Golden Hurricane Set for Saturday Road Test Against Navy

Saturday, October 10

Annapolis, Md.

2:30 p.m.

University of Tulsa

Navy

Photo by: BRETT ROJO, For the University of Tulsa

Golden Hurricane Set for Saturday Road Test Against Navy

10/8/2026 2:38:00 PM | Football

GAME 6: TULSA (3-2, 0-1 American) at Navy (1-3, 0-2 American)
Date/Time:	Saturday, October 10, 2:30 p.m. (CT)
Site:	Annapolis, Md.
Stadium:	Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (34,000)
Coaches:	TULSA – Tre Lamb (Tennessee Tech '12), 2nd year NAVY – Brian Newberry (Baylor '98), 4th year
TV:	CBS Sports Network
Talent:	John Sadak (pxp), Randy Cross (analyst), Brandon Baylor (sideline)
Radio:	Big Country 99.5 FM or Online
Talent:	Bruce Howard (pxp), Rick Couri (analyst), Jeremie Poplin (sideline)
Live Stats:	Live Stats
Series:	12^th Meeting (Navy leads the series 9-2)
Game Notes:	Tulsa \| Navy \| American Conference

BACK ON THE ROAD
• Tulsa returns to the road Saturday, Oct. 10, traveling to Annapolis, Maryland, to face Navy at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
• The Golden Hurricane will play its third road game of the season after visiting Sam Houston and Arkansas during September.
• Tulsa is 1-1 away from home this season, earning a 23-17 victory at Sam Houston before falling at Arkansas.
• The Navy matchup begins a stretch of consecutive American Conference road games, with Tulsa visiting Rice on Oct. 17.
• This will be Tulsa's first trip to Annapolis since 2022 and its sixth road meeting with the Midshipmen.
• Both Golden Hurricane victories in the series have come at Navy—a 24-23 overtime win in 2006 and a 19-6 victory in 2020.
• Tulsa owns a 2-3 record in Annapolis, while Navy holds a 9-2 advantage in the overall series.

TAKEAWAYS KEEP COMING
• Tulsa forced three North Texas turnovers, receiving interceptions from Thomas Davis and JD Drew and a fumble recovery from Arias Nash.
• Kyran Duhon created the fumble with a strip-sack, giving him two forced fumbles this season.
• The Golden Hurricane has produced 10 takeaways through five games—six interceptions and four fumble recoveries.
• Tulsa has committed only four turnovers, giving the Golden Hurricane a plus-six turnover margin.
• Tulsa's plus-1.20 turnover margin per game is tied for 21st nationally and ranks among the American Conference leaders.

DEFENSE AMONG THE AMERICAN CONFERENCE LEADERS
• Tulsa leads the American Conference with 14 sacks through five games and also leads the league with 2.8 sacks per game.
• The Golden Hurricane are tied for first in the conference with six interceptions, sharing the lead with Florida Atlantic.
• Tulsa has recovered four fumbles, tying UAB, North Texas and South Florida for the conference lead. Combined with its six interceptions, Tulsa has produced 10 takeaways.
• The Golden Hurricane ranks second in rushing defense, allowing 133.2 yards per game, and third in yards allowed per rushing attempt at 3.5.
• Tulsa ranks third in scoring defense, surrendering 21.2 points per game behind South Florida and Army.
• The Golden Hurricane is tied for second in fourth-down defense, limiting opponents to five conversions on 15 attempts, a 33.3-percent success rate.
• Tulsa ranks seventh in third-down defense, allowing opponents to convert 37.0 percent of their attempts.
• The Golden Hurricane ranks 11th in total defense, allowing 405.4 yards per game, while its pressure and takeaways have helped Tulsa remain among the conference's scoring-defense leaders.

