Saturday, September 21
Ruston, LA
6:00 p.m.
Tulsa
2-2 , 0-0
23
at
20
Louisiana Tech
1-2 , 0-0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
OT
F
Tulsa
7
3
7
3
3
23
Louisiana Tech
0
7
0
13
0
20
Photo by: Josh McDaniel
Tulsa Takes Down Louisiana Tech 23-20 in Overtime
9/22/2024 2:45:00 AM | Football
RUSTON, La. –– Myles Jackson and Owen Ostroski made the big play on defense, and Seth Morgan drilled the game-winning field goal as the Golden Hurricane outlasted Louisiana Tech 23-20 in overtime of Tulsa's nonconference finale on Saturday night.
In front of 18,152 fans at Joe Aillet Stadium, the Tulsa defense came up with a key turnover on the second play of overtime. Jackson broke through the right side of the line and put a big hit on the unaware quarterback, knocking the ball lose. Ostroski scooped the ball in stride and took off for the endzone. He shed a tackle attempt and dived for the pylon, seemingly getting in, but after review was judged short and the Golden Hurricane offense would need to score to win.
Bill Jackson took the first carry 17 yards down to the eight. After a second play lost six yards, the Hurricane centered the ball and took a knee, putting the game on the foot of Morgan, who had just knocked a 45-yard field goal through to send the game to overtime. Again, the graduate transfer came through, connecting from 34 yards and sending the Hurricane home with a win.
TU improved to 2-2 this season as the Hurricane prepares for the conference opener next weekend. Louisiana Tech drops its second straight and is 1-2 in 2024.
Tulsa amassed 333 yards of offense on the day. Kirk Francis threw for 228 yards on 24 completions with a touchdown and no interceptions. On the ground, the Hurricane picked up 105, with Anthony Watkins grinding out a team-best 63 yards on 10 carries, which included a 30-yard touchdown run. Jackson had 36 yards on the ground, while three others had carries.
Kamdyn Benjamin led Tulsa in receiving, pulling down eight catches for 69 yards. Corey Smith grabbed three passes for 56 yards and his first career touchdown. Luke McGary had a pair of catches for 48 yards. In all, Francis found eight different receivers on Saturday evening.
The Tulsa defense was flying all over the field on Saturday, causing three turnovers in addition to recording five sacks and nine tackles for loss, totaling -42 in yardage. Gavin Potter led the TU defenders with 10 tackles and a sack. Buddha Garrett had eight stops and forced a first half fumble Malachai Jones recovered. Jackson had 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble on the pivotal play in overtime, recovered by Ostroski. R.J. Jackson had 1.5 sacks and Amieh Williams added a sack as well in the win. NuNu Campbell intercepted the the Bulldogs late in the first quarter.
Louisiana Tech was held to 284 yards on Saturday, 87 on the ground and 197 through the air. Three quarterbacks took to the field for the Bulldogs, led by Blake Baker's 107 yards with an interception. Evan Bullock connected on the lone touchdown through the air. Fred Robertson led the ground game with 40 yards, while Eli Finley had three receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown to pace the receivers.
Offense was not easy to come by for either team, with Tulsa recording 155 yards through the majority of the first three quarters until Tulsa's final drive of the third frame. Louisiana Tech entered the fourth quarter having amassed just 155 yards of total offense, 93 on the ground and 62 passing. The Punters were active with Angus Davies punting 10 times, placing four inside the 20, and LA Tech's Patrick Rea hitting three of his seven punts inside the 20.
Tulsa took the lead first in the ballgame on Tulsa's third possession of the game. A short punt saw the Hurricane start its drive at the LA Tech 40. Anthony Watkins got the game's first score with a 30-yard run with 4:05 remaining in the quarter.
Louisiana Tech leveled the score early in the second quarter, getting a bit of fortune after a punt hit the returner but bounced into the hands of Cedric Woods, who took the return 49 yards down to the Tulsa 25. Five plays later, the Bulldogs punched it in on fourth and goal from the one to tie the game at seven.
