Photo by: BRETT ROJO, For the University of Tulsa
GAME NOTES #9: Tulsa at UAB
10/29/2024 6:46:00 PM | Football
Tulsa Plays at UAB on Saturday
Game Information
Date / Time: Saturday, Nov. 2, 1:30 p.m. (CT)
Site: Birmingham, Ala.
Stadium: Protective Stadium (42,254)
TV: ESPN+
Talent: Courtney Ley (pxp), Leger Douzable (analyst), Smacker Miles (sideline)
Radio: Big Country 99.5 FM / Sirius XM 387
Talent: Bruce Howard (pxp), Rick Couri (analyst), Jeremie Poplin (sideline)
Live Stats: TulsaHurricane.com
Series: Tulsa leads 4-0
Last Meeting: Sept. 29, 2012, Tulsa 49 @UAB 42
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TULSA 3-5. 1-3 The American
Head Coach: Kevin Wilson, 2nd year
(North Carolina '84)
Career Record: 33-60 (8th year)
TU Record: 7-13 (2nd year)
UAB 1-6, 0-4 The American
Head Coach: Trent Dilfer, 2nd year
(Fresno State)
Career Record: 5-14 (2 years)
UAB Record: Same
THE STORYLINES . . .
• This is the fourth meeting in the series, but the first time that the two schools have met as members of the American Athletic Conference.
• Tulsa will be looking for a second straight AAC win, while UAB will be seeking its first league victory.
• Tulsa is in its 128th season of football with its first year coming in 1895, while UAB is only in its 34th season of intercollegiate football, with its inaugural year coming in 1991 after two years as a club sport.
• Tulsa is in its 11th season in the American Athletic Conference while UAB is in its second year of AAC play.
• The two team's offenses average nearly the same in total offense with Tulsa tallying 378.1 yards per game and UAB 373.9 yards.
THE SERIES . . .
• This is the fifth meeting between Tulsa and UAB.
• Tulsa holds a 4-0 series lead, including a 2-0 record in Birmingham.
• The two teams haven't met since the 2012 season when the two schools were members of Conference USA.
• Tulsa claimed a 49-42 win on Sept. 29, 2012, in the last meeting at UAB.
• In the series, Tulsa holds a 42.3 to 28.5 scoring advantage in the four games.
THE COMEBACK . . .
• Tulsa trailed 35-7 at halftime and was behind 42-24 heading into the fourth period last Saturday against UTSA.
• In the final 30 minutes, the Hurricane outscored the visiting Roadrunners 39-10 for at 46-45 victory and the second biggest comeback in school history.
• In 2016, Tulsa trailed Fresno State 31-0 in the second quarter and came back for a 48-41 overtime victory for the school's biggest-ever comeback win.
• It was also the largest fourth quarter come-from-behind victory since the 1995 season when Tulsa came back from a 23-3 deficit with just over six minutes remaining in a 1995 home matchup over Oklahoma State for a 24-23 victory.
LEGAS NAMED ASSOCIATED PRESS NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK . . .
• Cooper Legas was named the AP National Player of the Week as well as the American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in Tulsa's 28-point comeback win over UTSA.
• Legas was also named one of eight quarterbacks as a Manning Award Star of the Week.
• The graduate transfer from Utah State completed 16-of-31 passes for 333 yards and a career-high 5 touchdowns.
• In the final 20 minutes of the game, Legas led Tulsa on four scoring drives, throwing four TDs to bring Tulsa back from a 42-17 deficit to a 46-45 victory.
• The final two scores came in the last 5:21 of the game with Tulsa scoring at the 2:26 mark as Legas completed 5-of-8 passes for 68 yards, including a 20-yard TD pass.
• On the game-winning drive, Legas completed 4-of-6 passes for 87 yards and threw a 4-yard TD pass for the game-winner. for 630 yards and 4 TDs.
HOW'D IT HAPPEN . . .
• Trailing 35-7 at halftime against UTSA, it was the Tulsa defense that got the comeback underway when Vontroy Malone's sack forced a fumble that Amieh Williams scooped up and ran 35 yards to make it a 35-14 score.
• A Tulsa field goal made it 35-17 before UTSA pushed its lead to 25 points scored for a 42-17 lead with 5:30 remaining in the third quarter.
• Tulsa scored tis 17th point in the third period when Cooper Legas found Kamdyn Benjamin for a 74-yard TD and a 42-24 score at the end of three quarters.
• In the fourth quarter, Tulsa outscored UTSA 21-3, including two touchdowns in the final 2:26 of the game.
• Legas found Benjamin for Tulsa's final two scores on 20- and 4-yard passes. The first capped a 75-yard, 10-play drive, and the second capped a 92-yard, 8-play drive.
• On that final drive, Legas completed 4-of-6 passes for 87 yards.