PRESSURE UP FRONT
• Tulsa's improved pass rush has produced 14 sacks through five games, leading the American Conference in both total sacks and sacks per game at 2.8.
• The Golden Hurricane recorded 23 sacks in 12 games during 2025, averaging 1.9 per contest. Tulsa's current sack rate represents an increase of approximately 46 percent.
• Tulsa has already produced nearly 61 percent of last season's sack total with seven regular-season games remaining. theamerican.org
• Thomas Davis and Kyran Duhon lead the Golden Hurricane with four sacks apiece, combining for eight of Tulsa's 14 sacks.
• Both players need four additional sacks to reach eight—the benchmark for joining Tulsa's single-season top-10 list.
• Davis has contributed beyond his pass rush, leading Tulsa with 6.5 tackles for loss and seven quarterback hurries while adding an interception, a pass breakup and a forced fumble.
• Duhon has recorded four sacks for 36 yards lost and leads the Golden Hurricane with two forced fumbles, demonstrating his ability to turn quarterback pressure into takeaway opportunities.
• Dax Collins has added 2.5 sacks, giving Tulsa three defenders with multiple sacks through the opening five games.
• Tulsa's defensive front has helped the Golden Hurricane rank second in the American Conference in rushing defense, allowing 133.2 yards per game.

HAYES RETURNS WITH FIVE TOUCHDOWNS
• Redshirt sophomore quarterback Baylor Hayes returned after missing two games and accounted for five touchdowns against North Texas, throwing three scoring passes and rushing for two touchdowns.
• Hayes became the first Tulsa player to account for five touchdowns in a game since Cooper Legas threw five touchdown passes against UTSA on Oct. 26, 2024.
• His two rushing scores marked the first multiple-rushing-touchdown performance by a Golden Hurricane quarterback since Cardell Williams scored twice against Charlotte on Nov. 4, 2023.
• Hayes completed 25-of-43 passes for 211 yards and three touchdowns, establishing Tulsa career highs in completions and touchdowns accounted for.
• He accounted for all five of Tulsa's touchdowns in regulation, helping the Golden Hurricane overcome a 31-17 third-quarter deficit to force overtime.
• Hayes opened Tulsa's scoring with a four-yard touchdown run before connecting with Javon Ross for an 18-yard score on the Golden Hurricane's next possession.
• He threw touchdown passes of five and four yards to David Wells Jr., with the second coming on fourth-and-goal to tie the game at 31-31.
• Hayes capped Tulsa's final possession of regulation with a 10-yard touchdown run, tying the score at 38-38 with 31 seconds remaining.
• His fourth-down passing also kept Tulsa alive late, finding Jewlyen Roberts for six yards during the final regulation touchdown drive and Wells for eight yards on fourth-and-six in overtime.
• Through three appearances this season, Hayes has completed 58-of-96 passes for 564 yards and four touchdowns while adding two rushing scores.
• The North Texas performance was his eighth 200-yard passing game at Tulsa, building on the six he recorded during his record-setting freshman campaign in 2025.

SINGLETON SETS THE PACE
• Oran Singleton Jr. recorded 11 receptions for 104 yards against North Texas, delivering Tulsa's first 100-yard receiving performance since Josh Smith totaled 112 yards against Temple on Oct. 25, 2025.
• Singleton's 11 catches established a new FBS career high, surpassing his 10-reception performance for Eastern Michigan against Akron in 2024. His 104 receiving yards also exceeded his previous FBS best of 103 against Toledo that season.
• He has recorded at least five receptions in two games this season, catching six passes at Arkansas before his 11-catch performance against North Texas.
• Over those two contests, Singleton combined for 17 receptions and 143 receiving yards, strengthening his role as a dependable target in Tulsa's passing game.
• Singleton has nine career FBS games with at least five receptions—seven at Eastern Michigan in 2024 and two with the Golden Hurricane this season.
• Through five games, he leads Tulsa with 26 receptions, 306 receiving yards and two touchdown catches, averaging 5.2 receptions and 61.2 receiving yards per contest.
• Singleton has caught a pass in every game this season and accounts for 28.3 percent of Tulsa's completions and 33.8 percent of its receiving yards.
• His impact began immediately: Singleton caught four passes for 99 yards and a touchdown against Oklahoma State, averaging 24.8 yards per reception in his Golden Hurricane debut.
• Against North Texas, he added 22 rushing yards on two carries, finishing with 126 yards from scrimmage while accounting for nearly half of Tulsa's 211 receiving yards.

