Elijah Green (25)

Tulsa Hosts Temple Saturday on Homecoming

10/23/2025 4:22:00 PM | Football

GAME 8: TULSA (2-5, 0-4 American) vs. TEMPLE (4-3, 2-1 American)
Date/Time: Saturday, October 25, 2:30 p.m. (CT) 
Site: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Stadium:              H.A. Chapman Stadium (30,000)
Coaches: TULSA – Tre Lamb (Tennessee Tech '12), 1st year
TEMPLE – KC Keeler (Delaware '81), 1st year
TV: ESPN+
Talent: James Westling (pxp), Leger Douzable (analyst), Maria Trivelpiece (sideline)
Radio: Big Country 99.5 FM or Online
Talent: Bruce Howard (pxp), Rick Couri (analyst), Jeremie Poplin (sideline)
Live Stats: Live Stats
Series: 10th Meeting (Tulsa leads series, 5-4-0)
Game Notes:    Tulsa | Temple | American Conference | Digital Program
 
 














NEXT UP
• Tulsa returns home to host the Temple Owls on Saturday for Homecoming at H.A. Chapman Stadium. The matchup marks the 10th all-time meeting between the programs.
• The Golden Hurricane lead the all-time series 5-4, including a 3-1 advantage in games played in Tulsa.
• Temple won last season's meeting in Philadelphia, 20-10.
• The teams have met every year since 2021.
• Tulsa has won the last two meetings at H.A. Chapman Stadium, including a 48-26 victory in 2023 — the most points the Golden Hurricane have scored against the Owls in series history.
 
LAST TIME
• Tulsa last took the field on a Thursday night at East Carolina, falling 41-27 to the Pirates.
• Tight end Brody Foley had a career night, setting personal bests with six receptions and 126 receiving yards — his first career 100-yard game.
• Zion Booker caught a 4-yard touchdown, his second of the season, while matching his career high with nine receptions. He also extended his streak to 17 consecutive games with a reception.
• Quarterback Baylor Hayes threw two touchdown passes, marking career highs in both passing touchdowns (2) and passing yards (251). He now has three 200+ yard passing games this season — the third-most by a freshman QB in a single season in program history.
• Ray Coney led the defense with 12 tackles, his fourth double-digit performance of the season and first since Sept. 19 at Oklahoma State.
• J'Dan Burnett recorded 0.5 sack, extending his streak to seven straight games with at least a half sack.
• Angus Davies continued to flip the field, posting his sixth and seventh punts of 50+ yards this season, with four punts pinned inside the 20-yard line.
 
TIGHT END TAKEOVER
• Tight end Brody Foley set career highs at East Carolina last week, recording six receptions for 126 yards and a touchdown. His 100-yard performance marked the first by a Tulsa tight end since Clay Sears had 105 yards at UAB on Oct. 15, 2011.
• Foley's 38-yard touchdown catch from Baylor Hayes in the first half was his fourth touchdown of the season, the most by a TU tight end since Sears scored seven times in 2011.
• Foley is averaging 19.2 yards per reception, ranking fourth in the American Conference and 19th nationally. Among FBS tight ends, his average ranks second in the nation.
• Against Tulane, Foley recorded a 72-yard touchdown reception, the longest play of the season for the Golden Hurricane and the longest of his career.
• Foley's 72-yard touchdown against Tulane was the 35th pass play in program history that has gone for over 70 yards.
• Foley has proven to be a consistent scoring threat — his first two career receptions both went for touchdowns.
• On the season, Foley ranks second on the team with 346 receiving yards, the most by a Tulsa tight end since Sears' 469 yards in 2011.
 
AIR AND GORUND EXPLOSIVES
• The Golden Hurricane added to their list of explosive plays (35+ yards) at East Carolina, as QB Baylor Hayes connected with TE Brody Foley for a 38-yard touchdown and a 36-yard reception.
• The Hayes-to-Foley connection has accounted for Tulsa's last three plays of 35+ yards this season.
• Two weeks earlier against Tulane, TU recorded its two longest pass plays of the year, both ranking among the team's top three overall plays this season.
• In the first quarter vs. Tulane, Hayes connected with WR Grayson Tempest on a trick play for a 51-yard gain — TU's first 50+-yard pass of 2025 and the longest reception of Tempest's career.
• In the second quarter, Hayes found Foley for a 72-yard touchdown, the longest play of the season for the Golden Hurricane and a career-long for both players.
• On the year, Tulsa has produced nine plays of 35+ yards — six through the air and three on the ground — with the last four all coming via the pass.
• TU's rushing attack has generated 18 runs of 15+ yards, with Dominic Richardson accounting for seven of those explosive carries.
• Through the air, the Golden Hurricane have logged 16 completions of 20+ yards, including three by Foley at East Carolina.
 
