TU Talking Points
BY BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
11/13/12 at 5:46 AM
The Conference USA championship scenario
UCF is 6-0 in the East Division. East Carolina is 5-1 in the East. The Pirates' only league loss was a 40-20 setback against UCF, so the Knights own the head-to-head tiebreaker edge in the East.
Tulsa is 6-0 in the West Division. If the Knights prevail on Saturday at TU's H.A. Chapman Stadium, they would clinch the East title and host the Dec. 1 Conference USA championship game in Orlando, Fla. If Tulsa wins on Saturday, the Golden Hurricane would be immediately guaranteed the host role in the C-USA championship game only if East Carolina loses at Tulane.
TU closes the regular season with a Nov. 24 contest at SMU. If TU defeats UCF and SMU, the Hurricane hosts the championship game. East Carolina wins the East only if it finishes 7-1, with UCF losing at Tulsa this week and to UAB next week.
If TU and East Carolina were to finish in a 7-1 tie, with UCF at 6-2, there would be no head-to-head tiebreaker because TU and East Carolina are not matched during the regular season. The site of the championship game would be determined by BCS standings. Tulsa is 39th in the BCS. East Carolina is 73rd.
Undefeated TU vs. undefeated UCF
With both Tulsa and UCF unbeaten in league play, this is the latest in any season that two Conference USA division leaders have been matched. It also is the latest in any season that a Conference USA game features two participants with perfect league records.
In the 18-season history of Conference USA, six teams finished the regular season with a perfect record in league play. Those teams were Houston in 2011, Louisville in 2004, Southern Miss in 2003, Southern Miss in 1999, Tulane in 1998 and Southern Miss in 1997.
Before a Nov. 3 nonconference defeat at Arkansas, Tulsa had a seven-game winning streak. Entering Saturday's game at TU, UCF has a six-game winning streak.
TU's ground game back in business
After a sub-standard performance at Arkansas (106 yards on 36 attempts), the Golden Hurricane ground game was exceedingly effective at Houston. On a season-high total of 60 attempts, Tulsa ran for 350 yards.
At the tailback position, TU got 87 yards from Ja'Terian Douglas, 79 yards and two TDs from Alex Singleton, 68 yards from Zack Langer and 57 yards from Trey Watts. Quarterback Cody Green scored on runs of 3 yards and 1 yard.
With UCF ranking No. 1 in Conference USA in pass defense - and with Green perhaps experiencing discomfort in his right shoulder that was injured last month - Tulsa needs another big run-game performance this week.
By The Numbers
18: Tulsa senior safety Dexter McCoil has 17 career interceptions. The C-USA record is 18, set in 1999-2002 by Louisville's Anthony Floyd.
300: McCoil needs 10 more tackles to reach the 300 mark for his career. TU senior linebacker DeAundre Brown needs 14 more to reach 300.
2.026: With 87 yards at Houston last week, Hurricane junior tailback Ja'Terian Douglas has a career total of 2,026. He is the 12th Tulsa player to rush for a career total of at least 2,000 yards.
14-of-21: Through 10 games, TU is 14-of-21 on fourth downs. Against Fresno State, Marshall, UTEP and Houston, TU was a combined 9-of-10.
8: Bill Blankenship is one of four Tulsa coaches to have recorded at least eight victories in each of his first two seasons. The other three are Francis Schmidt (1919-20), Henry Frnka (1941-42) and Todd Graham (2007-08). No coach has reached the mark in each of his first three seasons.
