enters with a sub-500 record, the Roadrunners have been winners in 16 of their last 19 league contests including a 7-1 mark for a second place American Athletic Conference a year ago. The Roadrunners, picked second in the preseason league poll, are fresh off a 38-24 home win over Florida Atlantic last week for its first league win of the year, but its two AAC losses have come by only an average of six points per game.

Tulsa (2-5, 0-3 AAC) will be looking for a Homecoming crowd to give the Hurricane a home field advantage against the Roadrunners.

UTSA's offense is putting up 409 yards of total offense with 268 passing yards and another 142 yards on the ground.

Left-handed quarterback Owen McCown has completed 62-percent of his passes for 1,650 yards and 12 TDs. The signal-caller has great bloodlines as his dad Josh had an 18-year NFL career and uncle Luke played the position in the NFL for 12 years.

Through eight games, McCown has targeted 17 different players as four of those receivers have each caught passes for over 200 yards. Willie McCoy leads the way for yards with 342, while Devin McCuin has a team-leading 37 catches for 279 yards and a team-high four TDs.

UTSA's run game, just like Tulsa's, has been by committee as Brandon High and Robert Henry have gained 290 and 279 yards, respectively. The UTSA offensive line has seen six different starting lineups take the field in 2024 however, the Roadrunners have started the same players at left tackle, enter and right guard in each of their first seven games.

Tulsa's defense will need to be physical against the Roadrunners while also forcing turnovers, and that physicality starts upfront

The Hurricane has been led by safety Dayne Hodge with a team-high 44 tackles and a pair of graduate transfers at linebacker. Gavin Potter and Zach Marcheselli, both hailing from nearby Broken Arrow High School, has combined for 71 tackles and 13.5 TFL for -37 yards in their first seasons in a Tulsa uniform. Potter has 43 stops and a team-high eight TFL for -26 yards while Marcheselli has 28 stops and 5.5 tackles for -11 yards.

Hodge, fellow safety Malachai Jones, who has 27 stops and three pass breakups, and senior cornerback Tyree Carlisle, with 23 tackles, anchor a secondary that has used a number of freshmen at both corner and safety.

Ends Myles Jackson and Owen Ostroski have been able to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks and will need to do the same on Saturday. The duo each have 20 tackles apiece and have combined for 9.5 TFL for -47 yards and three sacks.

When Tulsa does get the ball on offense, the Hurricane will need to be balanced and establishing a run game will not be an easy task against UTSA's stout defensive front seven. UTSA has held five of its seven opponents to 100 yards or less, only giving up more than 100 yards to just Texas and Texas State. The Roadrunners have held the opposition to 354.4 yards of total offense and ranks second in The American for rush defense, holding opponents to just 96.0 yards per game, while giving up 258 passing yards.

UTSA's starting interior defensive front is huge, coming in at an average of 328 yards to plug running lines for the opponent. A pair of seniors, Brandon Brown comes in at 320 pounds and Christian Clayton tips the scales at 335 pounds.

A trio of linebackers – Martavious French, Jimmori Robinson, and Brevin Randle – are among the top 4 UTSA tacklers, while a fourth, Jamal Ligon, is not far behind. French has a team-high 35 stops, Robinson has 25 tackles and leads the way with 8.5 TFL for -43 yards, Randle had 29 tackles and Ligon has totaled 21 stops.

Safeties Elliott Davison and Ken Robinson highlight the Roadrunners secondary as Davison has totaled 30 tackles and Robinson has 24 stops.

The Hurricane has a fairly balanced offensive attack, averaging 203.9 yards and scoring nine touchdowns through the air, and rushing for 167.1 yards.

Redshirt freshman Kirk Francis has received the majority of snaps at quarterback for the Hurricane and has completed 59 percent of her passes for 1,217 yards and seven touchdowns. Reserves Cooper Legas and Cardell Williams have combined to run for 184 yards and three of Tulsa's eight rushing TDs.

Two graduate seniors lead Tulsa for rushing and receiving. Anthony Watkins has gained 271 yards and three TDs on the ground, while Kamdyn Benjamin leads all receivers with 42 receptions for 500 yards and two TDs.

Watkins gets help on the ground from junior Bill Jackson with 249 yards and freshman Lloyd Avant with 188 yards. Watkins and Jackson have also been effective in the passing game, combining for 18 receptions and 171 receiving yards.

If Tulsa can get the run game established against the UTSA defensive front, Benjamin and a bevy of young receivers will have opportunities to make plays down field. Newcomers Corey Smith with nine catches for 27 yards, Zion Steptoe with 10 receptions for 119 yards and second-year tight end Luke McGary with 84 yards on six receptions are just a few of the 17 players to catch a pass this year.

The Hurricane offensive line, which has had five different starting lineups in seven games, will get perhaps its biggest test from a powerful defensive front.

The Saturday afternoon Homecoming game will have sunny skies and a temperature in the high 70s.