Tulsa World: TU Notebook: Motivation

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TU Notebook: Motivation

TU's Charles Clay scored four times against Southern Miss to match a career high. Stephen Pingry / Tulsa World

By MIKE BROWN World Sports Writer
Published: 11/23/2009 2:29 AM
Last Modified: 11/23/2009 6:48 AM

Junior running back Charles Clay said still having a mathematical chance of becoming bowl eligible spurred the Hurricane offense Saturday at Southern Miss.

Tulsa scored touchdowns on four of seven first-half possessions for its most productive half of the season against a bowl-subdivision foe, and finished with a season-high 589 yards.

Clay helped by scoring four times to match a career high.

"We were playing for the seniors. We had new life when we found out we could make it to a bowl game, so that was the main focus coming out. We were gonna do whatever we could to leave here with a `W'," Clay said.

TU's postseason hopes didn't end officially until Saturday's loss assured the first losing season in five years.

Promising future: While not the team policy to look beyond the next game, the offense could be dynamite next year when eight of 11 starters return.

"We've got a lot of people coming back, but at the same time, we've got some great seniors leaving," Clay said. "We're losing guys like (receiver) Slick Shelley and (guard) Curt Puckett and (tight end) Jake Collums, and that's some big shoes to fill."

Damaris watch: Sophomore receiver Damaris Johnson posted career highs for catches (17) and receiving yards (196) at Southern Miss while going over 300 all-purpose yards for the third straight game.

Johnson totaled 320 combined rushing, receiving and return yards and moved into eighth place on C-USA's career list with 4,997. He also had 106 kickoff return yards and vaulted into fourth place on C-USA's career list with 2,438.

It was his fourth consecutive 100-plus receiving game and his sixth of the year.

Recruiting update: Defensive back Brion James of Hahnville, La., has committed to the Hurricane, according to InsideTulsaSports.com.

The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder is the third commitment from the state of Louisiana and the 19th overall in Tulsa's 2009-10 recruiting class.

Verbal commitments are nonbinding, but high school athletes can sign binding letters of intent beginning Feb. 3.

James plays cornerback and safety for Hahnville, which is 11-1 after Friday's second-round Class 5A playoff win. By MIKE BROWN World Sports Writer

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