Tulsa World: TU Notebook: Recruiting base

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TU Notebook: Recruiting base

Houston's Tyron Carrier turns upfield escaping the tackle of Tulsa's Charles Davis, Nov. 15, 2008. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World

By MIKE BROWN World Sports Writer
Published: 11/7/2009 2:22 AM
Last Modified: 11/7/2009 7:37 AM

One reason Kevin Sumlin left Bob Stoops' University of Oklahoma coaching staff to become Houston's head coach is the fertile recruiting region he inherited.

Houston is the fourth-largest city in America, smack in the middle of football country. Sumlin cited a study showing that 101 athletes signed last year to play major-college football within a 60-mile radius of the Cougars' campus.

"And we signed 14 of them. That's not San Antonio, Dallas or the Port Arthur area, it's a one-hour drive from my office," he said.

"There's great football in the state, all tremendously coached, and we're right in the middle of it. We give (players) an option of being able to still play the game and attend a great university while having their friends, family and coaches be a part of their collegiate career without leaving (the area). If you can do that and win, it's even better."

Sumlin's Cougars are 7-1 in his second season as they visit Chapman Stadium on Saturday to play the Hurricane.

Homecoming: Broken Arrow High School defensive coordinator Steve Spavital has more than a passing interest in Saturday's game.

Spavital has two sons on the Houston coaching staff, and was current TU assistant head coach Bill Blankenship's defensive coordinator during Blankenship's successful Union High School tenure.

Zac Spavital is in his second year as UH cornerbacks coach. Jake Spavital is working as a graduate assistant after doing the same job at TU last year. Both starred at Union

under Blankenship.

"Dad's pretty excited," Zac Spavital said. "He watched (Houston's earlier win at Oklahoma State), but he hasn't gotten to see many of our games."

Nominated: TU senior defensive back Kenny D. Sims is a candidate for the 2009 Wuerffel Trophy.

The award is given annually by the All Sports Association of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., and goes to the Football Bowl Subdivision athlete who best combines exemplary community service with academic and athletic achievement. Former TU quarterback Paul Smith was the 2007 recipient.

Sims, a senior, has started 29 straight games with 121 career tackles and three interceptions. Last year, he was named to C-USA's academic honor roll.

Dangerous foe: UH receiver Tyron Carrier is one of the nation's top return men.

He had a 93-yard kickoff return against TU in Houston last year and has a 92-yard return against SMU this season. He averages 26.5 yards on kickoff returns and 16.4 yards on punt returns.

"Carrier's incredible, so we're gonna do everything we can to keep the ball up in the air a long time," said Blankenship, TU's special-teams coordinator.

Blankenship said Michael Such's directional punting was the key factor in holding SMU's speedy Emmanuel Sanders to zero return yards last week. By MIKE BROWN World Sports Writer

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