THOMPSON AND COLLINS SET THE TONE
• Linebackers Chris Thompson Jr. and Dax Collins lead Tulsa's defense with a combined 88 tackles through five games, averaging 17.6 stops per contest.
• Thompson leads the Golden Hurricane with 49 tackles, while Collins ranks second with 39. Together, they have contributed 39 solo tackles and 49 assists.
• Their impact extends beyond tackle totals: the duo has combined for five tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, four pass breakups, four quarterback hurries and one fumble recovery.
• Thompson has recorded at least eight tackles in every game, highlighted by a season-high 14 against North Texas and 10 in the season-opening victory over Oklahoma State.
• After missing the entire 2025 season because of injury, Thompson has matched the 49 tackles he recorded in 12 games during 2024 in just five appearances this season.
• The two-time team captain and Comeback Player of the Year Award candidate earned American Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors following the Oklahoma State victory, when he helped deliver two critical fourth-down stops.
• Collins has delivered two double-digit tackle performances, recording a career-high 12 stops at Sam Houston and 11 tackles at Arkansas.
• His 39 tackles are nearly four times the 10 he recorded in 12 appearances during the 2025 season.
• Collins has added 2.5 sacks after entering the season without a collegiate sack, including a career-high 1.5 at Arkansas. He has also contributed three pass breakups.
• Thompson's comeback and Collins' emergence have helped Tulsa rank second in the American Conference in rushing defense and third in scoring defense through games of Oct. 3.

ROSS EXTENDS RECEPTION STREAK
• Javon Ross extended his consecutive-games reception streak to 24 with an 18-yard touchdown catch against North Texas.
• The streak spans his time at Bethune-Cookman and Tulsa, including each of his first five appearances with the Golden Hurricane.
• His second-quarter touchdown was his first scoring reception for Tulsa and extended the Golden Hurricane's lead to 14-3. meangreensports.com
• Ross has caught 13 passes for 122 yards and one touchdown through five games, ranking second on the team in receptions.
• His most productive receiving performance this season came at Sam Houston, where he caught four passes for 33 yards. He added two receptions for 18 yards at Arkansas.
• The junior recorded 52 catches for 685 yards and four touchdowns at Bethune-Cookman in 2025, ranking third in the SWAC in receptions and fifth in receiving yards.
• Ross produced three 100-yard receiving performances in 2025, including a career-high nine catches for 137 yards against Alabama State.
• The DeLand, Florida, native enters the North Texas game with 74 career receptions for 875 yards and four receiving touchdowns.

THOMPSON'S COMEBACK CAMPAIGN
• Graduate linebacker Chris Thompson Jr. has returned from a season-ending injury absence to lead Tulsa with 49 tackles through five games in 2026.
• Thompson missed the entire 2025 campaign because of injury and entered this season on the Comeback Player of the Year Award Watch List.
• He recorded a season-high 14 tackles against North Texas, marking his second double-digit tackle performance of the season.
• Thompson has collected at least eight tackles in every game, recording 10 against Oklahoma State, eight against Sam Houston, eight against East Texas A&M, nine at Arkansas and 14 against North Texas.
• His 49 tackles include 21 solo stops and 28 assists, giving him an average of 9.8 tackles per game. Tulsa
• Thompson has matched the 49 tackles he recorded in 12 appearances during his first Tulsa season in 2024, reaching that total in seven fewer games.
• His current average of 9.8 tackles per game is more than twice his 4.1-stop average from the 2024 season. Tulsa
• Thompson made an immediate impact in his return, earning American Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors after posting a game-high 10 tackles, a fumble recovery and a quarterback hurry in Tulsa's 24-10 victory over Oklahoma State.
• He helped deliver two critical fourth-down stops against the Cowboys, combining with Hudson Ball for a tackle at the Tulsa 3-yard line and recovering a second-quarter fumble at the Oklahoma State 33.
• Thompson became Tulsa's first American Conference Defensive Player of the Week selection since Kendarin Ray received the honor on Sept. 25, 2023.
• A team captain in both 2025 and 2026, Thompson was again selected by his teammates to help lead the Golden Hurricane.
• The Duncanville, Texas, native brings experience from Auburn, Southern California and Tulsa and earned academic all-conference recognition during his first season with the Golden Hurricane.