• Legas hit Joseph Williams for 27 yards, Zion Steptoe for 34, Corey Smith for 22 yards and found Benjamin for the final four yards with 1:01 left on the clock. Seth Morgan added the point-after for a 46-45 lead.
FIRST & TEN . . .
• After averaging just 12.3 points in its first three AAC games this year, Tulsa exploded for 46 points in its one-point win over UTSA.
• QB Cooper Legas came into the game vs. UTSA in the second quarter and completed 16-of-31 passes for 333 yards and a career-best 5 TDs.
• WR Kamdyn Benjamin had the first game with 3 TD receptions since Keevan Lucas' 3 touchdowns against Central Michigan in the 2016 Miami Beach Bowl.
• Benjamin ranks among one of the nation's top punt returners and receivers.
• Six true freshmen have made at least one start this season including RB Lloyd Avant (1), WR Joseph Williams (2), OL Brody Duffel (2) and DBs Elijah Green (2), Ashton Williams (1) and Zach Williams (1).
• DE Owen Ostroski has a team-high 8.5 TFL for -43 yards, including 3 for -24 yards in the last two games.
• DT Amieh Williams 35-yard fumble return for a TD was the first time since Oct. 5, 2019, that a Tulsa player returned a fumble for a touchdown
BENJAMIN HAVING BIG YEAR . . .
• A former walk-on, receiver Kamdyn Benjamin is Tulsa's leading receiver with 625 yards and 5 TDs on 49 receptions.
• He is coming off a 125-yard, 3-TD game in Tulsa's comeback win over UTSA.
• Benjamin has played in 42 career games with 15 starts and has 99 career receptions for 1,370 yards and 11 TDs.
• In his first 24 games, Benjamin caught just 5 passes for 25 yards and zero TDs, but in the last 18 games he has caught 94 passes for 1,345 yards and 11 TDs
• Benjamin has 4 career 100-yard receiving games, including 2 this season.
ALSO A PUNT RETURNER . . .
• In addition to his work as a receiver, Kamdyn Benjamin has also been a threat in the return game.
• He ranks second in the American Athletic Conference and 11th nationally for punt return yardage with 12.7 yards per game..
• Benjamin also had his first career punt return for a TD with a 66-yard return against Northwestern State in the season opener and is ranked in a tie for first place nationally for punt return TDs.
• He has 34 returns for 275 yards and one TD in his career.
FORMER WALK-ONS TO KEY CONTRIBUTORS . . .
• On the 2024 roster, Tulsa has four former walk-ons have made big contributions to the Golden Hurricane roster.
• WR Kamdyn Benjamin and OL Walter Young Bear had already earned their scholarships before the 2023 season, while QB Kirk Francis and SAF Dayne Hodge were put on scholarship after the 2023 season.
• This year, all four of these former walk-ons, have been in starting roles.
• In his sixth year, Benjamin has a team-leading 625 receiving yards on 49 receptions with 5 TDs, while he ranks 11th nationally for punt returns with a 12.7 average on 12 returns and 29th for receiving yards … last year, Benjamin led Tulsa receiving yards (727) and receiving TDS (6).
• The junior Hodge is second on the Tulsa defense with 50 tackles in 8 starts, while adding three pass breakups, one interception and one forced fumble …last season, Hodge ended the year starting eight games and totaling 57 tackles, 1.5 TFL, one interception and has caused two fumbles.
• Young Bear has started all 8 games this year at left guard … a year ago, Young Bear played in all 12 games and started the final two contests at left guard as a sophomore.
• Francis saved his redshirt year as a true freshman in 2023, but did play in the final four games … this year, he has thrown for 1,249 yards and 7 TDs … a year ago, he completed 68-of-121 passes for 967 yards with 6 TDs, and just 3 INT, while throwing for the second-most yards in school history as a freshman with 345 yards at Tulane.
THE BA BOYS . . .
• Graduate transfer linebackers Gavin Potter and Zach Marcheselli were reunited this year returning to the area where the two were high school teammates at Broken Arrow High School.
• As prep seniors in 2018, Potter and Marcheselli helped lead Broken Arrow HS to the Class 6A-1 state championship, the school's first state title in 10-8 years of football … each were also state champion wrestlers.
• Before coming to Tulsa, Potter played four seasons at Kansas and a year at Arkansas State, while Marcheselli spent all his previous five seasons at TCU.
• On the year, Potter is the team-leader with 52 tackles, while Marcheselli is ranked third with 35 stops.
• The duo made their Tulsa debut in the season opener by sharing the team lead with five tackles apiece … Marcheselli also had 2.5 TFL for -7 yards, while Potter had 1.5 TFL for -2 yards on top of a quarterback hurry.
• On the year, Potter also has 8 TFL for -26 yards, while Marcheselli has 6.5 TFL for -13 yards.
Players Mentioned
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