STATISTICS
| TU | OPP |
| Scoring |
372 |
231 |
| Per game |
37.2 |
23.1 |
| First downs |
217 |
194 |
| by rushing |
117 |
74 |
| by passing |
83 |
100 |
| by penalty |
17 |
20 |
| Rushing yards |
2446 |
1182 |
| Avg. per game |
244.6 |
118.2 |
| Passing yards |
2049 |
2549 |
| Avg. per game |
204.9 |
254.9 |
| Offensive plays |
793 |
749 |
| Total yards |
4495 |
3731 |
| Avg. per play |
5.7 |
5.0 |
| Avg. per game |
449.5 |
373.1 |
| Kick returns-Yds |
26-748 |
36-643 |
| Punt returns-Yds |
21-188 |
17-156 |
| Interceptions-Yds |
10-67 |
9-118 |
| Fumbles-Lost |
19-7 |
19-13 |
| Penalties-Yds |
48-464 |
61-540 |
| Punts-Avg. |
58-39.5 |
68-44.5 |
| 3rd downs |
61-163 |
65-169 |
| 4th downs |
14-21 |
5-17 |
| Sacks by-Yds |
39-285 |
7-50 |
Individual leaders
Y/A=Yards/attempt; Y/G=Yards/game
| RUSHING |
No. |
Yds |
Y/A |
Y/G |
TD |
| J. Douglas |
106 |
808 |
7.6 |
80.8 |
6 |
| T. Watts |
103 |
645 |
6.3 |
71.7 |
3 |
| A. Singleton |
132 |
572 |
4.3 |
57.2 |
18 |
| PASSING |
C-A-Int |
Yds |
Y/G |
TD |
| C. Green |
146-273-7 |
1681 |
186.8 |
10 |
| K. Henderson |
16-46-2 |
294 |
58.8 |
1 |
| T. Watts |
1-1-0 |
26 |
2.9 |
1 |
| RECEIVING |
No. |
Yds |
Y/A |
Y/G |
TD |
| K. Garrett |
45 |
558 |
12.4 |
55.8 |
5 |
| W. Carter |
34 |
273 |
8.0 |
27.3 |
2 |
| J. James |
26 |
372 |
14.3 |
37.2 |
2 |
| T. Watts |
20 |
233 |
11.6 |
25.9 |
0 |
| T. Roberson |
15 |
305 |
20.3 |
30.5 |
3 |
| PUNT RETURNS |
No. |
Yds |
Avg. |
TD |
| T. Watts |
13 |
95 |
7.3 |
0 |
| KICK RETURNS |
No. |
Yds |
Avg. |
TD |
| T. Watts |
11 |
375 |
34.1 |
1 |
| J. Douglas |
6 |
125 |
20.8 |
0 |
| D. Nelson |
5 |
175 |
35.0 |
0 |
| KICKING |
FG-A |
Long |
PAT |
| D. SCHWARZ |
10-15 |
45 |
X-X |
| DEFENSE |
Tackles |
TFL |
Sacks |
INT |
FR |
| D. Brown |
103 |
14.0 |
8.0 |
1 |
0 |
| D. McCoil |
65 |
1.5 |
0 |
4 |
2 |
| S. Jackson |
59 |
7.0 |
2.5 |
0 |
1 |
| D. NELSON |
58 |
4.0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| L. Rose |
42 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
| D. Bufford |
37 |
7.5 |
3.5 |
0 |
1 |
| C. Dorris |
35 |
7.5 |
4.0 |
1 |
1 |
| J. St. John |
35 |
8.0 |
7.0 |
0 |
1 |
UP NEXT
Tulsa (8-2, 6-0) vs. Central Florida 8-2, 6-0)
11 a.m. Sunday
TV: CBSSN-249
Radio: KRMG am740, fm102.3
Sept. 1: at Iowa State L, 38-23
Sept. 8: vs. Tulane W, 45-10
Sept. 15: vs. Nicholls St. W, 66-16
Sept. 22: vs. Fresno St. W, 27-26
Sept. 29: at UAB W, 49-42
Oct. 6: at Marshall W, 45-38
Oct. 11: vs. UTEP W, 33-11
Oct. 20: vs. Rice W, 28-24
Nov. 3: at Arkansas L, 19-15
Nov. 10: at Houston W, 41-7
Nov. 17: vs. UCF (FSOK-27) 11 a.m.
Nov. 24: at SMU (FX-35) 11 a.m.
Associated Images:
TU's Zack Langer gains yardage during the final moments of the second half of the Golden Hurricane's win over the Houston Cougars on Saturday at Robertson Stadium in Houston. TOM GILBERT / Tulsa World
TU's Jordan James heads down the field after catching a pass during Saturday's game against Houston. TOM GILBERT / Tulsa World
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