Tag: Tulsa

FBS teams Notre Dame has losing record against

The Irish don’t lead every head-to-head matchup.

As winning a tradition that Notre Dame has, that tradition hasn’t always shined through. In fact, there are some schools that the Irish have lost to more times than they’ve beaten. A few other teams have beaten the Irish the only time they’ve faced them, and still others have more than one victory without having lost at all. Given how big the Irish are in more ways than one, that’s a sense of pride for anyone.

Who are the lucky few that can say with certitude that they have the upper hand on Notre Dame? For our purposes, we’ll narrow it down to the programs currently competing at the Football Bowl Subdivision level. Quick shoutout to the teams that never will have to worry about losing this distinction because they either don’t play in the Irish’s division anymore or they no longer exist. Those programs are Yale, Knox, Chicago and Great Lakes Navy.

Now, here are the FBS programs that have true bragging rights over the Irish:

Arkansas drops first game of the year to Oklahoma

Arkansas dropped its first game of the year on Saturday at the BOK Center in Tulsa.

Oklahoma started the game with a 13-0 run and held off a number of Arkansas challenges in a 88-66 win on Saturday.

Arkansas hadn’t started 10-0 since its national championship season in 1993-94.

A very pro-Hog crowd at the BOK Center saw the Sooners take a 6-point halftime lead, get up by as much as 26 in the second half before settling for the 22-point win.

Eric Musselman was ejected late in the game as he was irate at the officiating and with his team’s play.

The Razorbacks shot 34 percent from the field while the Sooners countered by shooting 55 percent and 59 percent from behind the 3-point line.

Devo Davis led all scorers with 26 points while JD Notae chipped in 13.

For Oklahoma, Elijah Harkless led five Sooners in double figures with 16 points.

Sooner head coach Porter Moser got his second win over Musselman in the last four years.

Arkansas will get a week off before facing Hofstra in North Little Rock, Ark. next Saturday.

Pat Fields named Wuerffel Trophy Finalist celebrating exemplary community service

Oklahoma Sooners senior safety Pat Fields was announced as a finalist for the Wuerffel Trophy.

While he’s been a constant on the field for the Sooners over the years, Pat Fields has been just as remarkable off of it. Fresh off the press, Fields was nominated as a finalist for the prestigious Wuerffel Trophy, an award celebrating the FBS player who balances exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement. Nakobe Dean, a junior linebacker from the No. 1 ranked Georgia Bulldogs and Isaiah Sanders, a senior quarterback from Stanford join him as finalists.

Fields is a fourth-year senior safety from Tulsa, OK who has been a consistent and integral player in the Sooners’ defensive reimagining dubbed “Speed D.” When he’s not coming up making plays in the backfield, intercepting passes, or returning blocked kicks for points, he’s compiling a 3.82 GPA while pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in accounting and a master’s degree in accounting. According to the official athletic website of the Sooners, both degrees project to be completed by December 2021.

His notable efforts with community service include the founding of “Town Business,” a financial literacy seminar. The seminar focuses heavily on teaching high school football student-athletes about budgeting, money management, credit, and personal branding. He enlisted the help of other notable college athletes, as well as current and former NFL players to help him.

His efforts mean so much to the area of Tulsa. Tulsa has seen a boom in the quality of athletes that are being produced there as they’ve produced high-level, professional-caliber athletes, for a while now. Look no further than former Sooner cornerback Tre Brown, who is contributing as a rookie for the Seattle Seahawks.

In addition to the seminar, he has started the Black Wall Street Scholarship. In collaboration with the president of the OU National Black Alumni Association, Black Wall Street provides scholarships for minority, underrepresented, and lower-income students from his hometown of Tulsa looking to come to Oklahoma while also hosting free football camps during the spring and summer.

His academic achievements include multiple Academic All-District selections (2020-21) and three Academic All-Big 12 First Team selections. He’s received multiple Scholar of the Year awards as well.

