Golden Hurricane Set for Road Test at East Carolina

Thursday, October 16

Greenville, NC

6:30 p.m.

Tulsa

East Carolina

Golden Hurricane Set for Road Test at East Carolina

10/14/2025 6:04:00 PM | Football

GAME 7: TULSA (2-4, 0-3 American) at EAST CAROLINA (3-3, 1-1 American)
Date/Time:	Thursday, October 16, 6:30 p.m. (CT)
Site:	Greenville, N.C.
Stadium:	Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium (50,000)
Coaches:	TULSA – Tre Lamb (Tennessee Tech '12), 1st year EAST CAROLINA – Blake Harrell (Western Carolina '02), 2nd year
TV:	ESPN
Talent:	Matt Barrie (pxp), Tom Luginbill (analyst), Harry Lyles Jr. (sideline)
Radio:	Big Country 99.5 FM or Online
Talent:	Bruce Howard (pxp), Rick Couri (analyst), Jeremie Poplin (sideline)
Live Stats:	Live Stats
Series:	19th Meeting (Series tied at, 9-9-0)
Game Notes:	Tulsa \| East Carolina \| American Conference

NEXT UP
• Tulsa travels to Greenville, N.C. to face the East Carolina Pirates in what will be the 19th all-time meeting between the programs.
• The series is tied 9-9, with Tulsa owning a 5-5 record in Greenville.
• The Golden Hurricane have won the last two meetings on the road, including a 29-27 victory in 2023.
• East Carolina earned a 38-31 win in 2024 in Tulsa.
• The programs have met every season since 2023.
• This will be the first Thursday night game of the season for Tulsa, while it marks the third straight Thursday contest for East Carolina.

LAST TIME
• Tulsa fell on the road at Memphis, 45-7.
• Micah Tease recorded his first career touchdown as a Golden Hurricane, hauling in a 34-yard pass from Kirk Francis in the second quarter. Tease had two receptions for 57 yards on the scoring drive.
• Elijah Green intercepted two passes against the Tigers, his second multi-interception game of the season. His first-quarter interception was returned 37 yards — the longest INT return of the season for TU.
• Lento Smith Jr. led the defense with nine tackles and forced a fumble.
• J'Dan Burnett notched 0.5 sack, extending his streak to six straight games with at least a half sack.
• Zion Booker extended his streak to 16 consecutive games with a reception.

BALL HAWK GREEN
• Elijah Green has been a takeaway machine this season, leading the nation and the American Conference with five interceptions.
• He is one of just two FBS players with five or more interceptions in 2025.
• Green opened the year with an interception vs. Abilene Christian, added a fumble recovery at New Mexico State, and recorded two first-quarter interceptions vs. Navy — his first multi-pick game.
• He matched that performance with two more interceptions at Memphis, marking his second multi-INT game of the season.
• His five interceptions are the most by a Tulsa player since Shawn Jackson had five in 2013.
• Green set a career-high with 10 tackles vs. Tulane, his first double-digit tackle game.
• Through six games, he has totaled 33 tackles, five interceptions, three pass breakups, and one fumble recovery — ranking fourth on the team in tackles.

RAY CONEY ANCHORS TULSA DEFENSE
• Ray Coney has anchored the Tulsa defense through the six games of the season, leading the American Conference and being sixth in the nation with 64 total tackles.
• Coney is averaging 10.7tackles per game, the top mark in the AAC and among the top 5 nationally. He is the only American Conference player in the top five. The top five tacklers per game in the nation can be found here:

Rank	Name	School	Tackles Per Game
1.	Owen Long	Colorado State	14.2
2.	Quinton Urwiler	Northern Illinois	11.7
	Red Murdock	Buffalo	11.7
4.	Timmy Hinspeter	UMass	10.8
5.	Ray Coney	Tulsa	10.7
	Jaxton Eck	New Mexico	10.7
	Chris Jones	Southern Miss	10.7

