TU Report Card

BY BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer
Sunday, September 30, 2012
9/30/12 at 7:54 AM

OFFENSE

B-
After a five-touchdown first half, Tulsa had only one legitimate second-half drive - a six-play, 71-yard march capped by Trey Watts' 10-yard TD run. Hurricane QB Cody Green entered with a completion percentage of .488, but against UAB he was more effective. H-back Willie Carter entered with a four-game total of only eight catches. On Saturday, he had seven for 71 yards (including a 21-yard TD reception). Among Keyarris Garrett's six receptions was a touchdown catch. Before sustaining a second-half ankle injury, Trey Watts ran 10 times for 93 yards and a touchdown. Short-yardage tailback Alex Singleton scored the 25th, 26th and 27th rushing TDs of his career. The third one - a 6-yarder in the fourth quarter - gave Tulsa a 49-42 advantage and wound up being the winning score. If not for a holding call committed by guard Gabe Moyer - erasing a Watts TD play - TU's halftime lead might have been 42-21.

DEFENSE

B-
During stretches, Tulsa's defense was as good as it had been a week earlier against Fresno State. On 11 of its 17 offensive possessions, UAB was limited to 53 total yards. Big plays hurt the Golden Hurricane. On only four catches, Blazer receiver Jamarcus Nelson netted 146 yards. On the first play from scrimmage, he scored on a 75-yard play (after beating TU cornerback John Flanders). Later, he scored on a 50-yard pass play - collecting a short Austin Brown pass, turning the corner and finding no resistance down the UAB sideline. With a team-high total of eight tackles and three sacks, Hurricane senior tackle Daeshon Bufford had perhaps the best performance of his career. During the final minutes, with TU leading by only seven points, the Hurricane got huge plays from linebackers DeAundre Brown (a tipped-ball interception) and Mitchell Osborne (who blitzed, belted Austin Brown, caused a fumble and recovered the loose ball with 1:29 left).

SPECIAL TEAMS

C
The highlight was a 64-yard kickoff return by Marco Nelson, but the TU offense failed to capitalize when it couldn't convert on a fourth-down play from the UAB 29-yard line. With 37 seconds left in the first half, Tulsa freshman Daniel Schwarz missed on a 35-yard field goal attempt. On the first play of the second quarter, UAB blocked a Cole Way punt and recovered the football at the TU 4-yard line. The Blazers punched in a TD to tie the score at 21-21.

Associated Images:

TU quarterback Cody Green breaks free for a touchdown against UAB on Saturday in Birmingham, Ala. BUTCH DILL / Associated Press

UAB quarterback Austin Brown throws for a touchdown while under pressure from TU's Shawn Jackson during the first half. BUTCH DILL / Associated Press

UAB head coach Garrick McGee, a Tulsa native, walks the sidelines during the first half. BUTCH DILL / Associated Press