Most will only see him as the two-time captain, a three-year starter at safety with 189 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 10 pass breakups, and three interceptions on his ledger. Currently, he sits second on the team with 67 tackles, has 4.5 TFLs and two interceptions through 11 games this season.

The winner of the 2021 Wuerffel Trophy will be announced Dec. 9 on The Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPN, a televised event that wraps up award season for college football, while the actual presentation of the trophy takes place on Feb. 25, 2022, at the 53rd All Sports Association Awards Banquet in Fort Walton Beach, Fla.

As Fields potentially nears the end of his career as a homegrown Oklahoma Sooner in the next few weeks, regardless of how these next few weeks go, he will leave an incredible ambassador for his community, school, and his family on top of being an excellent ballplayer that helped bring respect back to the Oklahoma defense.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions.

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ESPN releases Power Rankings through Week 10

The Irish have improved again.

Notre Dame defeated Navy handily Saturday, which wasn’t unexpected. Although the Midshipmen are a struggling program, ESPN still was impressed enough with the win to reward the Irish with one spot better than the previous week in its Power Rankings. There was movement in other areas of the rankings, too. Check it all out in the top 10 of the Power Rankings through Week 10:

ESPN’s College Game Day picks Cincinnati / Tulsa and more

Who do you have winning today?

The pre-eminent college football pre-game show took their crew to Cincinnati, the lone loss on Notre Dame’s ledger this season. The Bearcats are set to host the Golden Hurricane’s of Tulsa. The guest picker, Nick Lachey of 98 Degrees and Cincinnati native, made his picks along with Desmond Howard, Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit. Find out who they picked to win between Notre Dame and Navy along with the tops games on today’s schedule.

Memphis vs Tulsa Prediction, Game Preview

Memphis vs Tulsa prediction, game preview, how to watch: Saturday, October 9

Memphis vs Tulsa prediction, game preview, how to watch: Saturday, October 9

Memphis vs Tulsa How To Watch

Date: Saturday, October 9
Game Time: 9:00 pm ET
Venue: Chapman Stadium, Tulsa, OK
How To Watch: ESPN2
Record: Memphis (3-2), Tulsa (1-4)
– Sign up and live stream college football on ESPN+

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– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

Memphis vs Tulsa Game Preview

Why Memphis Will Win

The offense is still cranking up the yards.

The win over Mississippi State was the one time the team didn’t get to 400 yards in the five games, with the passing attack taking off for over 300 yards in each of the last two.

The offense is great at moving the chains, the defense is holding up fine against the run, and rolling down the field won’t be a problem against a Tulsa defense struggling way too much on third downs.

The Golden Hurricane secondary isn’t making enough big plays, but …

– Week 6 CFN College Football Expert Picks

Why Tulsa Will Win

Davis Brin keeps on bombing away.

The wins might not be there, but he’s doing a solid job of pressing secondaries deep, and he should be able to hit the Memphis secondary for 300 yards.

Now the picks have to slow down.

Memphis isn’t going to generate a whole lot of pressure and it doesn’t take the ball away. Brin and the Tulsa offense has to own the clock – not a problem against the Tigers – and the yards should come in bunches against the nation’s second-worst pass D.

– Week 6 College Football Schedule, Predictions, Game Previews

What’s Going To Happen

Both teams are struggling way too much.

They both won big shootouts against Arkansas State, they’ve both underachieved overall, and they’re both having huge problems defensively.

Both offenses will go back-and-forth, but Memphis will come up with two second half takeaways to win the turnover battle and survive.

– Week 5 CFN NFL Expert Picks

Memphis vs Tulsa Prediction, Line

Memphis 38, Tulsa 34
Line: Tulsa -3.5, o/u: 61
ATS Confidence out of 5: 1.5

Must See Rating: 2.5

5: When Facebook and Instagram are down
1: The Bradshaw Bunch

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– Fearless Predictions of Every Game
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How to watch, stream, listen to Ohio State vs. Tulsa

Everything you need to know to listen and watch Ohio State football take on the Tulsa Golden Hurricane.