With 9:15 remaining in the second quarter, Kamdyn Benjamin received a LA Tech punt at the Tulsa 32 and got a nice return to the Louisiana Tech 42. Tulsa capitalized on the good field position, taking 4:25 off the clock on a drive that went 28 yards on nine plays. Morgan put Tulsa ahead with his first field goal of the day from 32 yards. The Hurricane would take the 10-7 lead to the lockers.
The third quarter did not see much action with five punts and a turnover on downs between the two schools. With 3:17 on the clock, Tulsa started its final drive of the quarter from its own 15 yard line. What followed was a 5-play, 85-yard drive that took 3:13 off the clock and culminated in Corey Smith's first career touchdown on a 38-yard pass from Francis. It was Tulsa's most effective drive through the air as Francis connected with Benjamin for 21 yards, McGary for 28 and then Smith on the TD pass to go ahead 17-7.
The Bulldogs opened with its best drive to start the fourth, going 79 yards in seven plays, scoring on a Blake Baker QB sneak. The snap on the extra point was far too high for the holder and Tulsa led 17-13.
Louisiana Tech got a big punt return later in the fourth, taking the punt 30 yards to the Tulsa 48. The Bulldogs then went 43 yards in five plays, scoring on fourth and four with a 24-yard touchdown pass from Bullock to Finley, giving the hosts their first lead of the night.
The Hurricane needed a big drive, and the Tulsa offense delivered, picking up 48 yards in nine plays to set up Morgan's season high 45-yard field goal to tie the game at 20. Francis and McGary connected for 20 yards on the first play of the drive. Later in the drive, Francis and Smith matched up again for 11 yards to get Tulsa inside the LA Tech 40. The Hurricane came up just short of another first down at the Bulldogs 27, setting up the field goal that sent the game to overtime.
Tulsa opens its American Athletic Conference schedule next Saturday at North Texas with a 6 p.m. kickoff on ESPN+ before returning home to welcome new league member Army on Oct. 5 in the home conference opener.
1st Quarter Breakdown
• Louisiana Tech got the ball first, but both teams went three and out on their respective opening drives.
• On Louisiana Tech's second possession, Buddha Garret forced a fumble after an 11-yard rush, the first forced fumble of his career … Malachai Jones dove on the loose ball at the at the Tulsa 39, his first fumble recovery.
• The Hurricane picked up its first first down of the game on a 13-yard screen pass down to the LA Tech 41 from Kirk Francis to Kamdyn Benjamin with 5:50 remaining in the quarter.
• Tulsa found paydirt on its third possession, taking it 40 yards in five plays as Anthony Watkins broke off a 30-yard touchdown rush.
• NuNu Campbell intercepted a pass on the next possession, reacting first to a tipped pass by the wide receiver.
• TU led 7-0 after the first quarter.
2nd Quarter Breakdown
• Louisiana Tech benefited on a punt that hit its own returner, as Cedric Woods picked up the bouncing ball at his own 26 and returned it 49 yards to the Tulsa 25 before Zach Neilsen tripped him up.
• The Bulldogs punched it in on a Jimmy Holiday rush on fourth down from the one to even the score 7-7, capping a short 5 play, 25-yard rush that took 2:18 off the clock.
• Seth Morgan put Tulsa back ahead with a 32-yard field goal to finish a 9 play, 28-yard drive that took 4:25 off the clock.
• The Hurricane took a 10-7 lead into the halftime break.
• Tulsa outgained LA Tech 125-113 in the opening half.
3rd Quarter Breakdown
• Five of the seven possessions in the third quarter ended with a punt with three 3-and-out drives.
• The Bulldogs longest drive went eight plays and 38 yards in 3:26 but was ended as the Tulsa defense stood strong and stopped them on fourth and one at the TU 47.
• The Hurricane ended the third quarter with a five play, 85-yard drive in 3:14, which ended with a 38-yard touchdown pass down the middle from Kirk Francis to Corey Smith.