• He has logged two 14-tackle games (vs. Abilene Christian, vs. Navy), added 13 stops at Oklahoma State, and has led TU in tackles in four of six games this season.
• With his 13 tackles at OSU, Coney posted back-to-back double-digit tackle games, the first TU player to do so since Kendarin Ray (2023). He'll look to be the first Hurricane defender with three straight 10+ tackle games since 2023.
• Coney also added his first sack of the year (seventh career) at Oklahoma State, becoming the fourth TU player to record a sack this season.
• Beyond tackles, he has contributed 3.0 TFL, two pass breakups, and a QB hurry.
• His career-high for tackles in a season came in 2024 at ETSU (97). The last Tulsa defender to reach 100 in a season was Kendarin Ray with 131 in 2023.
• In 2024, Gavin Potter (75) and Dayne Hodge (60) paced TU in total tackles.
• Coney entered the 2025 campaign with high expectations, earning:
                • Second-team All-AAC (Phil Steele)
                • Fourth-team All-AAC (Athlon Sports)
                • East-West Shrine Bowl 1,000 Player Watch List (only TU player selected)

PLAYING BEHIND THE LINE: BURNETT'S DOMINANCE
• J'Dan Burnett has tallied 6.0 sacks through six games, already surpassing the 2024 season-high by any TU defender.
• He ranks eighth nationally and 1st in the American Conference with 1.00 sacks per game.
• Burnett has recorded at least 0.5 sack in every game this season, including one against Oklahoma State and TU's lone sack vs. Navy.
• He opened the year with two sacks in his Tulsa debut vs. Abilene Christian.
• Burnett has already set career highs in sacks (6.0) and tackles for loss (8.0).
• He entered 2025 with just 5.0 career sacks and has matched that total in the first four games this season.
• Since 2012, only one TU player has posted double-digit sacks in a season (Jared St. John, 11.5 in 2012).
• Burnett leads TU in tackles for loss (7.5), putting him just 7.5 TFL shy of cracking the program's single-season top 10 (Trevis Gipson, 15.0 in 2019, currently 10th).

BRINGING THE PRESSURE
• Tulsa's defense has totaled 15 sacks through six games, ranking 34th nationally (2.5 per game) — already halfway to its 2024 season total.
• TU opened 2025 with five sacks vs. Abilene Christian, matching its single-game high from all of 2024 and the most by any American Conference team in Week 1.
• Added two sacks at New Mexico State, recorded by J'Dan Burnett, Byron Turner Jr., and Nahki Johnson.
• Byron Turner Jr. recorded three sacks in the opener, the first TU player with 3.0 sacks in a game since Ben Kopenski (Nov. 18, 2023) and just the second since 2008 to post three in a season opener (Zaven Collins).
• J'Dan Burnett added two sacks vs. ACU, forming one of the American's top pass-rush tandems with Turner.
• Tulsa has had at least one sack in every game this season.

BOOKER PACES GOLDEN HURRICANE RECEIVING CROPS
• Zion Booker has emerged as Tulsa's top receiving option, recording 5+ receptions in four of six games this season and in nine career games overall.
• He leads TU with 35 receptions for 294 yards and 1 TD in 2025.
• Booker ranks second in the American Conference and 24th nationally with 5.8 catches per game, while his 49.0 receiving yards per game stand 17th in the American Conference.
• He has a catch in every game as a Golden Hurricane, extending his streak to 16 straight games and 22 of 24 career games.
• He logged a team-high six receptions for 59 yards at Oklahoma State.
• In his American Conference debut vs. Navy, Booker tallied 8 catches for 90 yards, both team highs.
• Booker set a career-high with nine receptions at New Mexico State, becoming the first TU player with 9+ catches in a game since 2022 (Keylon Stokes & Malachai Jones). The last TU player with more than 9 was Stokes (11 at Wyoming, 2022).

