2010 Tulsa Golden Hurricane Football Preview

2009 Results: 5-7, No Bowl

Head Coach: Todd Graham (4th year, 26-14 @ Tulsa, 33-20 Overall)

Home Venue: H.A. Chapman Stadium (30,000) Tulsa, Oklahoma

The only way to describe 2009 for Tulsa would be ‘disappointing’. The Golden Hurricane, winners of 38 games in the previous four seasons, fell to a shocking 5-7 record despite a fairly strong statistical campaign. A 1-3 record in games decided by a touchdown or less will do that to you, as will a two touchdown drop in scoring. But even with those factors included, Tulsa had too strong of a team to have missed out on the postseason. With a veteran offense returning, can the Golden Hurricane start a new run of success?

OFFENSE

2009’s decline was pretty simple: After scoring 40+ points in each of the previous two seasons, Tulsa fell to only 29 points per game of production, largely due to issues on the O-Line and in the running game. In fact, junior quarterback G.J. Kinne (2,732 pass yards, 393 rush yards, 27 total TDs, 10 INT in ’09) was the team’s leading rusher! Luckily, I don’t think that will be the case this season as former Texas A&M signee Derrick Hall arrives to pair with senior Charles Clay (296 rush yards, 39 catches, 530 receiving yards, 13 total TDs) to boost a running game that should use Kinne’s athleticism as a weapon instead of a crutch.

The passing game should also get better as Kinne will have much more experienced receivers and shouldn’t have to run for his life as often. Junior Damaris Johnson (78 catches, 1,131 yards, 3 TDs) will be the top option again this fall and he should get help from sophomore Oklahoma transfer Jameel Owens, who is eligible to play immediately due to a hardship waiver. Seniors Trae Johnson (22 catches, 311 yards, 8 TDs) and A.J. Whitmore (26 catches, 238 yards, 1 TD) will also be valuable contributors to the fleet of receivers on this team.

The only concern is whether the Tulsa O-Line can bounce back from a tough campaign. I, for one, am confident that this unit, which was composed largely of underclassmen last year, is in for a major step forward this fall. While the best lineman from 2009 has graduated, the overall depth and increase in experience should pay major dividends this season. I fully expect Tulsa to improve their scoring output this year and this should be one of the league’s best offenses.

DEFENSE

For a team that struggled offensively last season, Tulsa’s defense was commendable. The Golden Hurricane posted a virtually identical season to the previous year, allowing barely over 27 points per game. But the core of that unit is gone with only six returning starters, so the question is whether they can reload this fall.

The top defender is junior linebacker DeAundre Brown (102 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT), who was a 1 st Team C-USA selection last season. Brown and senior Tyler Antle (78 tackles, 2.5 sacks) will form the core of a solid set of ‘backers. In the Golden Hurricane 3-4 defense, both should make a lot of plays, especially with two starting linemen back.

The secondary is a little bit weaker, as only two starters return. Sophomore Dexter McCoil (85 tackles, 1 INT) is the best returning player and he is coming off of a strong freshman campaign that saw him start only seven games, yet end up as the team’s 3 rd leading tackler. While McCoil shows promise, I’m a little worried as this unit that wasn’t great at grabbing interceptions last year. However, they should still be a serviceable group thanks to a decent pass rush. Overall, Tulsa looks like they’ll have another defense that finishes in the upper half of Conference USA.

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SCHEDULE

There is not one game on this schedule that I see as a guaranteed loss. Out of conference, the only two BCS opponents for the Golden Hurricane are both rebuilding: Notre Dame and Oklahoma State. While both games are on the road, neither team is a slam dunk for a bowl game this year, so both are eminently winnable affairs. The conference schedule is a little less favorable as they have to travel to both Houston and SMU and they host East co-favorite Southern Miss. However, the only team remotely resembling a heavyweight on their schedule is league favorite Houston so if Tulsa comes together quickly then this schedule could set this team up for a fantastic year.

OUTLOOK

Tulsa had a tough season last year but I think that will end up as a blip in the radar of a successful run for the Golden Hurricane. Their offense looks like it will be much more effective than it was last season with an improved running game and a healthy line. In spite of my concerns about the pass defense, I think that the Tulsa D will continue to perform in the upper echelon of the league. Finally, the Golden Hurricane has a very favorable schedule and it wouldn’t shock me if this team pushes towards ten wins. However, the West is definitely the tougher division they have to travel to both Houston and SMU. While I really like Tulsa this season, I think they’re going to finish 3 rd in the tough C-USA West Division. The good news is that will be more than enough to ensure a nice bowl trip.

PREDICTED RESULT: 8-4 (5-3 CONFERENCE USA)