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An Opportunity for Ignition

When TU takes the field Saturday afternoon for the long awaited home-opener at H.A. Chapman Stadium against a 2-0 Oklahoma State squad, they will be presented with their first true chance at knocking off the Cowboys since at least 2004. The last time Tulsa beat Oklahoma State was in 1998, TU took that game 35-20 in a year that neither team so much as sniffed a bowl game. Out of TU’s last dozen victories in the series, an overwhelming majority have come at home in the comfort of then-Skelly Stadium. As one OSU fan put it during the lead-up to the 2011 contest, it was not so much TU’s motivation for revenge after a 2010 tail-whipping on the road that concerned him, it was that TU is almost like a “different team” against the Cowboys at home. Not since the 2012 Liberty Bowl against Iowa State has a better opportunity for a win over a P5 team presented itself to Tulsa. Sure, OSU has been impressive against Oregon State and an FCS team, but the Hurricane defense should by all means be the best the Cowboys have faced this season. Also, TU’s offense seems to have found a bit of a rhythm in a week 2 win against SJSU on the road; not to mention the moral boost of scoring a passing TD against one of the best defenses in college football after 2 seasons of fielding one of the worst air attacks in the FBS. Just last year, Tulsa went into the snake pit in Austin and almost emerged with a win over the Longhorns in an unexpectedly competitive contest. When looking at TU’s reason for failing to secure the W in that game, the lack of reliable QB play sticks out. Luke Skipper had more INT’s than he had TD’s in the 21-28 setback. The same issues plagued TU in “should of been” wins against Arkansas State, USF, Tulane, and Houston later in the season. One can argue that Seth Boomer did not fair much better than Skipper. TU needs a “big win”, much like the 2010 win at Notre Dame to spark not only a change in momentum for Coach Monty’s squad, but to renew overall interest in a program plagued by back-to-back disastrous seasons. Add to the importance of a win over a P5 team the fact that OSU is a often fiercely detested in-state rival among TU alumni and fans, and you get the spark to ignite a very special season. A win over OSU and a follow up victory over Wyoming would take TU into conference play with a 3-1 record and halfway on the road to bowl-eligibility. A win against the Cowboys, coupled with a confident defensive stand against Michigan State would also help make every game in AAC play seem that-much-more winnable. For the sake of Tulsa football and this season, let all of us in the TU nation hope that against the odds (which favor the Cowboys) the Golden Hurricane can open the home campaign with a W; something they have been rather good at .

Tulsa takes on Oklahoma State at 2:30 pm, Sat. Sept. 14, 2019 on ESPN 2 and 99.5 FM.

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For Smith, TU the Path to Rebirth Runs Through SJSU