RICHARDSON POWERS TULSA BACKFIELD
• Dominic Richardson has established himself as Tulsa's lead running back, averaging 18.7 carries and 89.7 yards per game this season.
• His 4.8 yards per carry in 2025 is the second-best of his career, having averaged 5.1 yards per carry as a freshman at Oklahoma State.
• With a total of 538 rushing yards this season, he has already surpassed Tulsa's 2024 team leader, who finished the season with 402 yards.
• He currently ranks third in the American Conference and 23rd nationally in rushing yards with 538.
• Richardson logged a career-high 31 carries for 146 yards in the win against Oklahoma State, marking the most carries by a Tulsa back since 2019 when Shamari Brooks had 36 carries against Memphis.
• He has recorded two games with over 100 rushing yards this season (146 at Oklahoma State and 142 against ACU), making him the first Tulsa running back with multiple 100-yard games in a season since 2023 (Anthony Watkins) and the first to achieve two 140-yard games in a season since 2022 (Deneric Prince).
• Richardson also had a career-long 57-yard touchdown run against ACU.
• Over his 51 career games, Richardson has accumulated 2,305 rushing yards on 540 carries, averaging 4.3 yards per carry. He is one of 20 active FBS players with over 2,300 career rushing yards and currently ranks 20th among active players in rushing yards.
FAST START FOR TU
• Tulsa has scored on its opening drive in three of the last four games, including a stretch of three straight contests with an opening-drive touchdown. The lone exception came against Memphis.
• Against Tulane, TU marched 75 yards in seven plays (2:14), capped by a rushing touchdown.
• At Oklahoma State, the Golden Hurricane went 75 yards on six plays (2:09), as Baylor Hayes connected with Brylin Presley for a 19-yard touchdown pass.
• The first opening-drive touchdown of the season came against Navy — a 35-yard drive over five plays, finished by a 14-yard Dominic Richardson TD run.

TOUCHDOWN FOLEY
• Tight end Brody Foley made the most of his lone reception against Tulane, turning it into a 72-yard touchdown — the longest play of the season for the Golden Hurricane and the longest reception of his career.
• Foley has proven to be a scoring threat, with three of his nine career receptions going for touchdowns, including scores on each of his first two career catches.
• Besides finding the end zone, Brody Foley has been one of the league's most efficient targets, averaging 18.3 yards per reception — the fourth-best mark in the American Conference.

HARDIMAN THE RUNNING BACK
• Defensive lineman Tim Hardiman made a surprise appearance in the backfield against Tulane, lining up on offense for a goal-line play.
• He recorded his first career carry, punching it in from one yard out for a touchdown.
• Hardiman's score marked Tulsa's sixth rushing touchdown of the season, with four different Golden Hurricane players now finding the end zone on the ground in 2025.

BOOMING FROM DOWN UNDER
• Angus Davies made his American football debut as a true freshman in 2023 and enters his third season with the Golden Hurricane in 2025.
• A native of Torquay, Victoria, Australia, Davies grew up playing Australian Rules Football from ages 5–19 before transitioning to American football at Tulsa.
• In 2025, Davies is averaging 44.0 yards per punt, pinning opponents inside the 20 12 times. His 44.0-yard average ranks fifth in the American and 21st nationally.
• In 2025 he has booted an 80-yard punt vs. Abilene Christian — the fourth-longest in TU history, longest since 2009, second-longest in American Conference history, and the longest in the NCAA this season. Below are the top four longest punts in TU history.

Yards	Player	Opponent	Year
87	Ken Duncan	Wichita State	1969
87	Glenn Dobbs	Oklahoma	1942
83	Michael Such	Memphis	2009
80	Angus Davies	Abilene Christian	2025

• Earlier this season, Davies was named to the Ray Guy Award Watch List, which honors the nation's top punter. Criteria for the award include total yards, net punting average, punts inside the 20-yard line, and directional control.
• On Sept. 15, Davies was recognized on the Ray's 8 for his standout performance against Navy.
• In 2024, Davies averaged 43.6 yards per punt (fifth in AAC), pinned opponents inside the 20 17 times, and boomed 17 punts of 50+ yards, including two 59-yard punts (third-longest in the AAC).
• In his 2023 freshman debut, he averaged 42.7 yards on 58 punts, with 23 inside the 20, 23 fair catches, and 15 punts of 50+ yards. In his opener vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, he averaged 45.0 yards on three punts, all landing inside the 20.