SUCCESS ON FOURTH DOWN
• Tulsa converted all five fourth-down attempts against North Texas, keeping five scoring drives alive during the 45-44 overtime contest.
• The Golden Hurricane is 14-of-17 on fourth down through five games, an 82.4-percent success rate that ranks second in the American Conference behind Army. The 82.4 percent success rate is the seventh best in the nation.
• Dexter Williams II converted a fourth-and-one during Tulsa's opening touchdown drive, while Damari Alston added a four-yard run on fourth-and-one during the late first-half field-goal drive.
• Baylor Hayes connected with David Wells Jr. for a four-yard touchdown on fourth-and-goal, tying the game at 31-31 with 8:17 remaining.
• Hayes found Jewlyen Roberts for six yards on fourth-and-three during Tulsa's final touchdown drive of regulation, setting up the score that forced overtime.
• In overtime, Hayes completed an eight-yard pass to Wells on fourth-and-six. Alston scored on the following play.
• Tulsa's five fourth-down conversions helped produce four touchdowns and one field goal, 30 of the Golden Hurricane's 44 points.

DAVIS ADDS A PICK TO HIS PASS RUSH
• Defensive lineman Thomas Davis recorded his first interception as a member of the Golden Hurricane against North Texas on Thursday, Oct. 1.
• Davis intercepted Tayven Jackson on third-and-13 late in the second quarter, giving Tulsa possession at the North Texas 47-yard line with 1:55 remaining.
• One play earlier, Davis combined with Chris Thompson Jr. to stop Jahiem White for a three-yard loss, helping create the long-yardage situation.
• Tulsa converted the takeaway into Owen Carey's 45-yard field goal, extending the Golden Hurricane's lead to 17-10 just before halftime. University of North Texas Athletics
• The interception added another dimension to Davis' productive debut season at Tulsa. Through five games, he has recorded 23 tackles, a team-leading 6.5 tackles for loss and four sacks.
• Davis also leads the Golden Hurricane with seven quarterback hurries and has contributed one forced fumble and one pass breakup.
• He is the only Tulsa defender with both a sack and an interception this season, contributing to a defense that has produced 14 sacks and 10 takeaways.

2026 CAPTAINS
• Head Coach Tre Lamb announced the 2026 team captains during fall camp.
• Captain selections include one head coach's pick and four team-voted leaders (two offense, two defense).
• The 2026 team captains are:
                • Baylor Hayes – Quarterback
                • Sevion Morrison – Running Back
                • Chris Thompson Jr. – Linebacker
                • Jaylen George – Defensive Line
                • Malachi Preciado – Offensive Line

NEW NUMBERS FOR 2026
• Seven returning Golden Hurricane players will wear new jersey numbers during the 2026 season.
• Donnell Gee Jr. moves from No. 18 to No. 0, Zach Williams from No. 18 to No. 1, Devin Robinson from No. 16 to No. 2 and Ashton Williams from No. 15 to No. 5.
• Aquavious Dunbar changes from No. 40 to No. 21, Tristan Lawyer from No. 51 to No. 40 and Micah Tease moves from No. 3 to No. 8 as he transitions from wide receiver to cornerback.

RECRUIT LOCAL
• Tulsa's 2026 roster features 27 players from the Tulsa metropolitan area, demonstrating the Golden Hurricane's commitment to recruiting and retaining local talent.
• The group includes 17 players whose listed hometown is Tulsa, four from Owasso, three from Bixby and one each from Collinsville, Jenks and Mannford.
• Local players represent every phase of the roster, with Tulsa-area talent appearing on offense, defense and special teams.
• The group includes players from several of the area's most successful high school programs, including Bixby, Booker T. Washington, Cascia Hall, Collinsville, Holland Hall, Jenks, Metro Christian, Owasso, Rejoice Christian and Union.
• Tulsa's local contingent includes returning Golden Hurricane players as well as student-athletes who returned home after beginning their collegiate careers elsewhere.
• Head coach Tre Lamb and his staff continue to prioritize relationships with area high school coaches while providing local players an opportunity to compete at the FBS level in their hometown region.

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.