• Tulsa led 17-7 entering the fourth quarter and outgained the Bulldogs 240-155 through the opening three periods.
4th Quarter Breakdown
Overtime Breakdown
In front of 18,152 fans at Joe Aillet Stadium, the Tulsa defense came up with a key turnover on the second play of overtime. Jackson broke through the right side of the line and put a big hit on the unaware quarterback, knocking the ball lose. Ostroski scooped the ball in stride and took off for the endzone. He shed a tackle attempt and dived for the pylon, seemingly getting in, but after review was judged short and the Golden Hurricane offense would need to score to win.
Bill Jackson took the first carry 17 yards down to the eight. After a second play lost six yards, the Hurricane centered the ball and took a knee, putting the game on the foot of Morgan, who had just knocked a 45-yard field goal through to send the game to overtime. Again, the graduate transfer came through, connecting from 34 yards and sending the Hurricane home with a win.
TU improved to 2-2 this season as the Hurricane prepares for the conference opener next weekend. Louisiana Tech drops its second straight and is 1-2 in 2024.
Tulsa amassed 333 yards of offense on the day. Kirk Francis threw for 228 yards on 24 completions with a touchdown and no interceptions. On the ground, the Hurricane picked up 105, with Anthony Watkins grinding out a team-best 63 yards on 10 carries, which included a 30-yard touchdown run. Jackson had 36 yards on the ground, while three others had carries.
Kamdyn Benjamin led Tulsa in receiving, pulling down eight catches for 69 yards. Corey Smith grabbed three passes for 56 yards and his first career touchdown. Luke McGary had a pair of catches for 48 yards. In all, Francis found eight different receivers on Saturday evening.
The Tulsa defense was flying all over the field on Saturday, causing three turnovers in addition to recording five sacks and nine tackles for loss, totaling -42 in yardage. Gavin Potter led the TU defenders with 10 tackles and a sack. Buddha Garrett had eight stops and forced a first half fumble Malachai Jones recovered. Jackson had 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble on the pivotal play in overtime, recovered by Ostroski. R.J. Jackson had 1.5 sacks and Amieh Williams added a sack as well in the win. NuNu Campbell intercepted the the Bulldogs late in the first quarter.
Louisiana Tech was held to 284 yards on Saturday, 87 on the ground and 197 through the air. Three quarterbacks took to the field for the Bulldogs, led by Blake Baker's 107 yards with an interception. Evan Bullock connected on the lone touchdown through the air. Fred Robertson led the ground game with 40 yards, while Eli Finley had three receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown to pace the receivers.
Offense was not easy to come by for either team, with Tulsa recording 155 yards through the majority of the first three quarters until Tulsa's final drive of the third frame. Louisiana Tech entered the fourth quarter having amassed just 155 yards of total offense, 93 on the ground and 62 passing. The Punters were active with Angus Davies punting 10 times, placing four inside the 20, and LA Tech's Patrick Rea hitting three of his seven punts inside the 20.
Tulsa took the lead first in the ballgame on Tulsa's third possession of the game. A short punt saw the Hurricane start its drive at the LA Tech 40. Anthony Watkins got the game's first score with a 30-yard run with 4:05 remaining in the quarter.
Louisiana Tech leveled the score early in the second quarter, getting a bit of fortune after a punt hit the returner but bounced into the hands of Cedric Woods, who took the return 49 yards down to the Tulsa 25. Five plays later, the Bulldogs punched it in on fourth and goal from the one to tie the game at seven.
With 9:15 remaining in the second quarter, Kamdyn Benjamin received a LA Tech punt at the Tulsa 32 and got a nice return to the Louisiana Tech 42. Tulsa capitalized on the good field position, taking 4:25 off the clock on a drive that went 28 yards on nine plays. Morgan put Tulsa ahead with his first field goal of the day from 32 yards. The Hurricane would take the 10-7 lead to the lockers.