Welcome to week 3 of college football. For Ohio State fans, there doesn’t seem to be as much excitement after a poor performance at home against Oregon. But the college football world moves on and the Buckeyes can still attain all of their goals so long as they get some glaring issues fixed and get them fixed quickly.

Tulsa comes to town this weekend in what should be a walk in the park for an OSU team that desperately needs a rebound. With so much work to do on the defensive side of the ball, will the Buckeye coaching staff be able to make the necessary adjustments in such a short period of time or will there be a false sense of confidence against a lesser opponent?

Ryan Day promised us some changes in his weekly press conference. It was Day’s first loss in the regular season as the Ohio State head coach. Sometimes, a little adversity can bring out the best in a team. The Buckeyes need to be at the top of their game from this point forward and it starts with the Golden Hurricane of Tulsa on Saturday.

NEXT … How to watch, stream, listen to Ohio State Thursday

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Saints draft profiles: LB Zaven Collins, Tulsa

Tulsa linebacker Zaven Collins is a sought-after prospect in the 2021 NFL draft who fits many of the New Orleans Saints’ top draft needs.

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While the New Orleans Saints don’t often deviate from their draft approach in targeting the best prospects available, the team needs to address top roster needs in the 2021 NFL draft. With eight picks at their disposal, the positions of cornerback and linebacker should take priority with their first-round selection.

This series has focused on top prospects at cornerback, but there are playmakers at linebacker New Orleans could target at No. 28 overall. One prospect in particular, who had one of his first substantive virtual interviews with the Saints, stands out: Tulsa’s Zaven Collins.

Measurables and Pro Day Results:

  • Height: 6-foot-4
  • Weight: 259 pounds
  • Arm length: 33 5/8 inches
  • Hands: 9 3/8 inches
  • 40-yard dash: 4.65 seconds
  • Bench press: 19 reps
  • Broad jump: 122 inches
  • Vertical jump: 35 inches

Via Dane Brugler’s draft guide

Analysis:

A true off-ball linebacker, Collins offers a rare asset in pass coverage. His unique blend of size and athleticism are bolstered by impressive ball skills and awareness in the backfield. Collins shines in zone coverage with an ability to read quarterbacks’ eyes and get his body or hands up in passing lanes; he recorded four interceptions in just eight games last season, returning two for touchdowns, plus a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and a safety.

Collins proved disruptive in the backfield throughout his collegiate career with 7.5 sacks and 25 tackles for loss. His coverage abilities and scheme versatility are diminished only by lacking play strength and ability to shed blockers. He offers a dynamic presence in pass coverage and, once he strengthens his physicality in blocking, upside on blitzes.

How he fits the Saints:

New Orleans hasn’t drafted a linebacker in the first round since their 2015 selection of Clemson’s Stephone Anthony; fans were high on LSU’s Patrick Queen in last year’s draft, but he didn’t fit the Saints physical prototype. While Collins’ long-speed is lacking with a 4.67 40-yard dash, his short quickness makes up for it: his 1.63 10-yard split at Tulsa’s pro day was faster than what Demario Davis recorded coming out of Arkansas State.

With the departures of Kwon Alexander and Alex Anzalone, Collins offers a strong compliment next to Davis; his versatility and untapped potential are a great fit in Dennis Allen’s defense. Technique is teachable, and easily outweighed by his playmaking ability. This selection would leave questions surrounding the team’s trade up for Zack Baun in the third-round of last year’s draft, but the loss of two position group starters could demand doubling up at the role with a dynamic playmaker in Collins.

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Saints improve but neglect their top need in Mel Kiper’s two-round mock draft

The Saints improved at linebacker and receiver in Mel Kiper’s NFL mock draft update for ESPN, but they still need an upgrade at cornerback.

