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Defense collapses again
Unit has been key during six-game losing streak.

Southern Mississippi's Tory Harrison goes over the top to get into the endzone against Tulsa during a NCAA college football game in Hattiesburg, Miss. Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009. AP PHOTO
 
By MIKE BROWN World Staff Writer
Published: 11/22/2009  2:25 AM
Last Modified: 11/22/2009  6:49 AM

 HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Tulsa's offensive unit played like a team that still had something to fight for Saturday night. But the defense was dead on arrival.

The Hurricane gave up a 60-yard touchdown pass on Southern Miss' first offensive snap, and things went downhill from there. USM made one big play after another and rolled to a 44-34 win in Robertson Stadium to stay in contention for the Conference USA title while sending Tulsa to its sixth straight loss.

The Golden Hurricane's title hopes ended weeks ago, and its bowl hopes ended Saturday with the seventh loss in 11 games, assuring the Hurricane's first losing season since 2004.

USM backup quarterback Martevious Young threw a career-high four touchdown passes, including a 95-yard bomb to DeAndre Brown in the third quarter. It was the second-longest passing play in Southern Miss history.

"They're a very explosive offense and (Brown's) the real deal, but on the same hand, you just can't give up cheap plays like that," TU head coach Todd Graham said.

"We were wanting to bracket (Brown) and at least one of those (long touchdown passes) was a busted coverage, and you can't do that, especially when we've got them penned in down there and they throw the long touchdown," Graham said.

Tulsa's defense hasn't been much help of late. The Hurricane allowed UTEP to rally with two fourth-quarter scores in El Paso and couldn't prevent SMU from driving the length of the field for a clinching score in a 27-13 loss to the Mustangs in Tulsa.

The Hurricane allowed an almost unheard-of 401 first-half yards in the 44-17 loss to East Carolina last Sunday.

Over the course of the season, Tulsa ranked 80th nationally in total defense, allowing 383.1 yards per game. But over the previous five games, the Hurricane had allowed nearly 500 yards per outing. That included a season-high 695 yards to Houston and 517 against East Carolina.

USM piled up 222 first-half yards and had 404 after three quarters. Nearly one-third of the Eagles' plays from scrimmage (15-of-46) went for 10 yards or more.

Mike Brown 581-8390
mike.brown@tulsaworld.com
By MIKE BROWN World Staff Writer

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canesablowin', (11/22/2009 11:52:27 AM)
TU likely will never have a shut down defense. The bend but not break approach is one that I can live with. Knowing each game that the offense is going to have to put a minimum of 5 TDs on the board to potentially win the game does not give me a problem. What does give all fans a problem are the consistent busted coverages. We simply need to improve defensively across the board, from pressuring the qb to covering receivers, or playing .500 ball will become a regularity. I like that TU has stepped up its OOC schedule, now we have to step up our defensive recruiting.
 

 
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