The third quarter did not see much action with five punts and a turnover on downs between the two schools. With 3:17 on the clock, Tulsa started its final drive of the quarter from its own 15 yard line. What followed was a 5-play, 85-yard drive that took 3:13 off the clock and culminated in Corey Smith's first career touchdown on a 38-yard pass from Francis. It was Tulsa's most effective drive through the air as Francis connected with Benjamin for 21 yards, McGary for 28 and then Smith on the TD pass to go ahead 17-7.
The Bulldogs opened with its best drive to start the fourth, going 79 yards in seven plays, scoring on a Blake Baker QB sneak. The snap on the extra point was far too high for the holder and Tulsa led 17-13.
Louisiana Tech got a big punt return later in the fourth, taking the punt 30 yards to the Tulsa 48. The Bulldogs then went 43 yards in five plays, scoring on fourth and four with a 24-yard touchdown pass from Bullock to Finley, giving the hosts their first lead of the night.
The Hurricane needed a big drive, and the Tulsa offense delivered, picking up 48 yards in nine plays to set up Morgan's season high 45-yard field goal to tie the game at 20. Francis and McGary connected for 20 yards on the first play of the drive. Later in the drive, Francis and Smith matched up again for 11 yards to get Tulsa inside the LA Tech 40. The Hurricane came up just short of another first down at the Bulldogs 27, setting up the field goal that sent the game to overtime.
Tulsa opens its American Athletic Conference schedule next Saturday at North Texas with a 6 p.m. kickoff on ESPN+ before returning home to welcome new league member Army on Oct. 5 in the home conference opener.
1st Quarter Breakdown
• Louisiana Tech got the ball first, but both teams went three and out on their respective opening drives.
• On Louisiana Tech's second possession, Buddha Garret forced a fumble after an 11-yard rush, the first forced fumble of his career … Malachai Jones dove on the loose ball at the at the Tulsa 39, his first fumble recovery.
• The Hurricane picked up its first first down of the game on a 13-yard screen pass down to the LA Tech 41 from Kirk Francis to Kamdyn Benjamin with 5:50 remaining in the quarter.
• Tulsa found paydirt on its third possession, taking it 40 yards in five plays as Anthony Watkins broke off a 30-yard touchdown rush.
• NuNu Campbell intercepted a pass on the next possession, reacting first to a tipped pass by the wide receiver.
• TU led 7-0 after the first quarter.
2nd Quarter Breakdown
• Louisiana Tech benefited on a punt that hit its own returner, as Cedric Woods picked up the bouncing ball at his own 26 and returned it 49 yards to the Tulsa 25 before Zach Neilsen tripped him up.
• The Bulldogs punched it in on a Jimmy Holiday rush on fourth down from the one to even the score 7-7, capping a short 5 play, 25-yard rush that took 2:18 off the clock.
• Seth Morgan put Tulsa back ahead with a 32-yard field goal to finish a 9 play, 28-yard drive that took 4:25 off the clock.
• The Hurricane took a 10-7 lead into the halftime break.
• Tulsa outgained LA Tech 125-113 in the opening half.
3rd Quarter Breakdown
• Five of the seven possessions in the third quarter ended with a punt with three 3-and-out drives.
• The Bulldogs longest drive went eight plays and 38 yards in 3:26 but was ended as the Tulsa defense stood strong and stopped them on fourth and one at the TU 47.
• The Hurricane ended the third quarter with a five play, 85-yard drive in 3:14, which ended with a 38-yard touchdown pass down the middle from Kirk Francis to Corey Smith.
• Tulsa led 17-7 entering the fourth quarter and outgained the Bulldogs 240-155 through the opening three periods.
4th Quarter Breakdown
- Louisiana Tech responded quickly at the beginning of the fourth with a touchdown drive that took 7 plays, traveled 79 yards and took 2:52 off the clock … Quarterback Blake Baker took it in from the one for the score.