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. The only other player is Bishop Fitzgerald of Southern Cal.
• 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 seven games, he has totaled 36 tackles, five interceptions, four pass breakups, and one fumble recovery — ranking fifth on the team in tackles.
• Elijah Green's five interceptions this season are the most by a Tulsa player since 2013, when Shawn Jackson also recorded five.
• The program record for interceptions in a single season is eight, set by Nate Harris in 1984.
 
RAY CONEY ANCHORS TULSA DEFENSE
•  Ray Coney has anchored the Tulsa defense through the seven games of the season, leading the American Conference and being fifth in the nation with 76 total tackles.
•  Coney is averaging 10.9 tackles per game, the top mark in the American 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 13.3
2. Quinton Urwiler Northern Illinois 11.9
3. Red Murdock Buffalo 11.3
4. Micha Davey UTEP 11.0
5. Ray Coney Tulsa 10.9
 
 
• Ray Coney is on pace to become the first Tulsa player to record 100 tackles in a season since Kendarin Ray totaled 131 in 2023.
• The last linebacker to reach the 100-tackle mark for the Golden Hurricane was Justin Wright, who posted 101 stops during the 2022 campaign.
• He has logged two 14-tackle games (vs. Abilene Christian, vs. Navy), added 13 stops at Oklahoma State,  logged 12 more at East Carolina and has led TU in tackles in five of seven 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).
•  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 two QB hurries.
•  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)
 
TU MARKS CENTRENNIAL HOMECOMING WITH TEMPLE MATCHUP
• Saturday marks the 100th Homecoming game in program history. The 2020 Homecoming game was not played due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Tulsa holds an all-time Homecoming record of 55-41-3.
• Last season, the Golden Hurricane produced one of the most memorable Homecoming victories in school history — rallying from 28 points down to defeat UTSA, 46-45. TU trailed by 18 entering the fourth quarter.
• This will mark the first-ever Homecoming matchup between Tulsa and Temple.
• Over the last four Homecoming contests, TU has averaged 35.3 points per game.
• Since 2015, Tulsa has scored 40 or more points in six of its nine Homecoming games.
 
Baylor Hayes Breaks Out
• Redshirt-freshman Baylor Hayes had a career day at East Carolina last week, setting career highs with two touchdown passes and 251 passing yards in a single game.
• The two passing touchdowns marked the first time in his career he recorded multiple touchdown passes in a game.
• This season, Hayes has tallied three 200+ yard passing games, ranking third all-time at TU for freshman quarterbacks in 200+ yard games.
• His 251 yards vs. ECU ties for the 12th most passing yards by a freshman QB in Tulsa history.
• Hayes has thrown for 1,038 yards in 2025, the ninth most passing yards in a single season by a freshman at TU.
• His six touchdown passes are tied for seventh most by a freshman quarterback at Tulsa. He is three touchdowns shy of tying Kirk Francis and Seth Boomer, who are tied for fourth with nine TD passes in a freshman season. The single-season freshman record at TU is 12 TD passes by TJ Rubley (1987).
• Hayes' six TD passes and 1,038 passing yards rank 10th nationally among freshman quarterbacks this season.
 
BOOKER LEADING THE WAY THROUGH THE AIR
• Zion Booker has emerged as Tulsa's top target, recording 5+ receptions in five of seven games this season and in ten career contests overall.
• He leads TU with 44 receptions for 349 yards and 2 touchdowns in 2025.
• Booker ranks 2nd in the American Conference and 15th nationally with 6.3 receptions per game, while his 49.9 receiving yards per game rank 17th in the league.
• He has a reception in every game as a Golden Hurricane, extending his streak to 17 consecutive games and 23 of 25 career appearances.
• He posted a team-high six catches for 59 yards at Oklahoma State.
• In his American debut vs. Navy, notched eight receptions for 90 yards, both team highs.
• He set a career high with nine receptions at New Mexico State and matched it at East Carolina — the first TU player with 9+ catches in a game since 2022 (Keylon Stokes & Malachai Jones).
• The last TU player with more than nine receptions in a game was Stokes (11 at Wyoming, 2022).
 
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)


Visit www.TulsaHurricane.com for the latest news and information on the football program. Fans can also follow the program on social media by searching 'TulsaFootball' on X, Facebook and Instagram.
 
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