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The 2021 NFL draft is just two weeks away, so ESPN’s Mel Kiper released an updated two-round mock draft to share his latest guess at how the opening picks might shake out. And while the Saints get better on each side of the ball, this projection has them exiting the first two rounds without addressing their most important need: cornerback.

Instead, Kiper has the Saints spending their first pick at No. 28 overall on Tulsa linebacker Zaven Collins. Here’s what he wrote of the match:

“The Saints haven’t been able to add players this offseason because of their salary-cap constraints, so this is their best chance to get a player who can make an immediate impact. They have to hit on their pick if they want to extend their championship window with Drew Brees retired. Collins is a versatile linebacker who was the only FBS player to have at least four sacks and four interceptions last season. He wasn’t asked to rush the passer much, but he still got four sacks. He could play outside or middle linebacker for New Orleans. He’s a fun defender to watch.”

Collins could slot into the Saints starting defense next to Demario Davis right away, injecting a much-needed boost of athleticism and playmaking ability to a vulnerable position group. But that would be quite an indictment of Zack Baun, a linebacker the Saints drafted last year and couldn’t find snaps for behind Davis, Alex Anzalone, and midseason trade pickup Kwon Alexander. New Orleans doesn’t own its third rounder this year after trading that pick to help acquire Baun in the first place; investing so much in him and drafting his replacement so soon would be tough to explain.

But let’s move on to the second round, where Kiper has linked the Saints to Purdue slot receiver Rondale Moore. Moore is a stronger version of Deonte Harris who produced against better competition, but he comes with his own injury history much like the undrafted returns specialist. Here’s Kiper’s vision for how Moore could fit in:

“With Emmanuel Sanders gone in free agency, I have to believe the Saints will use one of their first two picks on a receiver. And since I went with a versatile front-seven piece in Round 1, I’ll add Moore here for Sean Payton & Co. Purdue ran its entire offense through Moore, who’s 5-foot-7 but extremely explosive with the ball in his hands. He forced 30 missed tackles as a freshman in 2018. Payton will be able to get the most out of Moore, using him on jet sweeps and screens and getting him the ball in creative ways.”

It’s easy to see the appeal in both of these picks, but it leaves the Saints without a challenger to compete with Patrick Robinson and P.J. Williams for the starting job across from Marshon Lattimore. Tossing two career backups and some practice squad holdovers into that battle, maybe along with a rookie picked in the middle rounds, is a steep regression from the level Janoris Jenkins played at last year. Maybe the Saints could find a veteran free agent willing to sign at an affordable price to make up for it, but that’s still a glaring weakness.

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Saints assistant GM Jeff Ireland spotted scouting Zaven Collins

New Orleans Saints asssitant GM Jeff Ireland was spotted scouting Tulsa linebacker Zaven Collins on his pro-day.

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With the 2021 NFL draft rapidly approaching, the New Orleans Saints are checking under every rock and beating every bush in an attempt to find “their guy.”

During the Sean Payton era the Saints have drafted the best available player that remains on their draft board when their turn to pick arrives. That’s not to say that the team doesn’t have targets. However, this year could be different with the heavy amount of turnover this roster has already seen.

One of those potential targets is Tulsa linebacker Zaven Collins who was pictured meeting with Saints assistant GM Jeff Ireland.

Collins, a versatile linebacker and consensus All-American in 2020, is projected to go later in the first-round of the draft. With the departures of Kwon Alexander and Alex Anzalone, New Orleans could look to target a linebacker with the 28th pick.

The Saints have not drafted a linebacker in the first round since their selection of Stephone Anthony out of Clemson with in the 2015 NFL draft. It would be be going against the recent philosophy, but again, this offseason has seen the landscape of the roster change significantly. Additionally, there is no doubt that Payton and company may have some regret on passing up on LSU-product Patrick Queen in last year’s draft.

Collins would slot in well next to Demario Davis and would make for a great fit in Dennis Allen’s defense which values versatility and flexibility. This draft season is bound to have lasting implications for New Orleans.