- LA Tech's extra point try failed after the snap was high and the kicker had to attempt to run it in … Tulsa led 17-13.
- The Bulldogs took their first lead of the night with 3:14 on the clock, connecting for a 24-yard pass from Evan Bullock to Eli Finley on fourth and four, which capped a five-play, 43-yard drive that spanned 1:41 and left 3:14 on the clock.
- The Hurricane responded with a nine-play, 48-yard drive in 2:42 to get into field goal position.
- Seth Morgan connected on a season-long 45-yard field goal with 32 seconds left to send the game to overtime at 20-20.
Overtime Breakdown
- Tulsa won the coin toss and chose to start on defense.
- On the second play of overtime, Myles Jackson got to the quarterback, knocking the ball loose, which was recovered by Owen Ostroski, who took it 64 yards before being judged out at the one-yard line.
- On TU's possession, Bill Jackson opened with a 17-yard rush to get Tulsa well into field goal territory.
- Seth Morgan was good from 34 yards out to give Tulsa the win.
| Team | QTR | Time | Scoring Play | Score |
| Tulsa | 1 | 4:05 | Anthony Watkins 30 rush (Morgan kick) | 7-0 |
| LA Tech | 2 | 11:50 | Jimmy Holiday 1 rush (Buchanan kick) | 7-7 |
| Tulsa | 2 | 4:50 | Seth Morgan 32-yard field goal | 10-7 |
| Tulsa | 3 | 0:03 | Corey Smith 38 pass from Kirk Francis (Morgan kick) | 17-7 |
| LA Tech | 4 | 12:08 | Blake Baker 1 rush (kick failed) | 17-13 |
| LA Tech | 4 | 3:14 | Eli Finley 24 pass from Ethan Bullock (Buchanan kick) | 17-20 |
| Tulsa | 4 | 0:32 | Seth Morgan 45-yard field goal | 20-20 |
| Tulsa | OT | 0:00 | Seth Morgan 34-yard field goal | 23-20 |
Team Stats
TLS
LAT
Total Yards
333
284
Pass Yards
228
197
Rushing Yards
105
87
Penalty Yards
110
25
1st Downs
14
17
3rd Downs
4
3
4th Downs
0
2
TOP
30:00
30:00
1st Quarter
TLS 7, LAT 0
TLS - Watkins,Anthony 30 yd run (Morgan,Seth kick), 5 plays, 40 yards, TOP 02:11
2nd Quarter
TLS 7, LAT 7
LAT - Holiday,Jimmy 1 yd run (Buchanan,Buck kick), 5 plays, 25 yards, TOP 02:18
TLS 10, LAT 7
TLS - Morgan,Seth 32 yd field goal 9 plays, 28 yards, TOP 04:25
3rd Quarter
TLS 17, LAT 7
TLS - Smith,Corey 38 yd pass from Francis,Kirk (Morgan,Seth kick) 5 plays, 85 yards, TOP 03:14
4th Quarter
TLS 17, LAT 13
LAT - Baker,Blake 1 yd run (), 7 plays, 79 yards, TOP 02:52
TLS 17, LAT 20
LAT - Finley,Eli 24 yd pass from Bullock,Evan (Buchanan,Buck kick) 5 plays, 43 yards, TOP 01:41
TLS 20, LAT 20
TLS - Morgan,Seth 45 yd field goal 9 plays, 48 yards, TOP 02:42
OT Quarter
TLS 23, LAT 20
TLS - Morgan,Seth 34 yd field goal 4 plays, 9 yards, TOP 00:00
Game Leaders
CMP
24
TD
1
YDS
228
INT
0
Players Mentioned
Wide Receiver
/ Football
Cornerback
/ Football
Punter
/ Football
Quarterback
/ Football
SAF
/ Football
Running Back
/ Football
JACK
/ Football
Wide Receiver
/ Football
Tight End
/ Football
PK
/ Football
Linebacker
/ Football
Defensive Line
/ Football
LB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
Running Back
/ Football
DL
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