2025 CAPTAINS
• Head Coach Tre Lamb announced the 2025 team captains on Sunday night ahead of the season opener.
• Captain selections include one head coach's pick and four team-voted leaders (two offense, two defense).
• The 2025 team captains are:
                • Kirk Francis – Quarterback
                • Sevion Morrison – Running Back
                • Chris Thompson Jr. – Linebacker
                • Ray Coney – Linebacker
                • Tai Newhouse – Defensive Line

RECRUIT LOCAL
• Coach Tre Lamb's message is simple: Recruit Local. And it shows — 23 Golden Hurricane players hail from the Tulsa area.
• Of those 23, 16 are from Tulsa, four from Owasso, and three from Bixby.
• Expanding across the state, Tulsa's roster features 31 players from Oklahoma. Key transfers returning home include JD Drew, Micah Tease, Sevion Morrison, and Dominic Richardson.
• Lamb has emphasized that keeping homegrown talent in Tulsa not only strengthens the roster but also deepens the program's connection with fans and alumni.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL FREAKS LIST
• Bruce Feldman, a prominent national college football reporter, compiles an annual list for The Athletic highlighting the most physically impressive players in the country.
• Braylin Presley earned a spot on the 2025 Freaks List, recognized as one of college football's most dynamic and explosive athletes.
• Presley made an impact last season as a returner, averaging 52 yards on three kickoff returns.
• The 5-6, 170-pound senior boasts elite measurables: 10.4 100 meters, 23 mph top speed, 1.44 10-yard split, 38-inch vertical, 4.18 shuttle, 585-pound squat, and a 315-pound power clean.

WHAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT TULSA'S FOOTBALL TRADITION
• New Year's Day Bowl Streak: Tulsa was the first school to play in five consecutive New Year's Day bowl games: Sun Bowl (1942), Sugar Bowl (1943, 1944), Orange Bowl (1945), and Oil Bowl (1946).
• Ellis Jones: An All-American guard in 1945, Jones played with one arm and was a standout on the College All-Star team vs. the Chicago Bears.
• Pro Football Hall of Fame: Four former Tulsa players are enshrined: Bob St. Clair, Jim Finks, Steve Largent, and Drew Pearson.
• Heisman Runners-Up: Jerry Rhome (1964) and Howard Twilley (1965) finished second in Heisman Trophy voting.
• Glenn Dobbs (1940–42): Considered Tulsa's greatest player, Dobbs also coached the Hurricane in the 1960s. Eighth Street near H.A. Chapman Stadium is Glenn Dobbs Drive, dedicated in 2000. A statue of Dobbs was dedicated before the 2013 spring game.
• Zaven Collins (2020): Consensus All-America linebacker who won the Chuck Bednarik and Bronko Nagurski awards as college football's top defender.
• NFL Head Coaches: Four former Tulsa players have served as NFL head coaches: Tommy Hudspeth (Detroit Lions), Sam Rutigliano (Cleveland Browns), Ray Rhodes (Philadelphia Eagles/Green Bay Packers), and Lovie Smith (Chicago Bears/Tampa Bay Buccaneers/Houston Texans).
• College Football Hall of Fame: Tulsa has three former players, two former head coaches, and two former assistant coaches inducted:
                • Players: Glenn Dobbs (1940–42, 1961–68), Howard Twilley (1963–65), Jerry Rhome (1963–64)
                • Head Coaches: Francis Schmidt (1919–21), John Cooper (1977–84)
                • Assistant Coaches: Darrell Royal (1951), Sammy Baugh (1963)

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