TU Talking Points
BY ERIC BAILEY World Sports Writer
Tuesday, November 08, 2011
11/08/11 at 5:31 AM
Important game looming
Tulsa finds itself in prime position in the Conference USA standings.
The Golden Hurricane is tied with Houston with 5-0 league records. If TU and Houston win Saturday, the Nov. 25 game between the schools will be a winner-take-all contest for the West Division crown.
It only seems appropriate that Tulsa and Houston would settle things on the regular season's final week. Both have represented the C-USA West Division in the championship game in five of the past six years. The teams share the best overall league record (38-15) among the league's 12 schools since 2005 realignment.
If both schools were able to carry unbeaten records into the final game, the Nov. 25 winner would get home-field advantage in the C-USA title game.
No school has gone through the conference unscathed since 2005.
Running backs without egos
Tulsa doesn't have a featured running back this season, instead turning to a three-headed monster.
Trey Watts (568 yards) Ja'Terian Douglas (550) and Alex Singleton (245) have each led Tulsa in rushing in at least one game this year.
TU coach Bill Blankenship said all are sincerely happy when another does well.
"If you took a show of hands, I'm sure every guy in that room wants every snap until he gets tired," Blankenship said. "They have really accepted their roles and I think it's one of the things that have helped us be really good because we're rolling in fresh backs."
Watts agreed.
"The running back corps, they're some of my best friends on the team," he said. "So I'm not going to be selfish. When J.T. breaks a long run or Alex runs over someone at the goal line, I'm going to be psyched for those guys just like if it were me. They're my brothers out there."
Tulsa's silent weapon
The senior kicker made three important field goals in the Hurricane's 24-17 win at Central Florida last week and is 11-of-13 on attempts this season, including making an attempt from 40- and 50-yards plus.
Kevin Fitzpatrick has scored 268 career points in 44 games at Tulsa and is just 18 points away from tying Jarod Tracy (2004-08) for the all-time lead in Tulsa history.
"(The UCF game) was especially big for him," Blankenship said. "That's a great weapon for us, to know that you get down in the red zone and he is somebody you can count on ... I think it's huge to have a guy that can do that."
Fitzpatrick has also added punting duties to his placekicking duties, and has six punts for a 40.3 average.
TU STATISTICS
| TLS | OPP |
|
Scoring | 277 | 238 |
|
Per game | 30.8 | 26.4 |
|
First downs | 198 | 201 |
|
by rushing | 91 | 74 |
|
by passing | 96 | 111 |
|
by penalty | 11 | 16 |
|
Rushing yards | 1714 | 1164 |
|
Avg. per game | 190.4 | 129.3 |
|
Passing yards | 2220 | 2504 |
|
Avg. per game | 246.7 | 278.2 |
|
Offensive plays | 657 | 702 |
|
Total yards | 3934 | 3668 |
|
Avg. per play | 6.0 | 5.2 |
|
Avg. per game | 437.1 | 407.6 |
|
Kick returns-Yds | 38-766 | 45-941 |
|
Punt returns-Yds | 10-68 | 11-50 |
|
Interceptions-Yds | 13-284 | 13-131 |
|
Fumbles-Lost | 17-11 | 14-7 |
|
Penalties-Yds | 43-373 | 50-464 |
|
Punts-Avg. | 40-39.2 | 49-42.6 |
|
3rd downs | 52-127 | 63-150 |
|
4th downs | 6-11 | 7-15 |
|
Sacks by-Yds | 14-91 | 14-98 |
Individual leaders
Y/A=Yards/attempt; Y/G=Yards/game
| RUSHING | No. | YDS | Y/A | Y/G | TD |
|
T. Watts | 105 | 568 | 5.4 | 63.1 | 2 |
|
J. Douglas | 78 | 550 | 7.1 | 61.1 | 3 |
|
G. Kinne | 87 | 309 | 3.6 | 34.3 | 2 |
|
A. Singleton | 59 | 245 | 4.2 | 27.2 | 4 |
| PASSING | C-A-Int | YDS | Y/G | TD |
|
G. Kinne | 166-263-8 | 2098 | 233.1 | 17 |
| RECEIVING | No. | YDS | Y/A | Y/G | TD |
|
W. Carter | 52 | 767 | 14.8 | 85.2 | 5 |
|
B. Burnham | 34 | 519 | 15.3 | 57.7 | 6 |
|
J. James | 21 | 286 | 13.6 | 35.8 | 0 |
|
C. Sears | 21 | 271 | 12.9 | 30.1 | 4 |
| PUNT RETURNS | No. | Yds | Avg. | TD |
|
J. Ratliff | 5 | 22 | 4.4 | 0 |
|
M. Nelson | 3 | 22 | 7.3 | 0 |
| KICK RETURNS | No. | Yds | Avg. | TD |
|
F. Kelley | 22 | 459 | 20.9 | 0 |
|
T. Watts | 8 | 148 | 18.5 | 0 |
| KICKING | FG-A | Long | PAT |
|
K. Fitzpatrick | 11-13 | 52 | 32-34 |
| PUNTING | No. | Yds | Avg. | I20 |
|
C. Way | 34 | 1293 | 38.0 | 7 |
| DEFENSE | T | TFL | S | PD | FF |
|
C. Arnick | 113 | 4.5 | 1.5 | 1 | 0 |
|
S. Jackson | 64 | 3.5 | 1.0 | 1 | 1 |
|
D. McCoil | 60 | 1.5 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
|
M. Nelson | 55 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
|
A. Dock | 46 | 2.0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
2011 SCHEDULE
Tickets: tulsaworld.com/tusports
S. 3 at Oklahoma L, 47-14
S. 10 at Tulane W, 31-3
S. 17 Oklahoma State L, 59-33
S. 24 at Boise State L, 41-21
O. 1 North Texas W, 41-24
O. 15 UAB W, 37-20
O. 22 at Rice W, 38-20
O. 29 SMU W, 38-7
N. 3 at UCF W, 24-17
N. 12 Marshall 11 a.m. FSOK-27
N. 19 at UTEP 2 p.m. CBSSN-249
N. 25 Houston 11 a.m. FSOK-27
UP NEXT
Tulsa (6-3) vs. Marshall (4-5)
11 a.m. Saturday
TV: FSOK-27
Radio: KRMG am740, fm102.3
Associated Images:
Trey Watts leads the Golden Hurricane with 568 yards rushing this season. TOM GILBERT / Tulsa World
Kicker Kevin Fitzpatrick has been a good, yet silent, weapon for the Golden Hurricane. TOM GILBERT / Tulsa World
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