College Football News Preview 2020: Tulsa Golden Hurricane Keys To The Season
Biggest Key To The Tulsa Golden Hurricane Offense
The offensive line has to give everyone time to work. The Golden Hurricane have a great stable of running backs and a strong quarterback in Zach Smith, but they need room to move.
Last year’s running game averaged just 3.3 yards per carry and came up with only 1,660 yards. That’s because the O line allowed over seven tackles for loss and 3.25 sacks per game. That’s where the shifting of parts come in – all it might take is an extra half second of time for a more consistent attack.
Biggest Key To The Tulsa Golden Hurricane Defense
The run defense can’t be barreled on. There’s decent enough size up front to be okay, the defensive backs are good-sized and they all hit, but stopping the run for this D means everything.
Tulsa won four games last year, two of them came when the defense allowed 115 yards or fewer.
The defense was good at generating third down stops, but there weren’t enough sacks outside of what Trevis Gipson came up with, and there has to be more big plays overall. Not allowing 200 yards on the ground – the program is 1-20 in the last 21 games when allowing 190 or more – is a start.
Key Tulsa Golden Hurricane Player To A Successful Season
OT Tyler Smith, RFr.
Can he be the team’s anchor? The line has experience with four starters gone, but Chris Ivy is done at left tackle. The 6-5, 332-pound Smith was the backup last season, but was able to preserve his eligibility and is going into his first year. If he’s a rock on the left side, the rest of the line might be the best yet in the Philip Montgomery era.
Key Game To The Tulsa Golden Hurricane Season
Toledo, Sept. 5
The Rockets are good enough to win the MAC with the explosion and talent to also pull off the road win in the season opener. Tulsa has winnable games against Northwestern State and Arkansas State in September.
Beat Toledo, and there’s a chance to build up a nice base of three wins to build on to potentially get to six and bowl eligibility. Lose to the Rockets, and good luck finding six wins on the slate.
– Tulsa Golden Hurricane Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2019 Tulsa Fun Stats
– Sacks: Opponents 39 for 242 yards – Tulsa 14 for 97 yards
– Tulsa 1st quarter points: 41 – 2nd quarter points: 129
– Fumbles: Tulsa 21 (lost 10) – Opponents 14 (lost 13)