When Junior (RS) QB Zach Smith and the Tulsa Golden Hurricane offense takes the field on Saturday against San Jose State, on the road, they hope to avoid a repeat of their dismal 2019 season debut in Lansing. The season opener was one of the most anemic offensive outings for the Hurricane in decades and one where the TU offense scored only 7 points while giving up a game changing 9 more via turnovers to the touted and stingy Michigan State University Spartan defense. Offensive anemia, it has been the story for the TU offense for going on three seasons, now. After one of the most successful seasons in school history in 2016, Philip Montgomery and his once revered Tulsa offense has struggled to remain in the top 100 in college football, much  less contend. On the flip-side of the coin, the Tulsa defense has seen steady improvement since the now lost to nostalgia 2016 campaign, and this year’s defense has more than just the potential to be one of the best in school history; it has the talent, too. While the TU offenses of 2017 & 2018 were at their best a capricious lot, the defenses were a constant in the progress department. It has been said over the course of the week by a few pundits, myself included, that with the offense from the 2015 OU-Tulsa game and the defense from Friday’s performance against Big 10 contender Sparty, the Golden Hurricane could have emerged from that encounter in Norman with a W. But in a nutshell, those types of what-if’s are part of the problem surrounding the Hurricane program and fan base. This year’s defense is good enough, that with a bit of luck in staying healthy, it can and shall deliver TU a victory or two with its aggressiveness. That said, to become bowl eligible, the Hurricane will need some sort of balanced consistency on offense. While TU running backs Shamari Brooks and Corey Taylor II present a Doak Walker watch list 1-2 threat to the 11 teams remaining on TU’s schedule this season, it was proven last year that it is not hard (for anyone) to shut down a stalwart rushing attack when there is no need to even remotely worry that you may have to defend against any sort of sustainable air game. Many say that with the talent TU has at running back that the lack of sufficient QB play is not the problem; but it has been. This is not the 2012 Tulsa offense, the core to a season where 3 running backs and a stout offensive line enforced their will upon opposing defenses; TU will need to get it done through the air to a similar degree, too. This is where Baylor transfer and former 4-star recruit Smith truly comes into play. During Friday night’s embarrassing showing by his offense, Smith was often lambasted by fans and media alike for his “pocket presence”, or lack-there-of as it may be. What many failed to grasp at though, was that Smith was at center behind a very inexperienced and painfully young offensive line. On top of that, the young line was debuting against one of, if not the best defensive front(s) in the nation. We were told throughout both the spring and fall camps that the Tulsa QB race was far from a technicality, even as many continued to believe it would be nothing less than one. Davis Brin and Seth Boomer both held their own in the competition, and one could even argue in doing so, allowed the TU coaches an opportunity to build not one, but two potential starting QB’s for the years to come. Again though, that does not mean anything if it does not translate into production when it matters the most. The dearth of production from the once mighty TU passing game has been one of the most unsettling factors of the last two seasons. Chad President, Luke Skipper, and finally Seth Boomer have all, at one point or another, shown the ability to lead a balanced offense for the Hurricane, only for that ability to evaporate almost spontaneously in the face of any sort of adversity. Smith, on the other hand, has proven at Baylor that at the very least, he has that much needed ability to come out and lead a successful offense with some degree of consistency. Just two years ago after all, it was Smith who handed the Oklahoma Sooners a serious case of the fits when he lit up their secondary for 463 yards and four TD’s. Boomer, by comparison, had his best performance in a practically meaningless win over AAC basement-dweller Connecticut when he completed 9 of 14 for 168 yards and four TD’s of his own.  While the OU game and much of his 2016 campaign allowed Smith to showcase his strengths, his flaws (coupled with injuries) would prove to be the end of Smith as a Bear. In January 2018, Smith transferred to TU hoping for a sort of rebirth under the auspices of a man he looks up to in Tulsa head coach and offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery. His arrival on campus was met with much hurrah from TU insiders considering what he had accomplished just a few months before against the Sooners. While Smith was forced to sit out the 2018 season, he seemingly showed up ready to go in the 2019 spring game. Even in a largely forgettable MSU game, his two deep connections, including a TD with Sam Crawford Jr. were a glimpse of what many TU fans imagined when hearing of his arrival in blue & gold. Compared to what we have grown accustomed to over the last couple of these post-Dane Evans seasons, it was refreshing to see a TU QB thread the needle. It gave us all a degree of belief in his accuracy. Now, imagine if Smith can begin to connect with this group of talented and eager TU receivers on a somewhat regular basis while allowing the potent and chip-carrying TU backs a chance to get their game going!  While far from a certainty, the are reasons to feel positive change is in the air. A resurgent and successful Smith-led TU offense, coupled with the current TU defense could mean special things of a much better variety than just a simple .500 season and a bowl are in store for the Golden Hurricane and its starving fan base this season. For that story line to begin to play-out, though, TU must handle this second group of Spartans much better than it did the first. While an equally big part of the formula for that success resides in TU shaking its Machiavellian tendencies in big/important games, it must begin with #11 and his desire to succeed in the face of adversity, himself. Too many of Tulsa’s former quarterbacks have successfully faced down far greater opponents for Smith to want to do anything less in his quest to prove his worth.

Tulsa takes on San Jose State at 8:00 pm, Sat. Sept. 7, 2019 on ESPN 3 and 99.5 FM.

Prediction: TU 41, SJSU 13